This 'n' that

..................................................................................................................................
"... I think it’s fair to conclude the GOP’s emphasis is on “Defeat Barack Obama,” rather than on “Elect Mitt Romney.” And many of the party’s rising stars, judging by their convention speeches, seem to believe it’s likely that Romney will lose. ..." -- Eugene Robinson in The tale of two conventions favors Obama
..................................................................................................................................
"... The middle class is not in free-fall, as some Republicans argued. And the middle class is not the country's sole economic engine, as Democrats suggested. Overall, the American middle class today is struggling to surmount torpid wages, global competition for jobs, low home values and spiraling healthcare and education costs. The middle class is stagnant. ... 
In the end, both candidates stayed disappointingly true to form. Romney was cautious and vague. Obama was cautions and incremental. The middle class heard some debate, but mostly got pandering." -- David Rohde in Parsing Romney's and Obama's middle-class pablum
..................................................................................................................................
"... Republicans have hated President Obama since his original nomination. The day he was elected their role in Congress was his removal. The passion is visceral and to all but Americans, perhaps, inexplicable. Some suggest, quietly, the hate is racism in disguise. Others shrug and say it is some American thing that nobody, least of all Americans themselves, can understand. ..." -- Tom Koch, Toronto in What’s behind hatred of Obama?
..................................................................................................................................
"The political conventions behind them and three debates ahead, Barack Obama and Mitt Romney now race against the calendar toward Nov. 6.
They have two months to deploy millions of dollars in ads, catch those voters who cast ballots weeks before Election Day, and log umpteen miles in a handful of crucial states — all while worrying what surprising news or candidate slip-up might set the whole enterprise on its ear.

Obama and Romney have huge staffs to help keep it all straight, of course. But you don't. So here, for the rest of us, is a user's guide to the last leg of the 2012 presidential campaign: ..." -- Connie Cass in What to watch for: A user's guide to Campaign 2012
..................................................................................................................................

"... "If you want every American to vote and you think it is wrong to change voting procedures, just to reduce the turnout of younger, poorer, minority and disabled voters, you should support Barack Obama," former President Bill Clinton said in his convention speech. ..." -- Courtney Gross in Decision 2012: Voter ID Laws Could Impact Election
..................................................................................................................................