Romney vs Obama Debate
Open thread.
Andrew Sullivan is beside himself with anxiety.
10.23 pm. Lehrer has basically handed the moderation of this to the candidates, and Romney has taken command. And he has done so by speaking for three minutes less.
10.22 pm. The liar has managed to make Obama seem dishonest. In an act of will, Romney’s lies are made effective. …
In live-blogging a debate, I am not judging the intellectual cogency alone. I am judging it as a debate, which is a complex thing, with many factors in play. But I know debating, am good at it, and I can see a wipe-out when it’s, well, in front of one’s nose.
10.17 pm. Romney is even sounding Reagan-like and compassionate right now. The Etch-A-Sketch is shaking, and the old Romney is back, with coded appeals to his base. And then he adds onto that a litany of woes currently experienced. Again, even after Obama’s eloquent answer, Romney is better.
Sullivan should not be too discouraged. By tomorrow Obama will have won. The groundwork is already being laid. “In an act of will, Romney’s lies are made effective.” The Triumph of the Will! It’s Romney’s fault.
Still, it seemed like a bad night for the One. “Jay Rosen @jayrosen_nyu My own debate reax 1… Romney took strong advantage of a weak moderator. Obama just used that weakness to talk longer.”
“Ezra Klein @ezraklein Romney won this debate by seeming specific. Obama got some good ads out of what he got Romney to be specific about.”
“National Journal @nationaljournal .@ron_fournier: “Obama fell victim Wednesday night to high expectations, a short fuse, and a hungry challenger.”
“James Fallows @JamesFallows I argued that Romney was ‘surprisingly’ good as a debater, Obama ‘surprisingly’ weak. Can anyone disagree? http://bit.ly/SyR9SR”
“Bill Maher @billmaher my rating: Romney won the debate, Obama had the facts on his side, and Lehrer sucked. Next debate, get @SethMacFarlane to host!”
But if things are even half as bad as some accounts have it and Romney held his own and more than his own, then Barack Obama has lost something irreplaceable tonight: his aura of invincibility. Romney came to the podium advertised as a man. Obama strode to the stage a god.
That peculiar burden meant Obama was not only expected to draw even with the bumbling, clenched and moronic Republican, he was expected to devastate him. The cumulative effect of the media’s portrayal of Romney as slightly better than an idiot was to raise the expectations of the President’s supporters to unrealistic levels. They came to watch their god massacre the illiterate Mormon. The Harder They Fall.
What happens now will be the first real test of Obama the public man. Romney has either broken him or stoked the fires of determination to do better next time. If the former, then he can only return to the fray in a demoralized fashion. If the latter, then Romney should watch out.
Who won?
- Romney (95%, 104 Votes)
- Obama (3%, 3 Votes)
- About even (2%, 3 Votes)
Total Voters: 110
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Mitt forcing his points over the moderator it seems to me, which I appreciate. Question: will lowering tax rates really increase jobs? I think probably yes. I’m no business owner and would be curious to hear from some of you that do own a biz and what you think of the current federal tax burden on businesses.
Early body language points go to Romney; Obama looks like he crammed too late. But I’m biased.
Format, moderator, and candidates all suck.
Obambus does seem to be overreaching, and stuttering, but Mitt isn’t scoring many positive points.
So far, ugh.
Romney going after green energy investments. Doing a fine job I think. Also, Obama wants 100,000 NEW teachers! Just what we need is more public servants with public pensions that never end. Also wants to “cut taxes” and lower tuition rates at the same time. How would he do that? Why didn’t he do that for the last four years?
@#1
We don’t need to micro analyze the tax impact to business. If I pay part of my gross profits to the government in taxes, I will not be spending that money on business expansion. No expansion means no new jobs.
Romney should have immediately challenged Obama’s terminology calling expenditures such as education an “investment”. It is an investment on no businesses’ ledger. Confusing terms is intentional to mask higher social EXPENDITURES! It’s dishonest.
Call the liar a liar, or lose the election.
Thx Old Salt. It’s common sense no? Also, I see your point on terminology related to education as an investment. I do agree it is an investment but mainly a personal investment as it can help you land a higher paying job depending on your degree.
Romney’s response to Obama’s claim of $1Trillion cuts should be “My plan will save $100 trillion”.
