I don’t watch post-debate coverage. To me, it seems silly to let the pundits tell you how to process what was said. I’ll admit I was taken aback by how manic Romney was, and how feckless Jim Lehrer was. I don’t pretend to know if President Obama was playing the long game…but he looked tired, and Romney did not. That will matter to people. Do I think it changes much? Nope.
Still, I was disappointed that POTUS did little by way of offering a contrast, indeed he started (as he often does) by pointing out how parallel their policies are, when in fact, they are at best dissimilar, and often completely opposite. POTUS missed opportunities to point this out, and that was unfortunate. It is more important than ever to be clear about what is at stake, what a Republican vision is versus that of a Democratic vision. POTUS really didn’t do it.
On style, I’ve read this morning that POTUS seemed like the only adult in the room. Sorry, I disagree. Romney looked like an adult, it’s just that he looked like a manic, belligerent, and condescending adult. They exist, you know.
If I were advising POTUS (and thank your personal God I am not) I’d tell him to better prepare, to speak up, and, well, find his fangs a little. Romney opened the door for this. Go on and walk through it.
Let’s see what happens in Debate II.
Oh, you’re back! I thought you’d stopped blogging.
I’ve stayed away from all TV news and MSNBC today, and I feel better. Now we wait for the veep debate. With Biden it will at least be entertaining.
I felt the same way intuitively about the debate, but with more reflection and reading stuff like this has made me thinking maybe (for not the first time) Obama knows what he’s doing better than we do.
h/t ABL @ Balloon Juice
Debates are pretty much the ultimate dog and pony show. Nothing but empty promises, partisan posturing and platitudes. As ever the MSM has no desire to do “TRUTH”, it’s just too fucking hard and nobody will like you if you do.
Romney’s been lying to shareholders, regulators and the public for years. For him the debate was a lot like a company’s annual meeting where he has to tell one story v the one he tells the bankers and his cronies. He’s a ruthless (and not all that competent, really) fuck.
Demo, I mostly agree, but Miss America contestants still gotta do the swimsuit competition.
Uncle, welcome, first of all. I’m always a little leery subscribing to the whole eleventy dimensional chess assertion. but I am hopeful that re-election team had plans in place for whatever outcome resulted from the debate. I just thought there were ways to draw a clearer contrast.