Last night, Obama seemed disengaged to the point that I wondered if he really wants four more years. One can take cool only so far without seeming to be out of the game.
On the other hand, Romney was repellant. He reminded me of a high-pressure salesman who knows his product is a piece of junk but is determined to close the sale.
I'm tired of people blaming doddering, old Lehrer for Obama's poor performance. Sure, Lehrer didn't do his job as moderator, but Romney took advantage, while Obama continued to look to Lehrer for help. Dude!
And OMG, if Tweety and Ed are going to have public breakdowns on NBCNews, they should get off the air.
Maybe my last words on the debate, maybe not. Romney lied a lot.
He reminded me of a high-pressure salesman who knows his product is a piece of junk but is determined to close the sale.
ReplyDeleteBrilliant. A used-car salesman, that's just what he is. Trying desperately to unload that 1981 Trickle Down towncar that was only driven on Sundays by a little old lady. Right.
What was with Obama? Like you said, seemed very disengaged. We know he can fire up a crowd when he wants to - the enthusiasm sure was lacking last night. The debate, so called, did't change anybody's mind.
Lehrer is a fine man, and I learned recently, a fellow Texan. Unfortunately, there's only so much a teacher can do when the class gets out of control.
Grandpère thought Obama won the debate, because Mitt acted like a teenage bully, and Obama was dignified. I hope others thought the same, but I could not agree.
DeleteI watched for about 90 seconds, but could not stand any more... Your description of Romney is spot on. Methinks the fact that Turkey was firing back at Syria and all hell was threatening to break loose over there might have been on Obama's mind, and that made Mitt look even more shallow than usual.......nij
ReplyDeleteNij, it was painful, but I watched till the bitter end. Mitt's lying has now reached the level of pathology. Or is lying a virtue in Mormonism?
DeleteAh, Grandmere - I live near a Mormon community and none I know approve of lying at all, and some seem terribly uneasy whenever His Mittness is mentioned. One gets the impression his faith is a thing he puts on with the perfectly tailored suit, but only when it is pragmatic to do so (his campaign appearances in jeans - never saw a person so uncomfortable in his Wranglers) ... unconvinced that his history as a church leader was anything but a box to check off in his "rise", a footnote in the five year plan, but hope there is some sincerity under the veneer that we just can't see because his ambition is so bright it blinds.
DeleteMarthe, my question was not serious. I know the Mormon faith does not embrace lying, but those who are sincere in their faith must be terribly embarrassed by Mittens. No one is all bad, and Mitt's wife says there's a good, kind man hidden away somewhere underneath the surface.
DeleteYou had the right idea, Nij. I actually bailed for about 10-15 minutes of it (had some business to conduct: I'm dog-sitting. Ooops, that sounds like a bad pun!) but, unfortunately, caught the end, and the MSNBC post-mortem ("Tweety"? Is that Chris Matthews, Mimi?).
DeleteMitt's lies were EXCRUCIATING. And I'm sorry, Mimi, but Jim Lehrer ("Bless his heart!") was WAAAAAAAY inadequate to the job. [Mitt actually lost a GOP debate where he whined to the moderator, so you can bet Obama wasn't going to do that]. But if Obama interrupted Mitt, then he was "punching down" (AND losing likeability): a No-Win situation. But now, he'll have to play tit-for-tat the rest of the way---but he'll be expected to, and hence, not penalized for it.
This concluded JCF's Political Analysis {Lucy voice} "Five Cents Please!"
"Mitt's wife says there's a good, kind man hidden away somewhere underneath the surface."
DeleteGood Lord, I'd take her word for it less than I'd take his!
Laura Bush always struck me as genuinely much nicer than her husband. But I'm afraid MOST "GOP wives" come across as execrable privileged harpies/dragon-ladies: Nancy Reagan (maybe not late-in-life, but as FLOTUS), Barbara Bush, Cindi McCain (perhaps not quite as bad as some: she endured John calling her "looking like a whore"! :-0), and now La Ann: "You people...Stop it!"
And if there's anything worse than the man who puts the dog on the roof, it's the woman who lets him [Raise your hand if you think it was Ann's idea. Mitt might actually be enough of a gentleman to not say so---though not enough of a gentleman to not say to his donors that people would likely "tire" of Ann! (Can this marriage be saved? And for "All Eternity on Romney Father-God/Mother-God Planet"? ;-p)]
JCF, I would not ever suggest whining. The debate is over, and perhaps it's a good thing that some people see Romney as the "winner", whatever that means, because the Obama camp is less likely to become complacent, which, I admit, is one of my concerns.
DeleteMittens had days to prepare for the debate, but the president has other demands on his time that take precedence over being coached for a debate. Mittens showed us all his bullying side, but - alas - some folks will find that attractive.
I didn't watch, but the verdict of my family was that it was boring. The President may have been trying to avoid the attacks that some independents say they don't like, but a little pushback when Mr. Romney lied wouldn't have hurt. Incumbents usually lose the first debate - whatever lose means - so I wouldn't put too much weight on this one. The one I do want to watch is the Biden-Ryan debate, which should be lively.
ReplyDeleteI checked in a couple of times ... but these exercises in performance art just make me want to fling things at the TV (which would be silly as it is not the machine's fault) ... still waiting for a little REAL talk about the actual problems of the country ... and just a dash of understanding that the Pres. is not a dictator, but a public servant would be nice ... maybe they should have to debate in just their underclothes (always have thought that promoted a sense of truth, but I may just be hoping out loud again).
DeleteDaniel, I thought the debate was boring, too. A good many people probably have no idea what Simpson-Bowles and Dodd-Frank are about. For a candidate to make an impact with the wider public, the person must speak in sound bites, like Reagan's, "There you go again."
DeleteGenette, I love your suggestion that the candidates debate in underclothes. Great theater there. And we would get to see the Mormon undergarment.
DeleteObama has been a disappointment, but he has done good things, too. It's contemplation of a Romney presidency that gives me nightmares.
Let's face it. All candidates for national office are in the grip of the corporate types and the financiers.