Then highlight Obama’s lie by saying that the cuts will occur over 500 years that’s after Romney leaves office, which is just as honest Obama’s claim.
I would not discount the impression that body language makes
Obama certainly does not look like a practiced attorney before a jury
Is Obama going to challenge mitt on Romneycare. Anyone here familiar with both plans want to elaborate?
Obama uses many words, but doesn’t say anything.
Net result, Mitt can’t get his offense on the field because the bloviating Obama is running out much of the clock.
OT –
When I heard about the Syrian shelling, my first thought was “some damn fool thing in the Balkans.” Boy, am I the eternal pessimist these days. We need to vote the clown show out of national office ASAP.
From Twitter. “Obama is waiting for the right moment to pull out Bin Laden’s skull from behind the podium. Wait for it. Wait for it..”
Thanks for including Sully’s perspective. I have a young friend at work who still thinks highly of him. The cymbals of cognition and dissonance are clashing.
How did O ever get rep of being a golden tongued orator? Sorry, I forgot about TOTUS, who must be getting the night off, no doubt consoling Michelle on this, their 20th anniversary. Looks like they will get to celebrate next year in obscurity, but always planning for that UN Sec Gen spot.
What Romney should say.
“Let’s make a deal. You moderate. I answer my questions and he answers his. Is that OK with you?”
Andrew Sullivan:
10.22 pm. The liar has managed to make Obama seem dishonest.
ROTFL. Just like Obama was a truth teller about Katrina in his 2007 speech!
Romney won Debate One.
I feared Romney would be Mittens Milquetoast but somehow Mitch with a Pitch showed up. Obama showed up as himself = SCOAMF (Stuttering Clusterf— of a Miserable Failure)
Obamas -
I won Iraq? ‘Cuz Bush planned it so.
I lowered taxes. ‘Cuz Bush had. (He blamed Bush all night.) That bird don’t fly no more on the level of “D’uh Devil Made Me Do It”.
I’m winning Afghanistan. No he ain’t. The RoE make sure we are going to lose and lose a lot of lives on the way out. Yon published a letter from a soldier that smells right from what I know.
It was endless. Anyone who still votes for Obama the TWANLOC needs to be institutionalized.
“but always planning for that UN Sec Gen spot.”
There’s never be a UN SecGen from the US, UK, Russia, China, or France. These are, as you know, the five permanent members of the Security Council. I’m not sure if it’s in the UN charter or if it’s a gentlemen’s agreement but this is no accident. As I recall, having a SecGen from a non-permanent SC country is seen as a way of balancing/offsetting the power given to those five.
I didn’t see the whole thing but from what I saw Romney won IMO, though he didn’t hit it out of the park.
Romney definately had better physical presence. He seemed charged and alert where Obama looked less fresh.
When Obama said “I have thought about the security of americans every day that I have been in the oval office” I wondered how many days can that actually have been? … ya know … considering the golf, and the vacations, and the fundraisers, etc.
When Obama said “budgets matter” I was floored … thats pretty brassy coming from him seeing as he has not had a budget since taking office … too bad Romney never called him on it.
I was glad to see Romney making his points over the moderator at times. He was a gentleman but seemed to be saying “I wont be pushed around”.
Romney also had a better signal to noise ratio than Obama when he had the floor. Obama never ran out of words and didn’t stutter much that I noticed but many of his statements were nearly content-free. he would finish talking and I would ask my self “what did he just say?”
my $0.02 … FWIW
I Haven’t watched MSNBC in years but I turned to it after the debate. I couldn’t stop laughing. Their heads are exploding! Mathews, Maddow, Sharpton… They are livid at the Won’s performance. Mathews is sputtering. I thought he was having a stroke.
Priceless.
“but always planning for that UN Sec Gen spot.”
That was kind of a joke…maybe it’ll be Arnold Schwarzenegger who seems to have made a recent appearance and attempt to rehabilitate himself. In any case, maybe we’ll find out O is not, in fact, a US citizen, so then it’ll all be OK.
He can be first UN Sec Gen with “Citizen of the World” as his birth place.
The spin machine is incredible. It is as if FOX News and MSNBC were watching two entirely different debates.
But the real take-away for me is that, should ObamaCare stand, we won’t be voting for President of the United States anymore. We’ll be voting for Health-Care-Manager-In-Chief.
