Presidential debate thoughts

[makattak]

Their thinking is that the jobs will come regardless and the progressive agenda will remain as serious gains for the people.

And that was EXACTLY the elected Democrats thinking in 2009. It's no surprise their supporters still believe in the magic power of the "economy."

Democrats loaded up the stimulus and Obamacare, thinking the economy always gets better on its own and those dirty Republicans just take credit for it. Well, THIS TIME, we'll pass our big goals and then be able to say WE made the economy better!

They don't understand economics at all. It's a magic box to them. They honestly don't think anything the government does makes the economy run better or worse. (Or, rather, anything the government spends will make the economy better, cause, hey! It's spending!)

Sounds like your brothers are in the right party, at least.

[SADShooter]

"It's math. It's arithmetic". Precisely the expertise I'd expect of a Harvard lawyer who won't release his grades.

I actually appreciated the loose moderation. The point of the exercise is, at least in theory, to let the candidates speak at meaningful length about their philosophies and approaches to issues. Soundbite intervals preclude that. Could have been a bit tighter on topical transitions, but better to err on the side of letting the candidates interact

[Ben]

This quote from the below linked story really hit the nail on the head for me regarding Obama and progressives in general:

I thought President Obama opened and closed strong. He repeated his core messages. But the only time he appeared to have any passion was in his opening statement and his closing statement. Romney dominated the middle section of the debate and he made it clear that he offers a real alternative to the president.

Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/opinion/2012/10/04/win-for-romney-in-first-round-debates/#ixzz28L0OIabe

Progressives are really good, better than conservatives usually, at "writing books" with fancy, eye-catching covers. Not so good at putting a story between those covers. This really sums it up for me regarding Obama. He catches people's attention with "gee whiz" stuff, and truly, at the right times to leave an impression -- when he meets them and when he departs. It leaves a memorable impression (one way or the other) on the surface, but when you start reading his book, there's nothing there. The way the MSM generally covers politicians and things political, it's often hard to get past the cover of the book and see what's inside.

[Ron]

Reading all the left wing meltdown editorials has been fun this morning 

[brimic]

Progressives are really good, better than conservatives usually, at "writing books" with fancy, eye-catching covers. Not so good at putting a story between those covers. This really sums it up for me regarding Obama. He catches people's attention with "gee whiz" stuff, and truly, at the right times to leave an impression -- when he meets them and when he departs.

Tp paraphrase what I've heard Rush say once- Liberals are good at making bumperstickers-their thoughts fit neatly into a handful of words, but beyond that they don't have much to offer.

[HankB]

Barry looked downright pissed at times - staring down at his lectern, he seemed to be struggling to keep his temper in check.

I wondered about this a while, and then it hit me: he's surrounded himself with "Yes Men" and has only been questioned face-to-face by his allies in the press; he simply isn't used to someone challenging him, and is downright outraged that it should happen on national TV; everyone is obliged to kiss his . . . ring . . . since he IS POTUS. (Why should he even have to campaign for what is rightfully his anyway?)

I notice Romney effectively made it clear that Barry was a liar - several times - without actually using the "L" word. 

One of my favorite exchanges happened when, in reference to "green" energy firms like Solyndra, Romey mentioned picking winners and losers, and that Obama was picking losers. (It went by pretty quick, but did you catch Obama's expression when Romney said they'd donated to Obama's campaign?  )

If this was a boxing match, I'd say there was no knockout (a zinger which will become legendary, like "There you go again" or "You're no Jack Kennedy") but I'd score it around 12-13 rounds for Romney vs. 2 or 3 for Barry.

And I read that Chris Matthews said something along the lines of "having knives out" to protect Obama, a tacit admission that MSNBC is backing Barry.

[Scout26]

Got this in my e-mail this morning:

Friend --

I hope I made you proud out there explaining the vision we share for this country.

Now we need to go win this election -- the most important thing that will happen tonight is what you do (or don't do) to help in the little time we have left:

https://donate.barackobama.com/Tonight

Thank you,

Barack

Why yes, Barry you did make me proud... Proud to be supporting Romney.

