An unprepared, unfocused Obama pays the price
Remember the classic nightmare in which you show up unprepared for a test in a class that you completely forgot you had?
That’s what Barack Obama looked like last night. From the opening question, he came off as unprepared, unsteady and almost uninterested in the task at hand. He found himself on defense throughout the debate, and when opportunities arose, he failed to recognize them.
As I noted last night during the live blog, Obama seemed overconfident coming in, as if he had underestimated both his opponent and the occasion. By the end of the evening, overconfidence should no longer have been a problem. As CNN noted, 67 percent of those polled who had watched the debate declared Mitt Romney the victor.
“No presidential candidate has topped 60 percent in that question since it was first asked in 1984,” CNN polling director Keating Holland pointed out.
And a good part of that was caused by Mitt Romney. He came in hungry, needing a win, and it showed in his focus and preparation. He got the better of almost every exchange, in part because at some point in his debate prep he decided to finally make the transition from “severely conservative” GOP primary candidate to general-election candidate.
The new Romney endorsed regulation of business. He dismissed tax cuts as an economic policy. He embraced his own Massachusetts health-care plan. He talked of compromise and working together. A surprised Obama wasn’t ready to handle this latest Romney incarnation and repeatedly failed to tie the moderate, genial GOP candidate on that stage in Denver to the GOP candidate on the campaign trail.
Will the outcome of this debate, the first of three between Obama and Romney, create a ripple in the polls? It almost certainly will. I doubt it will cost Obama his lead, but it should shrink it and introduce doubt in many minds that had not previously doubted. Romney had the night that he needed to keep his funders happy and his base engaged.
The next debate, covering foreign and domestic policy in a townhall forum, will be Oct. 16 at Hofstra University in New York. I suspect that they’ll be scrambling at the White House this morning to clear more time from the president’s calendar for prep work between now and then. He can’t afford a repeat of what happened last night in Denver.
– Jay Bookman
Tell us what you think about the site
Customer Care »
Vacation stops, manage subscriptions and more
AJC Services
Sections
Other Editions
Visitor Agreement | Privacy Statement
© 2013 The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
1,788 comments Add your comment
Jm
October 4th, 2012
9:15 am
Alpha male toyed with the beta last night
Adam
October 4th, 2012
9:15 am
Previous Presidents have always won the first debate as the challenger. Some notable mentions of Presidents that won as a result of winning the first debate are former President Mondale, former President Dukakis, and former President Kerry.
Oh wait….
Welcome to the Occupation
October 4th, 2012
9:16 am
Jm: “Obama doesn’t pick the winners and losers. He just picks the losers.”
Wow. That’s a pretty pathetic conclusion to come to, given that the ‘winners’ of Obama’s presidency were nothing less than the high rollers of capitalism themselves, arguably capitalism itself was rescued under Obama, saved from itself, as it was in the last century by Roosevelt.
Any idiot knows that there were no bigger winners in the last 4 years than the titans of Wall St., looked out for by Obama’s Timmy Geithner, among others.
skipper
October 4th, 2012
9:16 am
Jay,
You were right. That was a butt- whoopn’ last night, pure and simple.
Kramer
October 4th, 2012
9:17 am
mm
October 4th, 2012
9:11 am
Wow, Mitt gave the cons something to crow about today. And they’ll make themselves look stupid in the process.
Bottom line: How many voters will be swayed? It might move the needle on the national polls, but the state polls are the ones that count. And Obama has huge leads in the swing states.
What polls are you watching son? A big lead is 5 points or higher. Where does Barry have a lead like that and what poll are you citing? CNN? NYT / CBS?
Liberal Pariah
October 4th, 2012
9:17 am
It’s far from over. Obama’s Chicago roots will show up next debate and he will be more than prepared. He will need to be since his only foreign policy success has been personally killing Osama himself.
Welcome to the Occupation
October 4th, 2012
9:17 am
Think about that for a minute, Jm.
Capitalism is a system that must periodically be saved from itself.
