UPDATED: There's got to be a morning after
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UPDATED: There's got to be a morning after
I'm waiting for my orders from the Politburo on how to spin this thing -- so you'll have to debate amongst yourself for a bit longer. To be updated...
UPDATE: You probably won't believe this, but I do have an excuse for posting so late about last night's debate. I am still awaiting my instructions from Mr. Soros I was getting root canal done this morning. So, of all the third-rate pundits out there, I'm the best qualified to determine which was more painful: Root canal or watching President Obama's debate performance. Let me put it this way: At least for the root canal they numb you up.
My overall opinion hasn't changed since I wrote it up for "the newspaper" 10 minutes after the debate ended: Obama looked like the one who was half-dead in Denver and Mitt Romney looked like he had too much caffeine (which is kinda of funny because, uh, he actually can't drink caffeine...oops), and Romney clearly won the debate.
Romney certainly won on body language -- which to a lot of people is the most important part of a debate -- but he also won, and this is what surprised a lot of people, in exoressing empathy -- which is very important indeed. Where everybody fell flat in was ideas. Both candidates sounded wonky, but when you peeled back the wonkery there wasn't a lot there for either Obama or for Romney.
Call me crazy but I thought the worst momemt of the debate wasn't Obama looking down at his shoes but Romney trying to explain how his tax cut -- the centerpiece of his campaign -- isn't really a tax cut, but...What the hell is it? Seriously, I think you don't need to be a rocket scientist to see that cutting rates while eliminating deductions will benefit the wealthy and hurt the middle class. Why Obama didn't hammer him for that is a big reason why we're all talking today about what a disaster Obama was. You'll be shocked* to learn I've gotten a fair number of emails and calls from Romney supporters gloating about how their man "pounded" Obama. But none of them mentioned any of Romney's brilliant ideas on taxes, jobs or health care. So I guess we did see the same debate, after all.
Most of the time, we all put on a big show complaining that our politics values style over substance. But not on Debate Night oin America, when we make little pretense of admitting that it's anything but a sporting event, only lacking Fox's exploding helmeted robots or an intro song by Pink (but just wait wait a few more cycles). The most famous U.S. presidential debate line of all-time was Ronald Reagan telling Jimmy Carter, "There you go again!" Do you have any idea what the issue was they were debating about? Would it really matter if you knew?
Arguably the second most famous debate question of all time was when Walter Mondale said to Gary Hart in the 1984 primaries: "When I hear your new ideas, I'm reminded of that ad, 'Where's the beef?'"
Great question.
America gets two more chances to see whether either Romney or Obama will ever answer it in 2012.
* Sarcasm.
Hey, why let a little reading comprehension get in the way of inferring a young girl and her father are racist?
BTW, its abundantly clear you didn't bother to read the article. You quoted the link directly.— RG- To recap:
Hamlet
Can't read
Calls others names while simultaneously whining about nasty Republicans
Thinks its a hoot to accuse others of racism.— RG - National Journal: "Apparently Mitt Romney likes government regulation, loves Medicare the way it is, agrees fairly regularly with President Obama, and does not, in fact, want to cut taxes very much." . . . Seems that Mitt forgot who's side he was on last night.— montani semper liberi
- I just read that story about the high school girl wearing her Romney t-shirt in the "Democratic school". Very telling. I'd also be curious to hear Will's take on that story.— Commentdant_Klink
- Obama isn't a good debater and Romney simply ran over Lehrer speaking last almost every time & running over time. It was a poor showing by Obama anyway you slice it even if Romney piled it on pretty thick.— PhillyGuy77
- The Economy is not Obama's strong suit, really America didnt notice cause we are getting free cell phones.
David Axelrod conceded that the performance aspect was 'not the President's strong suit in these events' but insisted that 'I don't see us adding huge amounts of additional prep time.'
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2212961/U-S-presidential-debate-2012-Mitt-Romney-celebrates-Obama-aide-admits-defeat.html#ixzz28MC2ZXq3
— Fisher - "Obama isn't a good debater" . . . . . If the debate was judged on substance, Obama probably won, as anyone who has actually done competitive debating (high school, college) would easily realize. But then these aren't really debates - they're more like job interviews. We want to get an impression of the candidate as a person, while mastery of substance is secondary. The impression I'm left with is that Romney will say anything, anything, to close the deal. It's a good trait if you're hiring a salesman. But leader of the free world?— montani semper liberi
- Are we looking for a college professor or a President? Should the skill set match the current needs of our country, or should we judge our Presidential selection on whether we think we would enjoy knocking back a beer with him. I really don't think we need four more years of a known quantity. He cannot even lead a budget through Congress.
Romney is a moderate. He had to be to survive in Massachusetts. MSL, you are a smart person--what is happening right now is what happens in every Presidential election. You run away from your base and to the center. I think the quality that makes me consider Romney is his ability to actually get things done in a partisan environment. Obama has not shown this to me. His prime accomplishment--Obamacare--was accomplished when he had the three branches of government on his side. And he was not even embracing it as an accomplishment until four months ago. Rational people can vote for Romney--that was what was proven on Wednesday night.— Origami - "Seems that Mitt forgot who's side he was on last night."
Well, the National Journal is more of an inside the beltway kind of publication. I'd be happier if The National Review said that.— Hamlet - "Eye Candy" needs an adoration section, otherwise he turns sour.
January cannot happen soon enough... for everyone's safety.— FocusTruthFully - MSL, Romney looked straight into the camera and said, "I think you are all idiots. I'm going to tell lie after lie and you are going to buy them, America."
He just can't resist spitting on us every chance he gets.
And bp, I'd rather be a scumbag than something worse, like you.— Hamlet - Was I the one insinuating the a high school aged girl was a racist, simply because I didn't agree with her brand of politics, or was that you, scumbag?
— bp*philly - Hambrain posted:
MSL, Romney looked straight into the camera and said, "I think you are all idiots. I'm going to tell lie after lie and you are going to buy them, America."
I do not recall Romney saying that doeas anybody else here. But then again when far left libs get their clocks cleanen they just make things up about what the other guy says. It must be a contagious disease. Harry Reid is also doing it today as per this Drudge Report linked item:
http://www.washingtontimes.com/blog/inside-politics/2012/oct/4/reid-misquotes-romney-make-immigration-attack/
— Phishface - "I do not recall Romney saying that doeas anybody else here"
Phish, have you met RG and bp? You'll all be riding the short bus together...buckle up!— Hamlet - So are we to surmise that you're the class(less) bully on said short bus, considering you just attacked a teenaged girl who you've never ever met and accused her of being a racist because you don't like the t-shirt she's wearing.
Or are you just part of Obama's war on women?— bp*philly
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