To win this fight, we must not overreact in the face of THEIR overreaction.

[Bicoastal]

During the General Election last year, faced with the implosion of the economy as well as a whole host of voters loudly questioning his patriotism, his Christianity, and even his American birth, Barack Hussein Obama become our 44th president and 1st African American president for one basic reason:

He was the biggest adult in the room at all times.

In the public eye, he never got angry, never raised his voice (except in oratory), never let his emotions get the best of him even when his opponents' supporters were screaming at the top of their lungs: "HE'S NOT ONE OF US! HE'S A SCARY BLACK MAN!" It's fair to say that Obama did what Jackie Robinson had to do when he broke the color barrier more than a half century ago--he turned his back on hysteria and prejudice and concentrated upon the job at hand.

Now, a year later, the mobs are back. And as scary and repulsive as they are, we cannot duplicate their behavior. You can't hope to outshout people who aren't listening, and you can't shame those who are already calling us (without a trace of irony) the American Third Reich.

The only way to win this fight is ignore the crazies and appeal to those thousands of invisible people who are undecided and are looking for leadership by example. And I am NOT talking about dismissing the right wing, the way Kerry dismissed the Swift Boaters. Right now, to an unbiased observer, the mob looks to be in a fighting mood--and we won't achieve our goals by fighting them. We will achieve them by looking like adults. The way to win a debate is to let the other guy scream his head off for his allotted 2 minutes, and then cooly, rationally, poke so many holes in his talking points that he won't be able to breathe.

Try to refrain from Nazi-referencing hyperbole, as tempting as it is. Never get into any argument without cut-and-dry facts on hand. NEVER let your emotions get the better of you. Obama will continue to be as cool and collected as always, but this time, we liberals must make sure to match his calmness.