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.
As I watched Romney tell one lie after another I thought, "So that's what a sociopath looks like."
Even after Obama called him out on his "the president will cut $716 billion from Medicare" lie, Romney just kept repeating it. Obama seemed to be shocked at times. I don't blame him.— Hamlet- Its true, Hamlet -- especially in regard to the 'cut Medicare' bs. Obama at one point was caught kind of looking off camera at someone, as if to say, "can you believe these clowns?", and then stifled a smile at whomever it was. "Firing big bird and constant lies would endear Romney to all Americans." Haha, that's awesome. Did you see the look on Lehrer's face when Mitt was like, "I mean, I like you Jim, but...".— Murrayman
- Lou, I don't condone the teacher's behavior. In fact she should be disciplined. But:
"The student said she also felt shunned by classmates because she reported the incident to the principal.
“I have some friends that won’t talk to me anymore because of it,” she said. “Because I told the principal what happened…they’re mad at me.”"
Yeah, that's why teenagers are mad at her. Give me a break! There is more to this story. I'll bet you $10,000 this kid is one of those offensive, nasty Republicans (learned it from her Dad, I bet). I've met people like this. They call others names and are often offensive in other ways. It wouldn't surprise me one bit if she has a history of racist behavior.— Hamlet - "is one of those offensive, nasty Republicans (learned it from her Dad, I bet). I've met people like this. They call others names and are often offensive in other ways"
Some one call the irony police.— RG - Wow Will, I just watched that on blu ray this weekend with my kids. Hackman and Borgnine were at the top of their game in that one. I'm trying to guess what it must feel like to be working for Preezy's campaign today and I think this just about sums it up:
http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=TiVFfOOm_GI— Phishface - "Some one call the irony police. "
Oh shut up, $%^&& for brains...— Hamlet - "Oh shut up, $%^&& for brains..."
I guess this passes for intellect on the left.
Oh, those offensive nasty Republicans. Dems like Hamlet are pure hearted. They'd never fantasize about a young girl learning racism from her father.— RG - I've met people like this. They call others names and are often offensive in other ways. It wouldn't surprise me one bit if she has a history of racist behavior.
Oh shut up, $%^&& for brains...
A bit of a hypocrite there aren't you Hamlet?— John Klink - "Did you see the look on Lehrer's face when Mitt was like, "I mean, I like you Jim, but...". "
Yeah, that was some subtle red meat for his right wing supporters - the corporation for public broadcasting got $297 million in 2011 from the federal government. That was said in the context of deficit reduction, but like a dog whistle, his supporters heard what he meant. Silence all voices in America that are not controlled by the mega-corporations.— Hamlet - "A bit of a hypocrite there aren't you Hamlet? "
I've heard the going price for a sense of humor has gone way down since the start of the Great Recession...buy one.— Hamlet - "I've heard the going price for a sense of humor"
Inferring that young girls are racist is a hoot!— RG - I think what Will and the President need right now is a good, old-fashioned distraction to wash away the stench of October 3.— m13sully
- "Inferring that young girls are racist is a hoot!"
Read the article SFB (your new name). The teacher said the shirt was like a KKK sheet. And I repeat, I condemn what that teacher did, but did that comment come out of nowhere? I doubt it.— Hamlet - "Read the article SFB (your new name). The teacher said the shirt was like a KKK sheet."
Can't. Stop. Laughing. Hamlet can't read, yet insults others intelligence. What article actually says:
"During the incident, Samantha Pawlucy said the teacher told her that Carroll High is a “Democratic school” and wearing a Republican shirt is akin to the teacher, who is black, wearing a KKK shirt."
NOWHERE in the article did it say that the shirt resembled a KKK sheet. If you weren't utterly classless, I'd expect an apology.— RG - I stand corrected, SFB.— Hamlet
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