This debate featured Obama saying he’s a great governor of your life, and Mittens made sideways attacks decrying that crazy.
Obama was pretty formidable in that debate. Mitt, early on, was Reaganesque. His Reaganesque qualities declined over time, and Obama became more effective at pushing his swill over time. Mitt closed hard and correctly, tho.
Mitt was the overall winner, with no KO.
20. Oneeye
Agreement to the fourth power. I did not watch the debate but when it was over, like you, I laughed my socks off at poor old stuttering, sputtering Chris Matthews on MSNBC.
Romney must have done well if he unhinged MSNBC.
Yeah, Rachel Maddow just threw in the towel on MSNBC and said the consensus there is that Mitt Romney had the better performance. Of course, they’re blaming Lehrer for not “moderating the debate”. Plouffe is on right now attempting damage control.
I’m not a Romney guy at all, but I turned to my girlfriend several times during the debate and said he was really doing well. I think he came out ahead here. Follow this up with a VP debate massacre and Romney hammering Barry on foreign policy (which even I could do because it would be so easy) and I think dear Mr. President could be in trouble.
Wretchard @ 12,
Obama is waiting for the foreign policy debate to pull out OBL’s shrunken head and wave it around. If you thought he was spiking the football previously, just wait until he literally spikes OBL’s head and does a Gangnam-style touchdown dance.
I’ve been quite worried about Romney. The reason was that in his 1994 run against Ted Kennedy, shortly after the mid October polls showed him ahead, I witnessed his inexplicable verbal meltdown (a Los Angeles TV station broadcast a segment of a stump speech). Kennedy went on to win by 15 points.
Tonight, this was not the same man. I’m praying the other guy does not reappear.
I was surprised by how unhinged MSNBC was. I didn’t think Obama did that bad. True his statements were often content free. But I thought they might mean something to democrats. Apparently not.
So agree with Wretchard. The expectations game worked against Obama because it had Obama as a god and Romney as a mere man. Obama did ok as a man but poorly as a god. Romney did well for a man. So Romney’s success was magnified.
Mitt picked himself up to a B-, maybe a B. Obambus was surprisingly awkward, stuttering, reciting campaign script, earning maybe an affirmative action AAA but in real points maybe a C-. Neither made a hell of a lot of sense, in any technical evaluation.
If Andrew Sullivan and Chrissy Matthews are having existential crisis it’s probably because they actually looked at the two candidates side by side, and a tiny ray of reality shined into their creepy psychotic universes.
… and I couldn’t get through to PJM for the second half of the debate
Mitt Romney won tonight…big time!
Undecided voters in focus group swing sharply toward Romney; Frank Luntz: ‘I’ve never seen anything like this’; CBS post-debate poll shows big win for Romney
http://twitchy.com/2012/10/03/undecided-voters-in-focus-group-swing-sharply-toward-romney-frank-luntz-ive-never-seen-anything-like-this/
Obama said nothing meaningful.
If anything, Romney’s effort to meet the “specifics” expectations set by a mostly leftist media made him almost seem too technical – at risk of seeming like a detached technocrat.
I think Romney would be better served to act as a late night TV car huckster, i.e. keep pounding the same mantra over and over again:
“You can look at the record.
* There’s no question in my mind that if the president were to be reelected you’ll continue to see a middle-class squeeze with incomes going down and prices going up. I’ll get incomes up again
* You’ll see chronic unemployment. We’ve had 43 straight months with unemployment above 8 percent: If I’m president I will create — help create 12 million new jobs in this country with rising incomes.
* If the president were to be reelected you’re going to see a $716 billion cut to Medicare. You’ll have 4 million people who will lose Medicare Advantage. You’ll have hospital and providers that’ll no longer accept Medicare patients. I’ll restore that $716 billion to Medicare.”
… and on to the point on the military, and on to domestic energy development, etc..
Hit it over and over and over. Pound it in every segment.
Choose L-I-B-E-R-T-Y over Obama’s oppressive controls.
To get too technical is to fall into the trap of doing business as a leftist.
Ashen: A very good proportion of hiring is done by investing accumulated savings back into the business. In my case, it costs me about $50-75k to hire someone, set them up with equipment and vehicle, the background infrastructure so they can do their job. Not too expensive but that money comes from accumulated profits. Any of that money that the government takes will not be used to invest into the business.
