"I think he took Romney too lightly. I think he did not expect Romney to throw that kind of heat. Romney was able to ‘out-Obama’ Obama. On the connection piece, on the authenticity piece, on the being able to tell the story," Van Jones said on CNN after the debate on Wednesday night.
Jake Tapper reports on President Obama's poor debate performance (October 3, 2012)
JAKE TAPPER: Well I’ve covered President Obama for about six or seven years now, and I‘ve seen him inspire crowds of tens of thousands. And I also recall the summer of 2007 when he was listless and flat and uninspired, and his campaign manager knocked some sense into him to get him back in the game. Unfortunately for the Obama campaign, that’s the Obama I saw on the stage tonight. It was not a strong performance by him. And even Democrats and close Obama aides acknowledge Romney was ahead on stylistic points, on zingers. They feel good about when Obama was talking to the camera to the voters, and they feel good that they think Romney was doubling down on policy which they think can help them win, but ultimately, I think, performance-wise this was a strong night for Mitt Romney.
Romney goes on offense, forcing Obama to defend record
By Jerry Markon, Wednesday, October 3, 4:22 PM
Republican presidential contender Mitt Romney took the offensive in the first presidential debate Wednesday night, forcing President Obama to defend his record in a series of sharp exchanges in which Romney charged that the President’s economic policies have “crushed” the middle class.
Appearing more vigorous than he often is on the campaign trail, Romney painted Obama’s first term as a time of rising poverty, slowing economic growth and struggle for millions of Americans. He pushed his own plans to lower taxes and bring down the federal deficit, saying his approach would revive the sputtering economy.
10.31 pm. Look: you know how much I love the guy, and you know how much of a high information viewer I am, and I can see the logic of some of Obama's meandering, weak, professorial arguments. But this was a disaster for the president for the key people he needs to reach, and his effete, wonkish lectures may have jolted a lot of independents into giving Romney a second look.
"Where was Obama tonight? He should watch -- well, not just Hardball, Rachel, he should watch you, he should watch the Reverend Al [Sharpton], he should watch Lawrence. He would learn something about this debate. There's a hot debate going on in this country. You know where it's been held? Here on this network is where we're having the debate," Matthews said.
"He was like, 'Oh an hour and half? I think I can get through this thing. And I don't even look at this guy.' Whereas Romney -- I love the split-screen -- staring at Obama, addressing him like prey. He did it just right. 'I'm coming at an incumbent. I got to beat him. You've got to beat the champ and I'm going to beat him tonight. And I don't care what this guy, the moderator, whatever he thinks he is because I'm going to ignore him," Matthews said.
"If he does five more of these nights, forget it," Matthews added. "Obama should watch MSNBC, my last point. He will learn something every night on this show and all these shows. This stuff we're watching, it's like first grade for most of us. We know all this stuff."
"What was Romney doing?" Matthews asked. "He was winning."
Whatever happened to debate ...that was like listening to two grade school kids argue. Debates have structure and rules for reasons. Time limits are supposed to force the participants to thoughtfully structure their responses so as to most effectively make their point on point on specific questions. That was rambling campaigning, nothing more. The disrespect towards the moderator shows a complete lack of humility - a character trait our society seems to disdain anymore.
I don't need campaign ads...platitudes ...bumper stickers...zingers...tell me how you're going to get things done...till then, I'll stick with the guy who's got an actual detailed plan. A slow recovery's a far sight better than where we were headed. Mitt gets in and the same folks that nearly collapsed this nation will be back at it.
plaidvillain wrote: Whatever happened to debate ...that was like listening to two grade school kids argue. Debates have structure and rules for reasons. Time limits are supposed to force the participants to thoughtfully structure their responses so as to most effectively make their point on point on specific questions. That was rambling campaigning, nothing more. The disrespect towards the moderator shows a complete lack of humility - a character trait our society seems to disdain anymore.
I don't need campaign ads...platitudes ...bumper stickers...zingers...tell me how you're going to get things done...till then, I'll stick with the guy who's got an actual detailed plan. A slow recovery's a far sight better than where we were headed. Mitt gets in and the same folks that nearly collapsed this nation will be back at it.
What I think is really telling about you PV, is that you are even more crazy leftist than your MSNBC moron crew. Even they didn't put much blame on the moderator, they were smart enough to understand that tonight, Obama became Romney's bitch :woo hoo: Every once in a while, the "cool guy", needs to have his ass handed to him... especially since he's gotten a 4 year pass.
The left is angry because they are now being judged by the content of their character and not by the color of their skin.
Ok, Bill, what is Romney's plan? Seriously. Give me some specifics. How will he only lower taxes that don't increase the deficit? If you've got an answer, you'd either be a mystic, or a liar, because Romney's never said how he'd do it.
