Should Mitt Talk to Bill?

So I’m on with Bill O’Reilly and he says both Mitt Romney and President Obama should go on his program before Election Day.  He knows the president won’t take him up on the offer, but he says Romney’s people say they find the invitation “intriguing.”

“Intriguing,” we both agree translates into “No way, Jose!”  But then Bill says he thinks it might happen.

Bill thinks it would be smart for Romney to go on the Factor, where he’d get 30 minutes to tell his story to a lot of people.  I say, you’re wrong Bill.

Here’s why I would advise Romney to decline the offer.  First, despite all the flak he takes, Bill is a journalist at heart.  He’s smart and fair and he won’t ask softball questions like some others might.  There’d be no “Obama is a jerk, right?” Or “don’t you think Obama is even worse than Jimmy Carter?”

Bill would ask real questions.  Let’s say Romney hits them all out of the park for 29 and a half minutes.  Then, Bill asks a question that neither Romney nor anyone else sees coming.  A good, hard question.  Let’s say Romney muffs it, and in the process says something reminiscent of “I like firing people.”  He quickly explains what he really meant, maybe even apologizes for the awkward way he answered Bill’s question … but, alas, it’s too late.

The Obama campaign jumps all over the “gaffe,” which is a word used to describe what happens when a politician slips and tells the truth, usually about something controversial.  What happens next? Right!  Obama’s loyal base – the so-called mainstream media – jump all over the gaffe too.

So here we are with a few days left in the campaign and everybody is focused on Romney’s lone “mistake.”  That's all reporters write and talk about.

Should Romney have gone on the Factor earlier in the campaign? Maybe. But now the potential upside just isn’t worth the potential downside.

That’s why Romney should not go on the Factor.  What say you?