I think that right now that is a secondary concern however. The deficit financing is hoovering up credit away from productive enterprises into government operation. That well funded government operation by definition and by nature will add costs to business in regulation and other demands. That is and has been for a number of years the impetus behind moving jobs offshore; costs are too high.
Well all the initial reports say Romney “won”. But let’s see how the little rat teeth of the MSM get nibbling on things tonight and tomorrow morning.
And whether the MSM will simply bias the polls even more strongly if they have to.
Did anyone else notice how Romney established his authority? IMO it was in the first question where Obama got the first word and Romney was supposed to get the last. (The agreed format, the order changing with each new question).
I’m betting a reviewing of the broadcast will show the following is correct.
Romney needs to keep doing that sort of thing. It is very unRINOish. Haven’t seen that in a GOP prez candidate in decades.
I completely disagree with Josh on Jim Lehrer, Lehrer let them have at each other which was very refreshing and much more informative. It was the best Presidential debate I have seen in my lifetime by far.
Romney won on style, personality, substance and body language.
Most people tune out the news reports of the candidates. That is why these debates are so important. These debates are where the people really judge the candidates. Listening to the Frank Luntz focus group after the debate on Fox was stunning. You had a group of people who had voted overwhelmingly for Buraq first time around, and had come undecided to this debate. After the debate with the exception of one commenter, they were overwhelmingly for Romney. They talked glowingly of Romney’s leadership, decisiveness, and command of the issues during the debates, and gave comments like “weak, unprepared and flat” for Buraq’s performance.
I can see a Buraq meltdown coming.
Given tonight’s performance and that domestic policy should theoretically be Buraq’s strong suit, methinks he might just shit the bed on the foreign policy debate. If Mitt has any kind of killer instinct and plays his cards right, it should only take a bit of “speaking truth to power” to get Obama to wilt completely on that topic.
THE FLUMMERY REVEALED
Tonight the magician in the White House pulled a dead rabbit out of his hat. The curtain has been lifted, and the country has beheld a shriveled simulacrum, lost without his teleprompter, unable to speak coherently beyond the memorized sound bites.
The curtain, ruffled by the breeze
Reveals the naked form for all to see
The limpid smile once thought to please
Now only shows a living parody
We watched with awe the curtain rend
Mitt Romney tore the damn thing clean in half
The sleight of hand is at an end
Obama led off crying by his staff
It isn’t over, just round one
The unions, fraud and Acorn will be heard
But as at Austerlitz the sun
Shines brighter as the world now hears the word
That Romney will restore the sense
Of freedom and democracy that would
Have been referred to in past tense
And Barack shred the country if he could
The curtain’s down, illusions gone
The implements of magic now revealed
The lady never had been sawn
As light shines on the flummery concealed
#34. Amen. Almost as good as “I’m paying for this microphone..” (Mr. Reagan reprising Spencer Tracy). And given 4 minutes less talk time than Mr. O, Mr. R. managed to say so much more. Now if he can just practice saying more in even fewer words – more slowly – for the rest of us not used to elevator pitches (but, like writing, that’s the hardest type of communicating to do).
Nice job Mr. R. Don’t get cocky, just keep it up. Be wonderful if you succeed in creating long enough coattails to bring the Senate along with you – which means 60+ votes.
Not a word about sparrows or landlordism. No one is looking out for us.
34. Pascal
That is the way I perceived it as well. It will be interesting to see a transcript. Lehrer also seemed to remind Obama of his talking points from time to time.
Let’s see what the MSM does to fish Obama out of the toilet.
Perhaps it’s time for an October Surprise?
Had to make a pit stop halfway thru, coming back and just hearing Romney I was struck by how much he sounds like Bush the first.
Can’t decide if thats a good or bad thing.
As for performance; I tought Romney owned the stage, no question.
Eggplant at 41:
Maybe Obama will attack Libya soon (or even Iran–why not go for broke?) and declare he’s too busy being presidential to hold another debate.
If I were Buraq, I’d consider it.
(If I were Buraq–ugh, just turned myself into a Shoggoth…hard to type…
An Préachán
On CNN after the debate David Weaselrod was looking emaciated, stressed and weirder than ever. His normal incoherence was ramped up to incomprehensible gobblespeak. Stephanie Nutter was livid with anger. Van Drones was amazingly reasonable and made some interesting points. The regular Congregation of Nonsensical Nuance(CNN) Obama gospel singers looked depressed, confused and sang out of tune.
