That does make sense.

Because Obama can't run on his own record?

Petit_Merdeux: This will be the "Bain" of his existence!

Get it? Bain/Bane?

Do you see what I did there?

Am I the first?

Damn, I crack myself up!

You crack me up too ;)

EnviroDude: Because Obama can't run on his own record?

No, because Bain is Romney's record. And no one said you can't do both. It's not in the rules, as far as I know.

SnarfVader: This Bain scandal will break the backbone of Romney's campaign.

Let's be honest, the campaign never had one to begin with.

Hitting Romney on his record is exactly what this is about. If we are supposed to consider Obama's record, and Lord knows that folks have been talking that one up, then considering Romney's record is not just fair game, it's required. That is why the tax records are sort of important as well. Not because he did anything illegal--I don't think that Romney's was so stupid as to write anything down that was blatant or incriminating--but because his investments ARE sort of important. Not just how much he shipped out of the country--which, BTW is not "job creation" save for competitors on the global market--but also the folks he put his money in with. Romney talks a good game about family values, but he seems to be somewhat less than stolid in his support of those values when it comes to the one thing that he has--cash. Who he put his money in with is going to be the crux of things, and going public with who he is in bed with is going to illustrate more than just that he has a lot of money, but that he supports folks who have less than good standing with some of the folks that he's counting on for support.

Money is speech, or so we've been told. Romney has been supporting some awful funny things over the years, and that is more the issue, than tax dodges or how much he has. How much he's put in with folks who make their money off things that he tells his supporters he's against. It is very much the issue, and it's not skeletons in his closet, but what he's supported over the years, while telling folks that he's just not that kind of guy. It is very much a poignant illustration of his inability to tell the whole and unvarnished truth. It is very much an illustration of what he truly believes when you see what he's put his money into. Where it has gone. THAT is very much the crux of the issue, and that is really what is going on behind his reticence about releasing records. Not because he's embarrassed by the amounts, not that he's hiding illegality, but that he doesn't want folks to know what he really supports with his cash...

From TFA: they're painting a picture that makes Romney look ridiculous, like a joke

Uhhh... Help me out here. When did Romney ever NOT look ridiculous, like a joke?

ginandbacon: That does make sense.

No, no it doesn't.

FTA : " In a word, no. The Obama team's goal here is to make the entirety of Romney's professional life toxic and off-limits before Romney even gets the chance to introduce himself to much of the public. And they're off to a pretty good start.

Is the only mention as to the "why now" question. Your blog sucks.

GAT_00: No way. That would be unprecedented in US history.

For a presidential candidate maybe, but consider the (brief) Eagleton run for the vice Presidency.

/Of course, given that debacle, if Romney were to step down, the GOP might as well just officially sit out the rest of the campaign.

I figured it was part of the strategy to keep throwing tacks in the road to prevent Romney from building any sort of real momentum.

I see the logic of doing this before the convention to take some wind out of Romney's sails, but they run the risk of doing it too far ahead of the election. Voters have short memories and they may forget all the Bain Capital stuff by then.

GAT_00: Get Your Dick Out Of My Food: GAT_00: The Paulistas will probably manage to get Rand on the ticket now though, since people will keep defecting to him with this.

Really you think Rand is on the VP shortlist? That seems far-fetched considering he's been in office barely a year and a half. Palin had more time in elected office.

I thought he was high on the list before. The amount of delegates that Paul has stolen makes it from more likely. Plus he addresses any number of Romney's weaknesses.

I always thought he was the high risk, high reward pick. Romney has no choice anymore.

The problem with that is RON PAUL is a true believer. As crazy as he is I also think he is a man of honor. You can't buy the silence of people like that. Simply put he thinks his message and vision for the country is far more important than political favors for his son. If Rmoney picks Rand as VP RON PAUL will see it for the pure crony politics that it is and he would become even more vocal.

romney is so farked. the only thing that will keep this close is the media, which fawns over him on a daily basis. that, and the GOP's plan to disenfranchise hundreds of thousands of democrats across the country. but that plan will only work if the election is close.

coco ebert: I see the logic of doing this before the convention to take some wind out of Romney's sails, but they run the risk of doing it too far ahead of the election. Voters have short memories and they may forget all the Bain Capital stuff by then.

