The Politics Thread

[miche]

The longer election night last, the more money they make (or they just want a repeat of Gore vs Bush)

Edited October 4, 2012 by miche

[DRW50]

They had planned this all along. They have to keep this going, because they need the revenue. They also love Romney and have been disappointed at just how shockingly poor a candidate he has been. This is their chance to make him a hero.

[Wales2004]

Not on MSNBC. Besides OTT Chris Matthews in panic mode, the 4 p.m. Eastern and after crew are probably either reminding the viewers of who they think Mitt Romney is or how Barack Obama is better for them.

Honestly, I was more interested in watching baseball than the debate but I got a phone call at debate start time and I ended up muting the t.v. and watching that smirk on Mitt Romney's face and Barack Obama looking down. I wasn't keen on hearing the hot air that was coming out of their mouths but I heard enough to remain unimpressed. I hate to vote yet again on the lesser of two unappealing candidates.

On another note.....in California the solution to any money related problem seems to be increasing the sales tax. There's yet another proposition to raise sales taxes. Depending on which county you shop in, you could pay well over 11% in sales taxes.

[juppiter]

It's always between a douche and a turd -- South Park.

[quartermainefan]

He got clobbered but I don't think he was off his game. I have said it before and I will say it again: I think Obama is a terrible speaker. He injects into ever sentence copious amounts of "umm, uhh, umm <pause> umm" and he just cannot speak authoritatively. His every sentence carries the same amount of emphasis or lack thereof, and he just becomes dull after a while. Romney spoke with enthusiasm as he spoke, a sense of urgency and gave the appearance of actually trying to get his point across. Obama sounded like someone who was droning on and whether right or wrong it is not his job to convince you nor does he feel terribly interested in trying to do so. Obama's game is to give a speech in front of an audience plain and simple.

[Wales2004]

I think clobbered is an overstatement. It sounds like the kind of OTT assessment common in the media. Mitt Romney sounded no more sincere than Barack Obama and that smirk on his face doesn't do him any favors because he comes across as condescending in the worst possible way. Barack Obama's problem in that sort of setting is that he pauses too long to think which leads to the use of filler words. Some might see it as contemplative but for people with little patience, it's just slow. People like me lose attention rather quickly when engaged in conversations with people who appear to take too long to think of their response. But it is better to think before you speak.

Anyway, I think the whole thing was strategic. It benefits the media and everyone can run around pretending that there is some significance to Mitt Romney winning a debate, as though that is some magic cure all for whatever happened in the weeks and days preceding it. Media sprinkles its magic fairy dust and everyone forgets all. I won't be surprised if they come out with polls claiming they are dead even and go on endlessly about the debate being the game changer.

Clearly, they never poll people like me who don't sway in the wind over the media magical pixie dust. I am not enamored of Democrats and Republicans and their inability to work like mature adults in Congress. I blame them more than any President for the state of affairs because far too many of them have been in office for way too long.

[quartermainefan]

Walter Mondale won the first debate against Reagan, but it did him no good. I don't think this debate will change things much but if Obama has a repeat performance it could start to impact things. The Biden-Ryan debate I think Biden will win handily because when you listen to Biden talk you can at least appreciate the wheels turning in his head. Ryan has a very robotic stage presence and Biden I think will win that one handily. Obama though is another story because he is what he is and what he isn't is someone you go to for a rapier wit and quickness of foot.

Also, is idiotic insisting on staying away from snark hurts him. With all the people working for him they mean to say no one was able to come up with a 47 perecent attack or even just a joke?

[Ann_SS]

After perusing various news Web sites, I see that the commentary and polls indicates that Romney won hands down. If nothing else, this should get Obama's competitive fire going. Maybe he was the one who was complacent because of the state polls showing him ahead.

Even if Obama's team advised him to play it safe and stay presidential, he clearly his political survival instinct failed him when he did not fight back when Romney was attacking him during the debate. I mean, Obama should have at least referenced Romney's 47 percent comment to undercut him. Weak.