All this because Romney didn’t look and act like Bozo the Clown? How strange the view from inside that media bubble must be.
Obama will be more aggressive in the second debate but he will be angry that he is under pressure to perform better. Romney should be able to present Obama the Superior Snark to the viewers.
After watching 5 minutes of the debate, I have two words:
President Romney
He was in command, in control, and looked like the President of the United States.
Mitt was in control. 0bama looked like a lying stammering idiot.
0bama try to pawn off the lie about how he “cut in half the deficit” He did no such thing. He raised the debt to sky high levels.
Barky’s green companies were all losers. Mitt had it right when he said “You don’t just pick winners and losers – you pick losers!
Mitt ripped Barky and new one.
The biggest result of this debate is that the inner child of the Wan is in tears.
He’s got a Wannabee psyche. Period.
He’ll need institutional strength sleep aids tonight.
He lost on both sides of the ball.
After the election — he’ll no longer be uncommitted.
#1 Ashen-
More important, perhaps than the tax thing and fiscal cliff is the regulatory cliff coming mostly (but not entirely) due to Obamacare.
In addition to the financial costs to compliance which take money away from particularly small and medium businesses that they could use for employees, equipment, and such, there is a huge negative multiplier effect caused by the uncertainty that such an environment always creates.
I tried to stay awake for the debate, but I only managed to catch the first 20 minutes or so. These graveyard shifts really get to you after a while…
From what I saw, it seemed like Romney was pounding out the details of his economic vision in perhaps too wooden a manner, while Obama was reciting the same talking points that the Democrats have been saying for the last fifty years. If I was a headline writer, my sobriquet for the evening would be “Wonky vs. Donkey.”
But I guess I missed the juicier bits of the debate. As I see from the comments here, many of us are enthusiastic and heartened. I’m glad Mitt did well.
On a side note, I thinks it’s interesting that so many of us still seem to think that Obama has a surprise in store, that he is about to do something brutal and cynical. What if he doesn’t? What if he really is just boring ol’ Barack, just Jimmy Carter with a deep tan? If he is the emptiest suit ever to hold the office, why are we so afraid of an empty suit?
Very uplifting! Romney was terrific. So many great lines, and he managed to be really, really strong without seeming mean. Comparing Obama to one of his kids was priceless–that was risky, but he pulled it off, the timing was right, Obama had asked for it by repeating his stupid point one too many times, so it worked.
Obama could NOT control his face! I loved watching that. The better Romney did, the more Obama looked down, frowned, and blinked his head off.
Romney took control from the very first moment. I don’t know what Obama was trying to do with the mention of his wedding anniversary at the beginning, but it didn’t quite work. He sounded stiff and fake. Then Romney repeated the point, and sort of rescued it for Obama, saying something like “I’m sure you’re delighted to be spending it with me.” Romney sounded real, like he was talking to an actual person, establishing his presence in a way that was natural and friendly. The contrast was shocking, between the friendly, comfortable man and the scared kid. And they stayed pretty much like that the whole time.
Matt #49
On a side note, I thinks it’s interesting that so many of us still seem to think that Obama has a surprise in store, that he is about to do something brutal and cynical. What if he doesn’t? What if he really is just boring ol’ Barack, just Jimmy Carter with a deep tan? If he is the emptiest suit ever to hold the office, why are we so afraid of an empty suit?
From your lips to God’s ears, Matt.
Based on data regarding leftists from my entire lifetime, though, I can’t help but suspect some surprise, or wonder if this was sandbagging to appear to be a “comeback kid” in a later debate.
Seems to me like ruining the country is just not as much fun as he thought it would be. He’s bored, we’re boring, he’s done with us.
People are happy, Ed.
How happy are they?
Happier than Romney at a televised debate.
No opportunity to dodge, divert, or exercise the imperial perogative, “we will not be questioned today.”
No place to hide when your lack of experience is showing and the press is actually contemplating “vetting.”
Did not watch it myself. I figured that y’all and others would provide the Cliff’s Notes version. Or maybe the Illustrated Classics version.
But just now on Fox News I saw Dr Larry Sabato, the U of VA political analyst, and he said:
“This was the biggest gap between an incumbent President and a challenger in history. It was even worse than Reagan and Carter.”
