On economic policy, Barack Obama has left Mitt Romney an opening. The president has responded to a severe, continuing labor market slump with a four-year-old, marginally counterproductive tax increase proposal. His current economic agenda has little relevance to anything except his current political requirements: picking a political fight on tax-code equity to distract attention from his economic stewardship. It is the triumph of tactics and the surrender of seriousness.

In response, Romney put a single, characteristically hesitant toe through the opening. His NAACP speech Wednesday featured rich themes of promoting "equal opportunity," building "human capital" and lifting people from poverty. But Romney's supporting policies — on health care, energy, education reform — were resolutely untailored and uncreative.

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To fill out an opportunity agenda, the Romney campaign might start by perusing a new report  by the Economic Mobility Project of the Pew Charitable Trusts, which offers some challenging instruction across the political spectrum.

Read the full opinion piece at washingtonpost.com.