Pre-Debate Thoughts

Tomorrow is the day of the first presidential debate in this election cycle. While brighter minds than mine have provided excellent thoughts on what Governor Romney should do, I thought that I would make a couple of points as well. Specifically, there are two things I want to see from the challenger.

First, Governor Romney should make clear that his plan does not include raising taxes on the middle class. This falsehood, based on flawed analysis from the Tax Policy Center, should be exposed once and for all. Romney should speak directly to the American people and tell them exactly what is in his plan and how it will aid economic growth. Otherwise, the Obama camp will continue to trot out this talking point to voters until Election Day.

When Romney asked Paul Ryan to join him on the ticket many of us saw that as a sign that he was ready to not only make this a referendum on the past four years, but also that Romney was ready to provide an alternative to the Obama administration’s failed policies. That there is an alternative to decline and stagnation is perhaps most visible on the subject of Medicare. President Obama and the Democratic Party are perfectly satisfied in placing unelected bureaucrats in charge of rationing and cutting care for Americans. The Democratic Party’s position does nothing to address Medicare’s role as a primary driver of future Federal debt.

Governor Romney’s vision for Medicare is very different. Together with Paul Ryan, he presents a Republican alternative that promises to enact serious reform in order to secure and strengthen Medicare for future generations, without cutting services. Romney’s goal should be to make sure that no one who pays attention to the debate can walk away from it thinking that the Democratic Party’s position on Medicare is responsible.

Thomas can be found on Twitter as @ThomasRatPol