So as disappointed as I am that neither candidate got around to Bigfoot, the Face On Mars, and the Roswell UFO crash, sounds like Mitt done very good.
What happened tonight was that people saw the valedictorian of a Harvard Law Class beat the socks off an unprepared and intellectually underpowered affirmative action entrant who never should have been allowed into Harvard in the first place.
All those people excusing “57 states” and “corpse-man” have been lying to themselves and to us. Downgrade really IS that stupid, and the only thing that has taken him this far is sheer luck. Well, his luck just ran out.
I’d say the Choom Gangster is probably toking it up tonight in an attempt to “mellow out” after the butt-kicking he got. Right now he’s probably beginning to have it sink in that he’s not going to get another four years with all four feet in the public trough. That’s not going to make him happy but it’s going to drive Jarrett and the Wookie absolutely berserk. This was Downgrade’s Waterloo. He’ll never be able to forget this day for the rest of his life.
Debates aside, libs shenanigans (taken as granted) aside, Question:
Will Obama (and Libs) accept election defeat, let alone ‘gracefully’?
Will it be worse than Bush’s 8 years that libs simply can’t accept Bush won twice, by Americans’ choice?
Romney did most everything right, Romney showed he grasped what’s on most people’s minds and that was a four letter word “JOBS” (Not three like Crazy Uncle Joe Biden say’s) It’s a dirty word to 0bama and Mr. Romney proved it last night! Romney I think could have done a little better job of digging into 0bama’s skin, had plenty of opportunities but played safe and stayed the statesman and proper debater, I hope Romney gets a little looser than he was last night, not saying he was being nearly as stiff as he has been in other televised debates. I don’t think Romney had any one Home Run hit, I think the whole debate was a Home Run for Romney! I can only hope Ryan does even better against Crazy Joe who like 0bama last night is even more likely to say off the wall things and get lots of facts skewed. You know the 0bama keystone cops are going to be getting even dirtier now in their fighting, what Romney has done last night is guarantee the worst of “Chicago” politics are going to be played!
The Emporer Has No Clothes.
My son is in the business program at UCI and watched the debate in the Student Hall where there was a small cadre of conservatives (my son among them)vs a large number of Obama supporters. His report is that two-thirds through the debate all of the Obama supporters had left. Romney crushed Obama in the eyes of the students on both sides of the aisle. No amount of media spin will change that assessment. The debate has definately changed the dynamics of the campaign and created an opening for Romney. Whether or not he exploits that opening is the question.
I am happy too. Don’t get me wrong…but
Don’t get cocky! This is not over yet.
With the Middle East up in flames and the “blasphemous video” meme shot down even by MSM, the foreign policy debate should be fun to watch. But first, it’s Ryan v. Gaffe!
I think Romney really did some damage to Obama with the repeated jabs at Green Energy. Its like that scene from Monty Python & the Holy Grail where King Arthur chops the arm off the Black Knight. Except that Romney then picked the arm up and bashed Obama over and over again with it.
Yes, Obama was hurt. Oh, the media may claim “Tis but a scratch!” or “It’s only a flesh wound!” Look for Obama to lose his other arm after Joe Biden debates Paul Ryan and the other two legs in his next debates against Romney. After all Foreign Policy and Obama’s drive to gut the military haven’t even come up yet.
The media will be left spluttering in disbelief. “The Black Knight always Triumphs!” “I’m Invincibleeeee!!!!!”
The first excuse that I thought clever – “Romney looking fresh from the campaign trail and President Obama looking a little worn from the job”.
Obama is a front man. Give him a speech with which to rouse the rabble and he is stellar. But if he’s got to think on his feet he’s in trouble. Not because he’s slow, but because he thinks in themes and ideology – not specifics. That is why he can push “green” projects that most high schoollers (not US but Chinese students), can determine are not economically viable.
I really hope Romney wins because Obama just isn’t the man for the job – http://tinyurl.com/ccqawka
Reflecting on it the next day, I almost feel bad for Obama. Can you imagine the wall of invective he must have received from Mooochelle last night? For putting their $1.4 Billion a year supremo lifestyle-of-the-rich-and-famous in jeopardy? And on their anniversary, no less.