[Ron]

Got this in my e-mail this morning:

Why yes, Barry you did make me proud... Proud to be supporting Romney.

on a side note, I'm seeing Romney/Ryan signs about four to one over Obama/Biden signs here on my side of Dupage County. Already more signs than I saw for McCain.

[Ron]

heh, heh, I just read that Al Gore was wondering if the altitude was a factor in the presidents poor performance!

[Harold Tuttle]

nope, atitude

[Ron]

nope, atitude

Yep, the whole election thing and having the proles determine his fate is sooo annoying! It must be demeaning to him to have to jump through these hoops. The way China does it is so much better, it would give him time to really get things done 

[brimic]

heh, heh, I just read that Al Gore was wondering if the altitude was a factor in the presidents poor performance!

We can now blame Gore if Obama loses.
More global warming=higher sea levels= Denver being less above sea level.

[longeyes]

Romney was good at being Romney, and, if you've read my posts, you know that means we might be able to buy a few years if he wins.  Buy time to figure out what the hell to do next--because I doubt Romney-Ryan have the right formula to save America.

But last night was Romney's night, so let's applaud him.  He came, he saw, he conquered.  Obama was the kid who shows up for his exam unprepared and thinks he can wing it.  Massive fail.  And most people recognized it.  Romney will gain a lot of indie votes and probably plenty of Dem votes too.

Obama, to me, looked distracted, angry, and unwell.  He looked older than Romney.  Too many (funny) cigarettes?  And definitely the first observable case of Teleprompter Deficit Disorder.

***

I think America is just tired of Obama, and Obama, last night, looked tired of Obama

[Perd Hapley]

All those lamestream media commentators that had to admit that Romney won - does that make them all racists?

[RoadKingLarry]

Barry looked downright pissed at times - staring down at his lectern, he seemed to be struggling to keep his temper in check.

 I'd giggle like a little school girl to watch Obama have a meltdown level tantrum during a deebait.

[lupinus]

I'd giggle like a little school girl to watch Obama have a meltdown level tantrum during a deebait.

Hell we could put a dent in the national debt if they played it on pay per view

[roo_ster]

New watchword of liberals.  I just heard it.  It was Bush Jim Lehrer's fault!

Jim Lerher looked remarkably lifelike.

I don't agree with the stronger moderation, the press has been playing moderator for years by not bringing up big issues. 

Here, hear.  Responding to each other and longer format answers is better.  Let the moderator pick the topic and make sure neither goes apey and brains the other with a club.

Mitt sort of impressed me with his ideas of putting a lot of programs into the hands of the states- he turned out to be only 95% as big governmenty as I thought he was.

Heh.

Barry looked downright pissed at times - staring down at his lectern, he seemed to be struggling to keep his temper in check.

I wondered about this a while, and then it hit me: he's surrounded himself with "Yes Men" and has only been questioned face-to-face by his allies in the press; he simply isn't used to someone challenging him, and is downright outraged that it should happen on national TV; everyone is obliged to kiss his . . . ring . . . since he IS POTUS. (Why should he even have to campaign for what is rightfully his anyway?)

Ayup.  Barry is not used to having to actually back up his BS.  Mitt has no steamy divorce for him to get the judge to open up and disqualify Romney due to the lurid nature of the contents.

The contrast between the two was quite remarkable.  Mitt represented a man of accomplishment, who (despite whatever his politics may be) has Made Stuff Happen.  OTOH, Barack represented a man of hot air, who has always been able to advance himself whilst purveying baloney.

[AJ Dual]

Obama, to me, looked distracted, angry, and unwell.  He looked older than Romney.  Too many (funny) cigarettes?  And definitely the first observable case of Teleprompter Deficit Disorder.

I think America is just tired of Obama, and Obama, last night, looked tired of Obama

They say the job of POTUS ages you. There was all that speculation a few years back about the sudden appearance of salt-n-pepper in his hair etc. Imagine how much it would have aged him if he'd been following Bush's schedule?

