The Slatest

As Mitt Romney gets ready for his convention spotlight, President Obama granted an interview to the Associated Press in which he made it clear that from now until November he will hammer away the message that his opponent is committed to positions that are far from the mainstream, in both economic and social issues. Romney has long been accused of flip-flopping on his views, but what he actually thinks isn’t really the issue, insists Obama.

The key point is that Romney “has signed up for positions, extreme positions ... And whether he actually believes in those or not, I have no doubt that he would carry forward some of the things that he's talked about.” Obama clearly believes the debates will be a key moment in the campaign, saying that “it will be a little tougher” for Romney to defend some of his views and accusations against the president “face-to-face.” Video of the interview after the jump.