This is about opening Romney up. Exposing him. This is just a jab, not a knockout punch. That he and his team are whining about a jab this much is part of the process. Not about interrupting momentum, but setting the "whiner" motif in folks' minds, even before the Convention. Keep hitting those spots, and watching him wince, and then leaning back as Romney lashes back and pointing with the U MAD face.

Romney is ill equipped to deal with Trollbama, and that is pretty much what his team is doing. Falling for it, hook, line, sinker...

coco ebert: I see the logic of doing this before the convention to take some wind out of Romney's sails, but they run the risk of doing it too far ahead of the election. Voters have short memories and they may forget all the Bain Capital stuff by then.

They are creating the image of Romney as a joke. His team's inability to deal with the messaging from the Obama campaign is making the news now. Romney's team has to overcome this to even get started and they are currently failing miserably; if you start the national campaign in a hole and as a joke candidate, how are you going to overcome that? While the national polls may show a close race, Romney's negatives are going up.

Once you're branded as a serial liar and unpatriotic, the rest of the campaign just needs to reinforce that message. The labeling is done, just needs maintenance. Also, doing this on the way in to the convention can lead to an epic fight on the floor which will turn off a lot of the heavy donors and voters.

SnarfVader: This Bain scandal will break the backbone of Romney's campaign.

Oh, hardly. It's not even a scandal, unless you count the Romney campaign's complete inability to control the narrative as scandalous. Here's the thing: the Romney campaign is right. There's nothing unusual or untoward in what went on with Bain- it's standard big business and rich-guy rules. There was no felony.

And that's what the Romney campaign is saying. And that's why they're getting spanked in the press. Because this is politics, and politics isn't about facts. It's about the narrative. And the Obama campaign has taken those facts and made Romney look like an out-of-touch, big-business rich-guy in a populist election cycle.

Nothing the Obama campaign has done is "back breaking", but the Romney campaign is certainly trying to help matters along.

dr_blasto: Also, doing this on the way in to the convention can lead to an epic fight on the floor which will turn off a lot of the heavy donors and voters.

i hadn't thought of that.

showing how weak romney is right now could lead to a revolt from the tea party and the rest of the taliban-wing of the GOP. that could make for a really interesting convention and force romney to pick an insane VP like bachmann or santorum, which would sink the campaign nationally.

In a word, no. The Obama team's goal here is to make the entirety of Romney's professional life toxic and off-limits before Romney even gets the chance to introduce himself to much of the public. And they're off to a pretty good start.

if that's the goal, it's working VERY well so far.

Hearing "Obama can't run on his own record" from the crowd that supports Mitt Romney is hilarious.

EnviroDude: Because Obama can't run on his own record?

you meant Romney, right?

The economy isn't doing as well as we hoped, so distract and attack Romney.

Also, if Romney is going to blame Obama for the economy, then Obama gets to blame Romney for everything Bain did.

Headso: Romney is not handling this well either, asking for an apology is childish and makes him appear weak and running response ads that attack the idea of dirty campaigning and obfuscating the truth is both laughable coming from a republican and people don't give a shiat because they expect campaigns to be dirty. Romney would have been smart to announce his VP pick when this started ramping up now is too late.

gotta agree with this - Team Romney hasn't been handling the Bainstorm very well at all.

It's the only thing Romney has left to run on, other than the Olympics. Governor of MA? Yeah, he passed something a bit better than the ACA, but essentially the ACA.

So, for the President's campaign, it diverts attention from how the Congress has turned away the Administration's immature proposals on the budget, jobs, and taxes like they were written by a back-bencher from a very blue state.

If he's still sitting at better than 46%, nationally, at the end of the convention, he probably wins. If Romney's peaked over 50%, he probably loses. Pretty simple. Less simple? The Senate. I'd be very unsurpassed to see Obama re-elected, and the Democrats lose the Senate.

dwrash: Obama has done nothing to stop the outsourcing, etc. that Romney used as a legitimate business strategy.

Hasn't Obama proposed or suggested and supported tax benefits for companies that keep jobs here and penalties for companies that shop jobs overseas?