"The Smirk"
Faced with a humiliating and
complete defeat for their candidate in last night's debate, the only recourse
from the Democratic National Committee was to release an ad claiming Mitt
Romney wasn't gentle enough on the President.
Mitt's night
BY GABRIEL MALORAlright, let's just get this out of the way: Gov. Romney won, President Obama lost. Period, end of discussion. There can be no debate about that.
There can and should be discussion, however, over how Romney won. Both candidates knew how important this debate was, and, despite a week of self-deprecating stories in which each candidate tried to downplay his own abilities, both candidates are excellent communicators.
So what when wrong for Obama? Let's count the ways.
First, Obama brought his stump speech to the debate. This was the single worst decision the President made in preparing for tonight, because his stump speech was the most obvious material that Romney would have prepared for. It showed. Now, don't get me wrong, Romney was prepared to talk about a lot of other things, but the absolute minimum, the basis for his preparation was going to be Obama's stump speech. Romney did his homework and Obama did not anticipate it.
Second, Obama's staff forgot to arm him with facts. Not a single minute went by without Romney laying out some new fact in support of his ideas. Obama had ideas of his own, but he had very few facts to back is ideas up. I'll admit, there may be more facts to support Obama's ideas, but he just didn't have them ready to hand. This may simply be a brute-force memorization thing. As Obama supporter Bill Maher put it on Twitter, "I can't believe i'm saying this, but Obama looks like he DOES need a teleprompter."
Third, Obama's demeanor was not what America has come to expect from him. He looked like he didn't want to be there. He smirked, he stuttered, he paused. In fact, he spent so much time stuttering and pausing that by the end of the debate he clocked in four minutes more speaking time than Romney. Those extra four minutes weren't usefully spent rebutting the former Massachusetts governor. They were instead spent stuttering and wildly casting about for answers. It was undignified and, frankly, unpresidential.
Bottom line is that Obama just wasn't prepared. Maybe he shouldn't have quite debate camp to visit the Hoover Dam. Or maybe he fell for the silly New York Times story that Romney was just memorizing "zingers" for the debate. Whatever the case, he has a lot of work to do before the next debate.
http://www.nydailynews.com/blogs/the_rumble/2012/10/mitts-night
HURT: Obama the debater: Making Jimmy Carter look awesome
Party like it's 1980!
Bewildered and lost without his teleprompter, President Obama flailed all around the debate stage last night.
He was stuttering, nervous and petulant. It was like he had been called in front of the principal after goofing around for four years and blowing off all his homework.
Not since Jimmy Carter faced Ronald Reagan has the U.S. presidency been so embarrassingly represented in public. Actually, that's an insult to Jimmy Carter.
The split screen was most devastating. Mitt Romney spoke forthrightly, with carefully studied facts and details at the ready. He looked right at the president and accused him of being miles out of his depth.
Mr. Obama? His eyes were glued to his lectern, looking guilty and angry and impatient with all the vagaries of Democracy. This debate was seriously chafing him.
What exactly was Mr. Obama's strategy here? Did he figure with so many people unemployed in this abomination of an economy he should go for the sympathy vote? Like voters could relate to a guy who is just scared pantsless that he is about to lose his job?
In the middle of the blood-letting segment about jobs, Mr. Romney said good-naturedly: "This is fun."
Almost pleading, Mr. Obama reached out to the moderator for a lifeline: "You may want to move onto another topic."
When an unexpected noise went off behind him, Mr. Obama wheeled around to look as if to ask, "Time to go?"
Hopefully.
Turns out, it was the first honest thing we have heard from Mr. Obama's campaign: The president really was absolutely terrible on the debate stage.
Maybe the next debate will be on something other than the economy that won't be so bad for Mr. Obama. Perhaps they could hold a debate on street organizing.
Who knew anyone on the planet could make Mitt Romney look easy, relaxed, smooth and human?
But Mr. Romney was absolutely on fire Wednesday night. He had command of countless specifics from voters and business owners from all across country.
He explained complex issues clearly, concisely and with good humor. He was not angry. But he was direct and pointed.
"I've been in business for 25 years. I have no idea what you're talking about," Romney said in the most devastating understatement of the night. "I maybe need to get a new accountant."