Kind of interesting, what that says about a system. Don’t you think?
Thulsa Doom
October 4th, 2012
9:18 am
“I don’t hold the moderator responsible for victory or loss, but i do expect them to moderate. In this case, Jim did come up wanting.”
I’m not sure but I think in the news after the debate it was said that Obama actually got in 3 or 4 more minutes than Romney. If that is indeed the case I don’t think anyone can blame Lehrer. I remember when Lehrer cut him off saying he had only 5 seconds. Obama then replied and said Lehrer used up that 5 seconds. Then Obama continued for another minute to a minute and a half it seemed unabated.
Ben Shockley
October 4th, 2012
9:18 am
“We have heard the lies of Obama for the past 4 years”
You have a list somewhere?”
Sure.
“I will cut the deficit in half by the end of my first term.”
“I will run the most open and transparent administration in history”
“I’ll post legislation on he internet before it gets voted”
“Unemployemnt will rise to 8% unless weenact my economic plan”
LMAO
Finn McCool (The System isn't Broken; It's Fixed)
October 4th, 2012
9:18 am
Mitt is a successful bully – I’ll give him that much.
Stevie Ray..Clowns to the left and Jokers to the right..here I am...
October 4th, 2012
9:19 am
WELCOME,
Agree with your statement about both being the same…I don’t expect anything to change until our elected dopes figure out a way to stop making decisions on behalf of corporations and other special interests so our interests are not completely subordinated…And yes, they both tell half truths per fact check…but it’s politics and I think, most of those out there don’t care and don’t understand half of what was said…but those DEM supporters likely feel like GA TECH after getting blown out by MTSU..
kayaker 71
October 4th, 2012
9:19 am
Kudos to Bookman….. your thread is spot on. One debate does not a victory make, however, with Biden/Ryan coming next, it can’t hurt. I think it’s called momentum.
BuckeyeInGa
October 4th, 2012
9:19 am
Romney explained his plan and made a hell of lot more sense then Barry. Romeny came across as Presidential and Barry came across as a community organizer. One is a leader and one is not. Barry is not.
Romney didn’t really explain his plan but he made more statements that he will have to defend. Sharpton actually made a good point saying that.
GT
October 4th, 2012
9:19 am
NBC fact checking said Romney would add 4.8 trillion dollars to the national debt with his propose program. Not the 5 trillion O said but close enough for those who care to get the point.
Ben Shockley
October 4th, 2012
9:20 am
We have heard the lies of Obama for the past 4 years
“You have a list somewhere?”
Oh I almost forgot…
Operation fast & furious…the only thing coming fast and furious are the stonewalling, lies and deceit.
Embassy terrorist attack….I thjink we’re on version #23 of the lies told about that one
Joe Hussein Mama
October 4th, 2012
9:20 am
B. Cassidy — “The irony of this statement cannot be measured.”
Indeed. I’m reminded of Bush’s petulant and plaintive “uh! It’s hard work” interjection during the 2004 debates.
Thulsa Doom
October 4th, 2012
9:20 am
One other thing was when Obama took an opportunity to take a little cheapshot at Donald Trump. Bad move. It made Obama look small, petty, and diminished the stature of the presidency. He needs to quit being so thin skinned.
Jeff
October 4th, 2012
9:21 am
The man can not spin and mis-direct his way past his terrible record and the socialist ideals in a head to head, face to face live debate with no teleprompters.. The peoblem with the democrat party is not the middle or even the middle left.. It is the hard left that has stolen your party that has ruined it and almost ruined Amercia.
Adam
October 4th, 2012
9:21 am
Kramer: Adam please. Romney explained his plan and made a hell of lot more sense then Barry.
No, he explained a completely new plan he hasn’t been campaigning on. He didn’t explain “his plan.”
Ben Shockley
October 4th, 2012
9:22 am
“An unprepared, unfocused Obama pays the price”
Obama has been unprepared and unfocused for four years, and America has been paying the price.
Fixed it for ya Jay.