The plates must have been flying at Barry’s head after that fiasco. Can you imagine having that woman tearing you a new one? Especially when, as in Barry’s case, she’s far more masculine than he is.
So I feel bad for him. Almost.
#62-The Black Knight, after having been sliced into a headless torso, proclaimed, “we’ll call it a draw.” If Obama could be compared to a Monty Python character, it would be Dr. D.P. Gumby (“there’s a piece of brain lodged in my head”!!).
The first excuse that I thought clever – “Romney looking fresh from the campaign trail and President Obama looking a little worn from the job”.
Obama is a front man. Give him a speech with which to rouse the rabble and he is stellar. But if he’s got to think on his feet he’s in trouble. Not because he’s slow, but because he thinks in themes and ideology – not specifics. That is why he can push “green” projects that most high schoollers (not US but Chinese students), can determine are not economically viable.
I really hope Romney wins because Obama just isn’t the man for the job – http://tinyurl.com/ccqawka
(cross post from PJ tatler)
Looking forward to the susequent debates. Biden will come to the rescue to defund the administration with the cavalry or Calvary or something. While only the numerate will be able to follow Ryan.
Then Obama will try to defend his (very) foreign policy while the Daily Show CSI will be in Bengazi as the FBI is waiting for its permission slip.
“America is at peace because I understand Islam and people like me” is blowing up like the suicide vest it always was.
“Leading from behind” will be unfavorably compared to “do what they say and nobody gets hurt.” (at least “on my watch”).
Romney should take the chance to suggest that the key to the Arab spring may have been the mistaken address to “the Islamic World” from Cairo, rather than to the (diverse) peoples and countries of the mid East. The US is not Islam’s agent, therapist or life-coach. We have “relations’ with nations, not religions. (does Obama think of Islam as a nation?)
And Romney needs to say one thing perfectly clear “I may not agree with what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it, and AMERICA will defend your right to say it.”
Perfectly clear and perfectly loud.
game over
I love the smell of popcorn in the morning.
TV news in the People’s Republic of China reports a clear win for Obama. What’s that about?
46. T2costkeeper: “0bama looked like a lying stammering idiot.”
And your point is…? (sarc)
During the debate, I thought Romney was doing well, but didn’t trust my (biased) judgment. Assumed the debate would be spun by both sides as usual and the snap polls might even show Obama to be the winner. I was positively shocked to hear the unanimous opinion of the pundocracy and the snap polls confirming what I thought I had seen with my own eyes. This has not happened before.
Romney’s strongest point was his persona, rather than content. (Was there any content at the debate?)
Obama was Obama. The same character we’ve come to know and love these past 4 years. He didn’t really stumble or screw up, just showed us some of who he actually is, as opposed to what his acolytes (MSM)have been telling us he is.
Is this (finally) the moment where Saruman is exposed? One can hope.
u @ 35: I completely disagree with Josh on Jim Lehrer, Lehrer let them have at each other which was very refreshing and much more informative.
I agree! Lehrer did MUCH better than expected – by losing control. The candidates got to show what *they* do when in control, what a concept! And it stayed just barely within bounds. Lehrer should get a medal. He did coach Obama a little, but I guess that’s OK, maybe even belittling to Obama.
(Lehrer let it go where it wanted to go, it was a good decision, not that he had much choice)
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ss @ 44: All this because Romney didn’t look and act like Bozo the Clown?
Yes. Also, Obama looked very tired and disinterested, and was not aggressive as he is in stand-up, telepromptered speeches. It was the Nixon five o’clock shadow kind of thing.
The Obama regime is all about vicious lies. He held back on those, for the most part, and Romney only rebutted a couple of those that remained – like is “five trillion dollar tax cut”. About which I’m too disinterested myself to even look up the origin and truth of the matter, but presume that Romney’s denial was roughly as bogus as the accusation.
Romney’s win was 99% on style, I doubt anyone could tell you ANYTHING about the positions that EITHER candidate actually discussed.
So, what was up with Obambus? I suspect that he was scared of the confrontation, he was scared of the facts of his own record, but most of all that he was playing defense, under the presumption that he is actually winning. Just about as big a mistake as we have been saying of Romney’s passive, reactionary campaign.
I’m glad Romney won, but it wasn’t won with any great beauty or grace.