Like a prosecutor in court, Mr. Romney went after Mr. Obama's record and eviscerated him about the terrible economy and Mr. Obama's belief in "trickle down government."
Mr. Romney also came off as genuine by looking Mr. Obama in the eye with every criticism. He also looked moderator Jim Lehrer in the eye when he told him that if he became president he would cut funding to public broadcasting, possibly eliminating his job.
Mr. Obama weakly offered Mr. Lehrer: "You've done a great job."
OK, that's one vote for Mr. Obama in the sympathy strategy. Just 55 million votes to go.
The Excuses:
- On MSNBC the morning after, New York magazine’s John Heilemann, however, provided this excuse for Obama’s bad night: the president, having to handle the burdens of the office, didn’t have time to prepare adequately. But isn’t being president enough preparation? Incumbents have the advantage of living deep inside the issues being discussed. They shouldn’t have to study as hard as the challenger—they’ve participated in the policy battles under discussion.
- Al Gore thinks that the altitude in Denver,
Colo., is to blame for President Obama’s lackluster debate performance
.During
post-debate analysis on Current TV which is still an actual television
channel taking up airspace, the former vice president postured that the thin
air could have messed with Obama’s brain cells. “I’m going to say something
controversial here. Obama arrived in Denver
at 2:00 p.m. today, just a few hours before the debate started,” Gore said.
“Romney did his debate prep in Denver.
When you go to 5,000 feet and you only have a few hours to adjust — I don’t
know, maybe … [inaudible].” - The Obama campaign had settled on a explanation for why their guy lost: Mitt Romney lied. "On Wednesday night, some saw Mitt Romney sounding polished," a 4:15 AM press release conceded. "But when the dust settles, Romney's dozen flat-out falsehoods will be the only thing remaining from his debate performance -- because avoiding the truth has been the very definition of Romney's candidacy, and he can't escape that with a single smooth appearance." An accompanying web video said the former Massachusetts governor had "played fast & loose with the facts."
- Bob Woodward, America’s preeminent investigative reporter and non-fiction author, joined Brian Kilmeade on Kilmeade and Friends and suspects that something happened in President Obama’s presidential or personal life that distracted him during last night’s debate. Woodward goes on to suggest this “something” could be in foreign affairs with an intelligence report and predicts that as the onion gets peeled we will find that something happened.
- Add this to the list of reasons why President Obama seemed so listless during his first presidential debate against Republican nominee Mitt Romney: he was trying too hard not to appear like the “angry black man.” So said Georgetown University Sociology Professor Michael Eric Dyson on MSNBC’s NOW with Alex Wagner. My rough transcription of his words follows: “Obama has just been subjected to the Fox News treatment of angry black man again. Lest we forget this, lest we pretend this doesn’t make a difference, the specter hanging over him is: I can’t come off as too vigorous because then it looks like I’m being an angry black man…”
- The excuse with the most ring of truthiness to it, though, came from The Daily Show’s Jon Stewart, interviewed on Good Morning America. Newsbusters has the story here, but below is the money quote from Stewart (thanks to NB for the transcript). Maybe, uh, the president’s not as smart as we thought: STEWART: "It wasn’t so much his the body language as the mouth language that he was using. The pauses in between. You know, I used to think the pauses, he was just trying to think of smaller words for the little brains to figure out what he was saying. This time, I really think the pauses were just, ‘I like food.’ You know, I think he was just thinking, ‘my children are nice.’ It didn’t seem present in the same way."
- Here, four more theories:
o
He was playing it safe
Obama went into the debate in command of the race, says Brett O'Donnell at The Daily Beast. He "played not to lose, played it safe, and lost." He "avoided clashing with ideas advanced by Romney, and in doing so ceded ground on almost every front, from tax policy to spending to energy." Romney aggressively criticized Obama's approach on just about every element of domestic policy, including the economy, taxes, spending, entitlements, energy, and education. As a result, viewers got one of the most substantive debates they'll ever see. And since "the president struggled to ever mount a meaningful counterattack," the impression voters took away was that he had fewer answers than Romney.
