I Sense That A Long-Simmering Rope-A-Dope Strategy By Team Obama Has Checkmated the Rs

Chris Matthews went off tonight on just how effective the speakers were at the DNC, because, "for the first time, the surrogates came out and actually defended this president and his record. I have been calling on them to do this for months. Why wait until two months before the election ?"

Why indeed?

Could it all be part of a simple yet brilliant rope-a-dope strategy? Let the Rs make their charges against Imaginary Obama for the better part of the year. Let them build a narrative that "he has no record to run on...he didn't accomplish anything." Keep your powder dry and let the attacks wash off your back. Let the Rs imagine that your lack of response means that you don't have a good response for their charges. Then, double down on the charges because you imagine there's no response coming. Continue to fling those charges to the point where you believe your own advertising, to the point that you base your entire nominating convention on an ongoing anti-Obama narrative, coupled with some freshly-minted lies about Obama ending work for welfare, etc.

Allow the cake to be fully baked, and then...

bring down the hammer at the D convention, ie: when the public is finally tuned in and actually listening.

Bring out the litany of speakers who recite Obama's actual record and his actual accomplishments. Remind the public what the economy was like under the last Republic president, junior bush. Remind them of what Obama inherited from bush, and how far we've come in a short 3.5 years. Indeed, let them pull out their tired old "are you better off than you were 4 years ago?" meme...and then give them both barrels of "Yes! We're actually MUCH better off. Here's how."

It's judo - using an opponent's weight against them. By holding their fire, Team Obama allowed the Rs to dig in to a fixed position, when this year's election wars are going to be won by the army that can move the quickest.

Face it, if Team Obama had been out there knocking down every single R narrative, the Rs would have just invented new narratives to replace the disproved ones. By laying back, Team Obama let the Rs dig their own graves. I mean, look who they nominated to run for POTUS and Veep!