I'm not optimistic.

Europe has no money. Politicians in the Eurozone will have to lock step with the US if Romney's campaign convinces the US that giving all their jobs and money away to China is in their interest. This will happen because the globally minded 1%, having taken the US down, will have to move taking down the socially responsible political models in Europe next as there is no way the story of the collapse of the US middle class can be allowed to be seen as unique to the US. They will work to bring down Europe as no contrasting model can be permitted.

Am I paranoid?

I think that's the message that the Obama team should be putting out. And, largely, they are. Thus far their campaign focusses on specifics, individual stories, particular financial or social issues that highlight and form a narrative specificity to the ideological struggle. I think that Obama's team are doing very well indeed but could potentially do even better by actually going for the jugular and isolating from the rhetoric what it is about Republican thinking that makes it fail for ordinary people - namely that it's incompatible with human development, which is impossible without the concept of altruism.

Would you like to see Obama address this concept more directly? Would you like him to take on the "ideological" component of the right wing in blunter terms (the terms are already pretty blunt, to be fair)? Or would you rather they stuck to their current tactics (which are certainly extremely effective...)? Would you rather not spook the horses with bold statements?

Not even by their own silly, babyish standards.

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that Romney's recent requests for "fair play" essentially reveal that he went into this fight knowing he was damaged goods beforehand.

Do the votes stick with the option number or the poll question? Hmmmm. Feel guilty now...

Big blinking blue eyes in the headlights.

"Wahhhh? But, we're such LOVELY LOVELY people and you're all so MEAN-SPIRITED."

Guaranteed, IMO.