You’re welcome.
Jm
October 4th, 2012
9:22 am
Ooooo
Multiple handle blogger with intent to deceive
Inquiring minds want to know
(I of course use bloomberg troll – thanks to Kam – no intent to deceive)
Butch Cassidy (I)
October 4th, 2012
9:22 am
TD – “I don’t think anyone can blame Lehrer.”
Sure I can. As the moderator, he has the ability to stop the candidate, and say “Your 2 minutes are up.” Then ask the other candiadate for response. He also has the pwoer to say that “The time allotted for this portion of the debate has expired, we will now move on to topic number 2″. Jim did none of that. I’m not saying it would make a difference either way, but it would have provided a chance to cover more ground and possibly flesh out the candidates a little bit more.
BuckeyeInGa
October 4th, 2012
9:22 am
I’m not sure but I think in the news after the debate it was said that Obama actually got in 3 or 4 more minutes than Romney. If that is indeed the case I don’t think anyone can blame Lehrer. I remember when Lehrer cut him off saying he had only 5 seconds. Obama then replied and said Lehrer used up that 5 seconds. Then Obama continued for another minute to a minute and a half it seemed unabated.
I seen the same thing regarding the time they had to speak. Even though I think Lehrer didn’t moderate at all, Romney used that to his advantage. The President should have picked up on this and done the same thing.
Stevie Ray..Clowns to the left and Jokers to the right..here I am...
October 4th, 2012
9:23 am
FINN,
Yeah, someone finally kicked the current arrogant bully in the arse….
Adam
October 4th, 2012
9:23 am
Kramer: What polls are you watching son? A big lead is 5 points or higher. Where does Barry have a lead like that and what poll are you citing? CNN? NYT / CBS?
He had a big lead in all the same polls you are going to cite over the coming days as proof Romney is winning.
Jay
October 4th, 2012
9:23 am
Lehrer didn’t lose the debate for Obama. Lehrer did just fine.
peggy
October 4th, 2012
9:24 am
fred, go to work.
Adam
October 4th, 2012
9:24 am
Ben Shockley: “Unemployemnt will rise to 8% unless weenact my economic plan”
Obama never said that.
TaxPayer
October 4th, 2012
9:25 am
How many of the self-proclaimed right wing independents posting here have been converted to Republicans after witnessing Mitt’s performance last night. I suspect at the very least that Stevie is now a convert.
Tell me, what freshly reclaimed moderate position by Mitt won you independents over to Mitt’s now less extremely conservative side. Was it his view that regulations are needed or perhaps his view that tax cuts need to be paid for or maybe his failure to say how his next round of tax cuts will be paid for. Was it his cap on tax deductions perhaps.
Share your views, cons. How did Mitt “win”. What did Mitt “win”. Why did Mitt “win”.
Thulsa Doom
October 4th, 2012
9:25 am
“He will need to be since his only foreign policy success has been personally killing Osama himself.”
Word is that Obama is going to show off the rifle that he used to kill OBL. And I also have it on good word from an impeccable source Harry Reid that Obama cut off OBL’s beard as a trophy and is selling whiskers to preferred donors at fundraisers. If you’re as wealthy a donor as say the CEO of private equity giant Blackstone you can get part of the goatee. Forget about the mustache portion though. George Clooney already got dibs on that.
Adam
October 4th, 2012
9:26 am
One other thing was when Obama took an opportunity to take a little cheapshot at Donald Trump. Bad move. It made Obama look small, petty, and diminished the stature of the presidency.
As you would have also said of ANY attack he would have made on Romney. So which is worse for Romney: Being directly attacked, or looking down and not attacking him at all.
Butch Cassidy (I)
October 4th, 2012
9:26 am
Jay – “Lehrer didn’t lose the debate for Obama. Lehrer did just fine.”
I wasn’t implying that he did. Merely that having a moderator is pointless if they don’t moderate.
n
October 4th, 2012
9:27 am
”The Presidency is a plum, a shining star, for those seeking it.
