It seems to me that Mitt Romney is not letting the Obama campaign get away with any of their over-the-top claims. He is calling them out every time they stretch the truth (or flat-out lie). His reaction time is much faster than the last Republican nominee as well. This seems to have knocked Team Obama off balance.

The President and his campaign have not been as effective in their responses to digs from Mr. Romney. Consider Mitt Romney’s birth certificate quip to the effect that folks in Michigan knew he was from there and that no one had asked for his birth certificate. As the MSM got the vapors, the crowd laughed and cheered. Team Obama’s response was downright silly and has probably served to reinforce the impact of the joke.

At Instapundit Prof. Reynolds passed along this comment from a reader:

And reader Bobby Franklin writes: “Romney owes Obama rent for living in his head. It appears we may have underestimated ole Mitt. He is simply toying with Obama, Democrats, and the media – and they don’t even know it.”

Glenn Reynolds also remarked that he sees Romney adopting a picador strategy. I agree and see it as a good thing. Mitt Romney is the kind of guy who can get involved with a small startup operating out of an abandoned grocery store and build it into Staples. That takes focus. And a certain ruthlessness. Both will be needed to send Barack Obama into retirement.

Is it November yet?

UPDATE—Protein Wisdom has a marvelous parody of the MSM/Team Obama reaction to the birth certificate line. His headline:

Cancer-casting felon in tax dodging magic underwear launches RACIST birther attack on the man who once described himself as “Kenyan born”

UPDATE 2—Imagine if Will Rogers has said this today:

The income tax has made liars out of more Americans than golf.

Of course, Rogers was a Democrat …

UPDATE 3—Mitt Romney says to lighten up—it was a joke about me in my hometown. Video here.