President Obama's campaign team should spend big bucks now on massive television ads to define Mitt Romney as the job-killing rich snob who favors privatizing Medicare that he is. Miss this moment as the GOP frontrunner is introduced to millions of Americans and Democrats, risk letting Romney define himself as he sees fits.
When President Bill Clinton was up for reelection his team wisely chose to spend millions defining Bob Dole very early in the GOP campaign, long before the eventual Republican nominee was a shoo-in. Most famously, and somewhat ironically considering today's events, Clinton's operatives hammered Dole as a partner with Newt Gingrich's vow to make sure that Medicare would "wither on the vine."
Dole never really recovered from the early Clinton onslaught. Romney wouldn't either, if the Obama team has the sense to go for it now. Press releases, web videos and viral attacks, which they're pushing forth these days, don't count. Go big, guys. Only a massive television advertising campaign, right now, will get the job done and ensure that Romney is defined on your terms for November.
Follow Craig Crawford on Twitter: www.twitter.com/craig_crawford
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