Obama should disarm Romney from the first minute of the debate with something like this.
"The American people have suffered greatly over the past decade from policies that have redistributed a vast amount of wealth from the middle class to the richest among us. A strong middle class built America to the greatness we have all enjoyed -- all of us -- including the most fortunate among us. Ordinary Americans have seen The American Dream slip away at the same time they see the most powerful money changers and corporations take trillions of dollars out of our system, stashing that money in places like Switzerland and the Cayman Islands while moving millions of our best jobs to low wage, low-working-condition countries.
"The American people understand that the system has been rigged, and they have the sense that our middle class is slipping away from us. Tonight's debate -- indeed this entire campaign -- must be all about how we can un-rig the system and restore a healthy vibrant middle class so that America's 21st Century will be just as bright as the 20th century was for America.
"Americans understand these are serious issues -- issues that deserve clear thinking and straight answers. I know in the tradition of these debates, candidates like to score cheap points with 'zingers'. And in a different year, in a different situation, maybe that would be good sport for these debates. But these are serious times and we have serious challenges that cannot be met by tossing 'zingers'. I commit to a serious, thoughtful discussion this evening and I hope that Governor Romney does as well."
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