Question

Overall, did Romney execute his game plan better than Obama?

As I read this in the Washington Post, it occured to me that maybe Romney deliberately (wisely to some) chose to ignore Benghazi. Let the news deal with it. The mishandling of it is there for anyone who cares to see.

The irony of him using the word "peace" 12 times when the Nobel peace winner at the table didn't utter it once is too much. It's obviously a tactic but we'll see if it resonates.

An excerpt:

"...He got his best shot at Barack Obama when he quoted the president’s comments during what Romney characterized as an “apology” tour in 2009, in which Obama conceded that the United States has at times “dictated” to other nations and been “dismissive” and “derisive.”

“We don’t dictate to nations,” Romney said. “We free nations from dictators.”

Obama seized on Romney’s use of the word “apology” and noted that every fact-checker and reporter who had looked into it said it wasn’t true...."

I don't get the last line. Why does Obama need a fact checker to fact check his own words? His own intentions? Only he can answer that. Very strange - and cynical.

"...Obama may have chosen this phrase to make up for past statements that were less than ringing endorsements of this country’s special place in defense of human liberty. When asked once whether he thought the United States was exceptional, he said he supposed it was in the same way other countries think they’re exceptional..."

The "new norm" angle.Or the White Goodman "I'm ok that you're ok with yourself 'cuz we're the same" doctrine.

"...Rather than correct Romney’s figures, Obama treated him like a child.

“Well, Governor, we also have fewer horses and bayonets because the nature of our military’s changed. We have these things called aircraft carriers where planes land on them. We have these ships that go underwater, nuclear submarines.”

The president got some laughs but probably no new votes. Snark is a winning trait on Twitter but not so much in the Oval Office. The higher road belonged to Romney, who succeeded in his mission, which was to remind Americans that their nation is more than indispensable. It is exceptional — and they need a president who believes it.

I don't know if this is attributed to his own cockiness or to the GOP's game plan exploiting this flaw. Maybe both. If they knew before hand, then kudos to them for executing it.