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I want to add one positive for Obama. For some reason, and contrary to every other indicator, he seems to have a pretty good understanding of the real parameters of the housing and banking crisis. Somewhere on his staff, maybe even Geithner, somebody is giving it to him straight. Of course it then runs into the rest of Obama’s knowledge or lack thereof, but on this one important item (and, this is not the first time I have noticed this) he may actually be up to speed.
After all Foreign Policy and Obama’s drive to gut the military haven’t even come up yet.
Obama will have an easier time of it in any debate over foreign policy as all he has to do is keep connecting Romney to the Bush administration’s overseas blunders. That will be easy given who Romney has chosen to advise him on foreign affairs. Ryan, though, should have no trouble with Biden – just let the VP talk…and talk.
You can count on Al Gore for humor:
http://www.weeklystandard.com/blogs/gores-blames-altitude-obamas-debate-woes_653613.html
I suppose BO’s debate prep didn’t include telling him that Denver’s nickname is “The Mile-High City.”
Having “Lurch” Kerry prepare you for a debate is like having Pee Wee Herman train you for a boxing match.
From Ace’s comments thread-”Wasn’t fair he was expected to perform twice last night…..ruined everything.”
Watched every blink, frown & smirk from Obama…Saw a very Presidenial Romney.. Cheered me right up..Obama didn’t do his homework, he didn’t need practice fora stinking debate..Obama has too many yes men in his life, he is used to being stroked & adored…Right now he is being told it was just the high attitude in Denver, he was great.. Welcome to the real world, Obama, you stunk!,..
Starling – “There’s never be a UN SecGen from the US, UK, Russia, China, or France.”
How ’bout Kenya?
…and is it any wonder that Gore blames the fate of Obama on global altitude? Stumble locally, blame globally.
I am judging it as a debate, which is a complex thing, with many factors in play. But I know debating, am good at it,
BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH ! ! ! ! !
Andrew Sullivan channeling Dwight Schroot. Priceless!
#34:
Romney needs to keep doing that sort of thing. It is very unRINOish. Haven’t seen that in a GOP prez candidate in decades.
It was like Reagan’s “I paid for this mic” moment.
Re 49. Matt: “If he is the emptiest suit ever to hold the office, why are we so afraid of an empty suit?”
It’s not the empty suit. It’s the Marxist one worlders, greens, unions, and global financial wizards (Lagarde, anyone?) who put him into office. They are not going to go gentle into that Good Night when they believe they are on the cusp of getting everything they have wanted for the last century. It is up to us to stop them. Cheers -
Annoymouse: Starling – “There’s never be a UN SecGen from the US, UK, Russia, China, or France.”
***Obviously I should have written “BEEN”
Annoymouse: How ’bout Kenya?
*** I thought about that later and wished I had thought to say it earlier. Thanks for doing that for me
I don’t believe for an instant that the pResident has an upper hand when it comes to foreign policy. His has been an unmitigated failure on every front.
And trotting out the “it’s Bushes fault” mantra is a loser. But hey! Why not shoot yourself in both feet. Or wait for Biden to do it for you!
The proper reply to “I killed Osama”……Thank you Seal Team 6. Subtle, yet effectively saying “You didn’t do sh*t”….
When this all began back in the run up to the 2008 election, I don’t think Obama initially expected to win but the leftist machine propelled him to victory. Now, I don’t think he really wants to win again. I think he wants to move on to a role of ‘elder statesman’ where he can pontificate to the world from a compound in Hawaii.
The biggest lie of the O of the night was the first thing he said–that he was “the luckiest man in the world” when Mooshell married him 20 years ago. How many people (esp men) believe he REALLY believes that? How many men believe they would feel that way about wookie?
That he starts out that way shows his narcissism and his “first” celebrity persona: who gives a S**T about his anniversary? This country is in trouble, and thats what you lead off with?
@82 RJL
Yes, his leading comment is consistent with the diagnosis of narcissism, but it’s a stretch to read his mind and conclude he was lying about his wife. If their pastor Jeremiah Wright was indeed running (as suggested elsewhere, e.g., http://www.wnd.com/2012/10/trinity-church-members-reveal-obama-shocker/) a kind of match-making program for men with “Down Low” proclivities, BO may indeed view his opportunity to “get with the program” and join the “Down Low Club” by setting up house with Michelle as a great blessing, even looking back on it now 20 years later.