Edited October 4, 2012 by Ann_SS

[marceline]

Again, this is the place where I think the long game is coming into play. The "47 percent" thing plays better in ads than it would've in a debate. The power of that video is that it's Mitt Romney in his own words and in context. Whatever value they would've gotten from a momentary sound bite is nothing compared to the power of playing that video over and over and over. Plus, remember how Romney has been practicing his "zingers?" I'm willing to bet most of those were responses to the "47 percent." I bet he was just waiting for Obama to mention it. ("Come on man! Say something about the 47 percent! I've got the best line! It's going to be epic and the talk shows will love it and so will Ann! She'll love it so much I bet she'll move up our bi-monthly sex date!!")

Edited October 4, 2012 by marceline

[Wales2004]

That's one of the complaints I don't get. Was Barack Obama supposed to show up to the debate with a hammer that reads "47 percent" and just start beating Mitt Romney over the head with it?

Democrats vs. Republicans reminds me of irrational sports fans who care more that their teams beat each other because it gives them bragging rights. Who won or lost is totally subjective so it's laughable that some of his supporters are mad at Barack Obama because he didn't live up to their expectations. It's not about you and it's not about Mitt Romey's supporters either. It's about appealing to people that are still on the fence.

Does anyone really believe that AARP members have all seen the light and now think that Mitt Romney is their man on Social Security and Medicare issues? Didn't Paul Ryan say a couple of days ago that they (in being part of that percentage) needed to get a job? Some of them worked all their lives to retire in peace and he neglects to take them out of that group because he's busy riling up his supporters. The next debate will be a tale of two Catholics and there will be low expectations for Joe Biden since Paul Ryan is the media whiz kid. Joe Biden can basically aw shucks his way around in the middle and end of making some substantive points.

I imagine that there are a number of people deciding whether to vote at all not for whom to vote. If those people decide to vote they will vote for Barack Obama because their dilemma is about moral issues and/or disappointment in Barack Obama.

[Ann_SS]

Obama did not have to reference it directly. He could subtly pointed out that he is the president of everyone that all American are responsible and work hard when an appropriate moment came along. There is nothing that Romney could have said in response to that. Ultimately, Obama should fought back in that debate and did not. No way can he or his advisers be happy with that poor performance.

[GoldenDogs]

With all due respect, Ann... if Obama does just that, he can't win. If he elaborates on policy over the last four years, he can't win.

You're one of the few I've seen who thinks he's in trouble because he hasn't been liberal enough. As one adamantly opposed to most of his policies, I really do hope he tells us EXACTLY what his plans for a second term are. I would love for him to go into great detail about those plans!

[GoldenDogs]

Hey QFan... he could have given a speech - phrased everything in that way and looked directly at the camera. Why didn't he?? Or do you think the teleprompter IS his best friend? I was stunned because Obama is KNOWN for slick, polished oratory. I can't even believe what happened last night.

But like I said before... it won't happen again. Obama is too good for that and we all know it...

[marceline]

This is another narrative that I don't understand. I've seen people say that Ryan is good at media but I've seen ABSOLUTELY no evidence of that. He's pretty much no better than Mitt Romney at dealing with the media. As far as I can tell "good at media" means "has pretty blue eyes."

[Wales2004]

I guess they are in love with his eyes because he is quite awkward. He and Mitt Romney tend to appear flabbergasted when asked any follow-up questions. They come across as though they believe that everyone should accept whatever they say because they said so. Chirs Wallace does what he is supposed to and asks for details and Paul Ryan brushes him off and says he doesn't have enough time to provide details. I'm just waiting for him to say that the American public would not understand it anyway. Their premise is vote for them because and you don't need to know anything we don't want to or feel like telling you.

I want to hear how Mitt Romney wants to blow things up if he becomes President. In fact I hope someone brings up foreign policy at the V.P. debate so Paul Ryan can pretend he knows something about that as well.