Emmer Plays Rope-A-Dope

For those too young to remember the great poet of the boxing ring Muhammed Ali, the "rope-a-dope" strategy is when you allow the opponent to expend great energy punching at where you are not, until they become so fatigued that they are easier to defeat.  That is what I saw Tom Emmer do at yesterday's MPR gubernatorial debate at the State Fair.  

Mr. Emmer allowed both opponents to spend a great deal of time claiming they were the better candidate because they had a "plan" and Mr. Emmer had none.  It has almost become the defining issue of the race, including as it does the DFL booth at the fair, a ridiculous sum of money spent on advertising against Mr. Emmer in that regard, and even concerns among some Republicans.  (I got over that concern quite some time ago.)   Mr. Dayton claims that his plan is better, because he is going to raise taxes, and cut taxes, and cut spending, and then spend more on education, roads, local government aid, education, health care, the environment, education, the courts, capital investment, jobs and, of course, education.  Mr. Horner claims his plan is superior because, well, he is the only one who has one, so there.  Considering Mr. Dayton's description of his plan, I might even agree with Mr. Horner.  Here's the rope-a-dope part:  What is going to happen to the other two campaigns when Mr. Emmer DOES release his plan, which I believe he soon will?  At best, the other campaigns have to quickly switch gears to attacking the plan, rather than the absence of it, and at worst will find their long-vaunted plans TKO'ed by one "Right" jab after another.  The next debate should be a real Thrilla.