Obama went into the debate in command of the race, says Brett O'Donnell at The Daily Beast. He "played not to lose, played it safe, and lost." He "avoided clashing with ideas advanced by Romney, and in doing so ceded ground on almost every front, from tax policy to spending to energy." Romney aggressively criticized Obama's approach on just about every element of domestic policy, including the economy, taxes, spending, entitlements, energy, and education. As a result, viewers got one of the most substantive debates they'll ever see. And since "the president struggled to ever mount a meaningful counterattack," the impression voters took away was that he had fewer answers than Romney.
o 2.
Obama is just rusty
Romney has weathered 20 debates in the last 18 months. But "it had been nearly 1,400 days since Barack Obama strode onto a debate stage," says Glenn Thrush at Politico, "and it showed in a major way." For the last four years, Obama has been "speaking to hand-picked interviewers or lecturing audiences required to remain mostly mute while he spoke," and he "struggled to shake off the rust" when Romney came at him. Yes, Obama "seemed out of shape," says Byron York at the Washington Examiner. He "looked like a president who hasn't had to face many sharp challenges," while Romney "came across as a man who had made the most of session after session of debate prep," getting the better of Obama on jobs, taxes, energy — "pretty much everything."
Romney has weathered 20 debates in the last 18 months. But "it had been nearly 1,400 days since Barack Obama strode onto a debate stage," says Glenn Thrush at Politico, "and it showed in a major way." For the last four years, Obama has been "speaking to hand-picked interviewers or lecturing audiences required to remain mostly mute while he spoke," and he "struggled to shake off the rust" when Romney came at him. Yes, Obama "seemed out of shape," says Byron York at the Washington Examiner. He "looked like a president who hasn't had to face many sharp challenges," while Romney "came across as a man who had made the most of session after session of debate prep," getting the better of Obama on jobs, taxes, energy — "pretty much everything."
o 3.
It's hard to look good defending failed policies
Obama came across as "small, tired, defeated" for a simple reason, says John Hinderaker at PowerLine: His "ideas have been tried and found wanting," and now, after four years of failure, he's completely "out of ammo." In 2008, Obama exuded confidence as he used smoke and mirrors to sell the American public on his fantasy promise of hope and change. But after presiding over four years of economic pain, he looks "weak, hesitant, stuttering, often apologetic" standing next to Romney, the competent "alpha male" who's optimistic and ready to take over. The "pitiful figure" Romney just steamrolled "was the real Obama, the loser behind the curtain who is finally revealed as an utter hoax."
Obama came across as "small, tired, defeated" for a simple reason, says John Hinderaker at PowerLine: His "ideas have been tried and found wanting," and now, after four years of failure, he's completely "out of ammo." In 2008, Obama exuded confidence as he used smoke and mirrors to sell the American public on his fantasy promise of hope and change. But after presiding over four years of economic pain, he looks "weak, hesitant, stuttering, often apologetic" standing next to Romney, the competent "alpha male" who's optimistic and ready to take over. The "pitiful figure" Romney just steamrolled "was the real Obama, the loser behind the curtain who is finally revealed as an utter hoax."
o 4.
The deck was stacked against Obama
Look, Obama went into the debate up by several points in national polls, says Noam Scheiber at The New Republic, and "nearly uncatchable in swing states like Ohio." There "was no incentive for [him] to get creative." And the predictable format of this exchange — questions on taxes, then health care, then budgets, with two minutes for one candidate, then two for the other — was perfect for Romney, who "is impeccably prepared and executes well," only faltering when events take an unexpected turn. The evening was pre-programmed to favor Romney. Obama did nothing to take back the reins and continue the "masterful job" his campain has been doing to define Romney "as an out-of-touch plutocrat," and now the president is suffering the consequences.
Look, Obama went into the debate up by several points in national polls, says Noam Scheiber at The New Republic, and "nearly uncatchable in swing states like Ohio." There "was no incentive for [him] to get creative." And the predictable format of this exchange — questions on taxes, then health care, then budgets, with two minutes for one candidate, then two for the other — was perfect for Romney, who "is impeccably prepared and executes well," only faltering when events take an unexpected turn. The evening was pre-programmed to favor Romney. Obama did nothing to take back the reins and continue the "masterful job" his campain has been doing to define Romney "as an out-of-touch plutocrat," and now the president is suffering the consequences.