Despite clearly being a man who wanted the title and the power, but not the WORK of being POTUS, all the vacations, more golf in a year than GWB had in a term, maybe two, all the gaps and "free time" in his daily schedule, the skipped intel briefings, it all points to my theory of Obama being a dilettante President.

If there were someone suitably to the Left that he could hand the reins of power over to, without looking like a quitter or a loser, I think Obama would be quite relieved. It's an admittedly long chain of speculation, but with Obama's dead father, single white mother and guilty grandparents, then being the "American Boy" in Indonesian schools as the stepson of Sotero where not much was expected of him, then the affirmative-action token black who coasted academically through college (sealed transcripts, one can only assume they're not flattering, or even fraudulent), then on to his sinecures as "community organizer" and the non-teaching "Constitutional Law Professor" at UIC, Chicago Machine appointment to the IL legislature, Ayers ghost-writing "Dreams of my Father" for him, the lucky break of a sex-scandal shooing him into the U.S. Senate... then POTUS.

It all just fell in his lap. Meshes perfectly with his infamous "You didn't do that!" comments from this summer. He achieved the highest office in the land. Arguably (before diminishing it) the most powerful position in the world. And he "didn't do it". It just fell to him.

Unfortunately for him, there is no higher power than POTUS, and people expect things of him. Even as an amateur with no executive background, operating as a figurehead at 100% delegation, it's still demanding. Poor Obama.

So his performance in the debate comes as no surprise.

[gunsmith]

Teleprompter Deficit Disorder.

oooooh, I'm stealing that!

[HankB]

. . . Unfortunately for him, there is no higher power than POTUS, and people expect things of him. Even as an amateur with no executive background, operating as a figurehead at 100% delegation, it's still demanding. Poor Obama . . .

But . . . but . . . but . . . you can't change things from inside - Barry said so himself!!!

[Harold Tuttle]

[Scout26]

Ron,

I've seen all of two Obama signs between Wheaton and Elmhurst, and one of those was in the house window.  I've seen hundreds of Romney/Ryan signs.

Plus given how bad the economy is in Illinois, I don't think the margin of fraud in Chicago will be enough to keep Illinois blue this year.

[AJ Dual]

Ron,

I've seen all of two Obama signs between Wheaton and Elmhurst, and one of those was in the house window.  I've seen hundreds of Romney/Ryan signs.

Plus given how bad the economy is in Illinois, I don't think the margin of fraud in Chicago will be enough to keep Illinois blue this year.

With the recent WI recalls, and the elections sticking solidly GOP, I don't see WI going for Obama either, and there's really not an electoral college "roadmap" to the White House without WI.

[roo_ster]

On Obama the pissy:

For the first time in his life, Barack Obama was cornered. For the first time in his life, he was to be held accountable for his achievements. He was the ultimate affirmative action baby, and he had always been given a free pass. He had always run -- for chairman of the Harvard Law Review, for the Illinois state senate, for the United States Senate, and for the Presidency -- on promise.

And more:

Obama inherited a recession and, without bothering to disguise what he was up to, dedicated himself to exploiting it for the purpose of jamming through a radical program, dear to his party, that never had public support. About the recession, he did nothing, assuming that the economy would bounce back quickly, as it usually does, and that he would get the credit for the recovery.

And one more:

Some people eat when they get depressed. I hope Michelle put Bo outside for the night.

That wasn't a debate so much as Mitt Romney just took Obama for a cross country drive strapped to the roof of his car.

[SADShooter]

On Obama the pissy:

And more:

Quote
Obama inherited a recession and, without bothering to disguise what he was up to, dedicated himself to exploiting it for the purpose of jamming through a radical program, dear to his party, that never had public support. About the recession, he did nothing, assuming that the economy would bounce back quickly, as it usually does, and that he would get the credit for the recovery.


The magnitude of this political gambit is staggering, particularly in light of the consequences of its failure.