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This morning on SiriusXM, POTUS channel 124, I spoke about the Audacity of Strategy with host Tim Farley (@morningbriefing).   If you didn't catch it, President Obama used his State of the Union address to preempt Republicans on key GOP issues where he'll likely be vulnerable come election time.

PREEMPT, def. TURN THE TABLES. Action or communication that reverses competitive position.

Here's a summary of a few of the Preempts we discussed on the air this morning.  You can tune in to listen to Plays for the Presidency on Fridays at 8:35 a.m., on SiriusXM, POTUS channel 124.

ON NATIONAL SECURITY, Obama robs the GOP of the ability to paint him as being a weak Commander-in-Chief.  Said Obama:

• "For the first time in nine years, there are no Americans fighting in Iraq. For the first time in two decades, Osama bin Laden is not a threat to this country. Most of al Qaeda’s top lieutenants have been defeated. The Taliban’s momentum has been broken, and some troops in Afghanistan have begun to come home."

• Now, if you're the GOP, how do you counter Obama's audacios preempt?  Consult the Standard Guidance of a Preempt's play card, and you'll see one option for countering:  Run a Crowd. You've been beaten to the punch, but you still need to fight. Match your rival's timing, match its rhetoric, match its position and force it to share the stage.

ON ENERGY, Obama preempts the GOP yet again.  He negates the GOP's ability to claim that he's anti-fossil fuel.  Said the POTUS:

• "Over the last three years, we’ve opened millions of new acres for oil and gas exploration, and tonight, I’m directing my Administration to open more than 75 percent of our potential offshore oil and gas resources. Right now, American oil production is the highest that it’s been in eight years. That’s right – eight years. Not only that – last year, we relied less on foreign oil than in any of the past sixteen years."

• How do you counter this energetic preempt?  Standard Guidance suggests the running of a Bait on the preemptor, Obama. Ask him publicly, "Where'd you get that idea?!"

ON TAXES, Obama plays to the populous, turning the tables on the GOP's accusations of class warfare.  Said the President:

• "Now, you can call this class warfare all you want. But asking a billionaire to pay at least as much as his secretary in taxes? Most Americans would call that common sense."

• How might conservatives counter, if at all?  One of the Standard Guidance options recommends against countering at all.  Choose your battles wisely.  Run a Pass. Abandon the contested space. Give your opponent a meaningless win. There will be no fight if only one party shows up.

You can listen for free to the whole show by clicking here. 

Posted by Alan Kelly

Photo Credit: Betty Glad and Chris J. Dolan