The gift that keeps on giving:
Vice President Joe Biden, speaking earlier today in Iowa said, "Yes, we
do" want to raise taxes by a trillion dollars:
"On top of the trillions of dollars of spending
that we have already cut, we’re gonna ask – yes – we’re gonna ask the wealthy
to pay more," said Biden. "My heart breaks, come on man. You know the
phrase they always use? Obama and Biden want to raise taxes by a trillion
dollars. Guess what? Yes we do in one regard. We want to let that trillion
dollar tax cut expire so the middle class doesn’t have to bear the burden of all that money going to the super wealthy. That’s not a tax raise, that’s
called fairness where I come from."
http://www.weeklystandard.com/blogs/biden-yes-we-do-want-raise-taxes-trillion-dollars_653666.html
14 of the most egregious lies, policies, and law-breaking activities of this Administration
by Dustin Siggins
With the first of three Presidential General Election debates having taken
place last night, it seems like a good time to remind the American people of
some of the worst aspects of the Obama Administration. But rather than focus
just on the policy aspects of what President Obama has signed into law, this
piece will look at some of the many political manipulations and lies made since
January 20, 2009.Below is merely a partial list compiled by and researched by me and political activist and author A. E. Duzett. Enjoy.
Over the past several years, President Obama:
1. Signed a health care law that changes the traditional and legal relationship regarding contract law in America through the individual mandate and makes medical rationing by the federal government a fully supported legal process.
2. Required religious institutions to violate their First Amendment rights…or go out of business.
3. Federally funded abortions, and not just rape/incest/life of the mother abortions… despite a promise in the Affordable Care Act to avoid funding elective abortions.
4. Assassinated U.S. citizens without due process, despite campaigning against the Bush Administration’s wiretapping and other post-9/11 policies. (Oh, and despite the Constitution’s prohibition of such assassinations.)
5. Neglected to hold his Attorney General accountable for the Fast & Furious scandal, despite the deaths that have occurred as a result, AND he wanted to blame Bush for it even though it was a policy the Obama Administration started.
6. Followed on Bush’s heels in making “Too Big To Fail” the policy of the federal government through continuous bank and auto bailouts.
7. Made up the term “primary balance” to justify having a budget plan that has $600 billion in annual deficits. This budget plan also relies on already-in-place budget “cuts” and wishful thinking on economic growth to shrink the deficit to $600 billion.
8. Sent troops to Afghanistan solely to gain political support from both sides of the aisle, not for victory. This is shown in that the President sent almost exactly the middle number of troops requested by then-commander General McChrystal, and 10,000 fewer than what McChrystal considered the minimum necessary to win.
9. Went on talk shows and skipped intelligence briefings after an ambassador was killed in
Libya and U.S. embassies across America were being burned and attacked. Also, he lied to the public about his view on those attacks and protests for almost a week.
10. Had the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff make a call to a private citizen engaging in his First Amendment rights to ask that citizen to stop using his First Amendment rights. In 2010, the Defense Secretary made a similar call to this same citizen.
11. Blatantly used public dollars and public policy to increase his odds of re-election, in violation of federal law: first, by traveling in the spring to promote his education plans, and second, telling defense contractors to break the law regarding layoffs in order to not have greater unemployment only days before the November election.
12. Nominated a Supreme Court Justice for her empathy, not her interpretation of the Constitution. The latter is the job of a Justice; the former is not.
13. Broke federal law and bankruptcy tradition during the government takeover of the auto industry, and allowed then-GMC CEO Ed Whitacre to lie about repaying the taxpayers.
14. Refused to back the Iranian protesters in 2009, allowing the current Iranian regime to stay in power and expand both its military and economic threats to America and her allies.
There are, of course, other things this administration has done that are as immoral, illegal, and unconstitutional as some of these actions, and policies such as the stimulus and Dodd-Frank were obviously major failures. However, this is simply one attempt to boil down the Obama Administration’s top failures and most intentionally misleading actions as the Executive Branch since 2009. This is not to excuse the many bad policies and decisions of the Bush Administration, or to praise Romney for what he may or may not do as president. But the American people should know the worst of the worst that the Obama Administration has done since entering office.
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