Yeah, I thought Obama's performance was awful. His opponent's words are hollow, but he couldn't effectively convey that, and his disrespect towards the moderator and the 'debate' in general made him look bad, but do you really think Etch a Sketch was able to shake-clear the past 18 months of double speak simply by throwing a couple zingers?..is that all it takes to impress you?
*I read the USA Today and NY Times on a daily basis - all I have time for after devoting 12 hrs a day on improving my world...don't watch tv news other than local stuff in the morning while I have a cup of coffee. I was never that interested in having someone else tell me how to interpret the news - but, hey, if you feel like it helps you...
Do you really expect a "plan" in a debate? I could also ask what is Obama's plan for Medicare and Social Security, not that I'd expect it. How many presidential debates have you watched? Yes, they are terrible regarding specifics, but that's the nature of the beast.
Reading more, it does appear that Obama had 4 minutes more than Romney. It must of been the pauses and the "umms and ahhs" that did that. It seemed to me Romney spoke more, but guess he just dominated more.
Here is an article that sums the debate up better than me. I don't know his politics, other than he has five Emmys and works for CBS, CNN, ABC and PBS.
Yes, it was as bad as it seemed.
No, it wasn’t Jim Lehrer’s fault for letting Romney expound; Obama got more time (four minutes more) than Romney. Besides, it’s not the moderator’s job to call a debater out on questionable assertions. It’s the opponent’s job.
Yes, it wasn’t the best atmospherics for Obama to look down, purse his lips, appear distracted, while Romney was attentive, engaged, relaxed. But this was much more than atmospherics. This was about one candidate who came with a frame for the evening, and who was prepared to engage on every question; and another who, perhaps because of his documented faith in his own abilities, felt he could wing it with snatches of familiar verbiage.
Most surprising, the whole evening felt as if Obama thought he was back in 2008, needing only to demonstrate a sense of cool, calm collectedness to persuade the voters that they could do what they desperately wanted to do: change course.
plaidvillain wrote: Ok, Bill, what is Romney's plan? Seriously. Give me some specifics. How will he only lower taxes that don't increase the deficit? If you've got an answer, you'd either be a mystic, or a liar, because Romney's never said how he'd do it.
Yeah, I thought Obama's performance was awful. His opponent's words are hollow, but he couldn't effectively convey that, and his disrespect towards the moderator and the 'debate' in general made him look bad, but do you really think Etch a Sketch was able to shake-clear the past 18 months of double speak simply by throwing a couple zingers?..is that all it takes to impress you?
*I read the USA Today and NY Times on a daily basis - all I have time for after devoting 12 hrs a day on improving my world...don't watch tv news other than local stuff in the morning while I have a cup of coffee. I was never that interested in having someone else tell me how to interpret the news - but, hey, if you feel like it helps you...
It's impossible to argue with a flaming liberal like yourself or Obama because neither of you understand where real revenue increases come from. You think that taxing the rich is a way to pay down the debt, but when you do that math, you find that it doesn't do much at all. Real serious revenue increases ONLY come from economic growth. It comes from businesses being able to get started easier, to be able to compete in world markets, to be able to expand with some certainty that their taxes and new regulations won't be crushing their future. You seem to think that the government can print and tax our way out of this. You also love to bring up "the Bush policies that got us into this mess". What specific policies caused the housing/credit crash... where was Obama when these policies of "everyone deserves to own a home" became such feel good conversation?
The fact is that businesses are the golden goose and that really erks some of you liberals. These are the job creators and they make governement jobs possible. You can only tax and regulate them so much before they downsize or move offshore. And when you make it difficult for foriegn businesses to come here and US businesses to stay here... alll you have to do is look at California and you will see our future. But you won't ,you'll continue to believe a guy with ZERO experience in the economy, in the real world, is capable of inspiring a country built by businesses big and small. The only ones Obama has inspired are his special interest groups... and even they are starting to waver.
So instead of another exercise in futility, I'll just give you the last word and say goodnight. I'm gonna sleep a little easier.
The left is angry because they are now being judged by the content of their character and not by the color of their skin.
Science Chic wrote: towermonkey - did you make it there? What did you think, seeing it in person?
Yes I made it but was working so only saw parts. It seemed to me like Obama started out strong and lost steam as the event went on and Romney went the other way. By the end it was a clear Romney win. He may even get a few votes out of it.
The protesters are always the best part of these things. There was a guy yelling at all the sat trucks with a bullhorn complaining about microwave radiation that seemed like the energizer bunny. He just kept going.
Every once in a while, the "cool guy", needs to have his ass handed to him... especially since he's gotten a 4 year pass.
