Romney found his stroke in debate
The blog of The Philadelphia Inquirer's Editorial Board.
Romney found his stroke in debate
Maybe President Obama forgot his debate with Mitt Romney was on TV. How else to explain his lack of dynamism before a worldwide television audience in the millions. Were it an actual debate, where participants are scored on the substance of what they say, the president might have fared better in postdebate polls. But the public reaction after Wednesday night’s tilt indicated viewers were more turned on by Romney’s energy than Obama’s ennui.
Again and again, Obama matter-of-factly pointed out gaping gaps in Romney’s program for America. Again and again, Romney, with a smile on his face and certainty in his voice, refused to fill in the gaps. It was a winning performance by a candidate whose recent gaffes may have made it easy to exceed expectations.
Obama helped by not reminding viewers of Romney’s belittling remarks about the 47 percent of Americans too poor to pay federal income taxes, or bringing up Romney’s stint as head of a venture capital firm that closed workplaces and later sent jobs overseas. Were the omissions a mistake, or strategy? Romney likely had prepared a retort in anticipation of such attacks.
Romney got off to a strong start Wednesday night by breaking down his economic plan into five parts: “One, get us energy-independent … Number two, open up more trade … Number three, make sure our people have the skills they need to succeed … Number four, get to us a balanced budget … Number five, champion small business.” He was clear and concise. He even gave viewers a catchy phrase to remember — “trickle-down government” — to describe Obama’s policies.
What Romney didn’t do, despite the president’s pressing for an answer, is explain how he’s going to cut taxes — by $5 trillion, Obama said — extend the Bush tax cuts, another trillion, and increase military spending by $2 trillion without blowing the deficit even farther out of the water. Romney wouldn’t say. He insisted his economic plan does not call for a tax cut that high, but various fact checkers later concluded it did.
In the past, Romney has said he will attack the deficit by closing tax loopholes and getting rid of expensive deductions, but he still hasn’t said which ones. Until he does, he leaves the door open, as he did Wednesday night, for Obama to suggest Romney will target those tax deductions most important to middle-class families — for mortgage interest and state and local taxes, for example.
A seemingly listless Obama never effectively drilled home that point, however. He mentioned it. He corrected Romney when he described a reduction in the growth of Medicare spending as a $716 billion “cut” to that program. He explained that the voucher program that Romney proposes for adults not yet eligible for Medicare would ultimately gut the program by reducing the number of participants. He even called Romney out for wanting to repeal the Dodd-Frank law enacted to end the Wall Street abuses that pushed the nation into recession.
But polling after the debate suggested most viewers didn’t pay attention to much of what Obama said, which means he has a lot to work on before the next set.
Romney spent the entire debate showing superior comprehension of finance and economics. Obama spent the entire debate looking like a moe who has never balanced a budget. Because he hasn't. Obama never even balanced his family's checkbook. He left that demanding task to Michelle.
Never balanced a budget. Never balanced a checkbook. And this guy is running our economy?
No wonder he looked like such a smacked ace in the debate last night.— Mr. Smith- The talented Inquirer Editorial Board; making chicken salad out of chicken...— Bob1
- The Obama camp as much as admitted today it was misstating the claim about five trillion dollars.— bmmg39
The Obama you saw during the debate, rambling and inept, is the same Obama that has been running the country for 4 years. 4 years of declining middle class incomes. 4 years of declining middle class wealth. 4 years of stagnant, extremely high unemployment, especially among women, and minorities. 4 years of rising dependency on the government. 4 years of handouts to corporate cronies, with Obama picking only the losers.- And all you need to know about last nights debate is not the truly outstanding, presidential performance of Mitt Romney; not the stuttering and stumbling of Obama; it is all in the news every day and has been for years. The economy SUCKS under Obama and it will not get better with him in office.
- Of course Jim Lehrer didn't do his job during the debate. His number one job, as all in the MSM, is to cover for Obama. Obama hasn't been asked a tough question. Ever. Finally Romney did question him. Obama looked inept, weak and feckless without his protectors and the teleprompter. Welcome to the real Obama. Oh, he'll be out there on the campaign trail all angry and bitter and yelling and being divisive again. Historically high numbers of people turned into the debate and saw Obama unfiltered and Romney unfiltered for the first time. Over 65% of them say that Romney won the debate hands-down. One person came away from the debate looking presidential - Mitt Romney.
- My vote went to #3. If it was a cage fight - lies & bullying permitted - then Romney won. But we're talking about who runs the White House. At Last Night’s Debate: Romney Told 27 Myths In 38 Minutes. That may be a new record. Go Romney! And stay away,— KiBiK
- PS: http://tpmdc.talkingpointsmemo.com/2012/10/economy-adds-tk-jobs-in-september.php?ref=fpa
Huge September Drop In Unemployment, Economy Adds 114,000 Jobs— KiBiK