It is an exhausting, thankless, sometimes nightmarish burden for those unlucky enough to get elected..
“There are only two tragedies in life: one is not getting what one wants, and the other is getting it.
Oscar Wilde
Ben Shockley
October 4th, 2012
9:27 am
Adam
October 4th, 2012
9:24 am
“Ben Shockley: “Unemployemnt will rise to 8% unless weenact my economic plan”
“Obama never said that.”
Really????
http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20120801041844AADW965
Obama quote from February 2009. “If we do not pass this economic stimulus, unemployment will rise above 8 percent.” The unemployment rate peaked in October 2009 at 10.1 percent. It’s stagnant at 8.2% today.
LMAO
Marty Huggins'
October 4th, 2012
9:27 am
Finn McCool (The System isn’t Broken; It’s Fixed)
October 4th, 2012
9:12 am
http://www.politifact.com/personalities/barack-obama/statements/byruling/false/
Finn McCool (The System isn't Broken; It's Fixed)
October 4th, 2012
9:28 am
Ok, raise your hand if last night’’s debate changed your vote.
Jm
October 4th, 2012
9:28 am
Welcome
I would agree that a completely unbridled capitalism can destroy itself
Of course, communism and socialism always destroy themselves. Or at least the people subject to it.
Stevie Ray..Clowns to the left and Jokers to the right..here I am...
October 4th, 2012
9:28 am
ADAM,
I’m not sure if you are referring to R’s plan as interpreted by President Trillions or what R sees as his plan…if the perception is that he is a flipper, there exists no shortage of BO’s flipping nature…they all do it..make promises or create expectations they can’t likely accomplish.
The whole thing about the specifics, I agree with Romney that a president’s job is not to get into the twigs but to lead with policy…why should they get into the minutae when it is congress who is to work out the details?
Thulsa Doom
October 4th, 2012
9:29 am
Butch Cassidy,
I hear ya. But if Obama ended up speaking 3-4 minutes more than Romney then liberals shouldn’t have a problem with the moderator. Besides, I’m glad that he let both of them finish up statements and points that they each felt were important to make. Nothing wrong with letting them finish up.
kayaker 71
October 4th, 2012
9:29 am
That downward gaze…… so indicative of a very uncomfortable person who knows that things are not going so well. Along with the smirk that goes with it, a perfect narcissistic moment. It’s obvious that he didn’t want to be there. It’s also obvious that he knows that he hasn’t been an effective president. He is not used to being criticized, especially in front of 40M people. This is not the game he wants to play…. and it shows. To win the next one, he will have to fundamentally change his persona and for a person so narcissistic, that’s going to be really tough. Odds are that he will be spending his next anniversary in Chicago.
Butch Cassidy (I)
October 4th, 2012
9:29 am
Finn – “Ok, raise your hand if last night’’s debate changed your vote.”
Nope. Was going to vote for Huntsman. But since he’s not on the ticket, I will again sit out another election.
The Thin Guy
October 4th, 2012
9:29 am
Is there any sight in nature more pathetic than a hapless, hopeless, helpless, half-wit Kenyan without his teleprompter? Oh the humanity! Maybe for the next two debates Jay Bookman can show up and hold up cue cards:
*It’s all Bush’s fault.
*What are you looking at me for? I’ve only been here 4 years.
*Hillary is in charge of foreign policy.
*That dog last night tasted funny.
*I was helping Ole Joe Biden solve Rubik’s cube.
*Remember to bring your female parts on election day.
*My caddy gave me bad advice.
*Given another 30 years maybe I can figure something out.
*Anybody want a wind mill in your back yard?
*That other guy is a Mormon.
*Fore.
Unfortunately one debate won’t rescue America from the tyranny of the duo of Dumb and Dumber. Eight years ago Horseface beat Dubya in all of their debates but Dubya won. The occupant of the White House can control events and we have the October surprise coming up and ØDumbø will bomb a goat farm and claim to have killed Osama bin Biden’s stunt double while not damaging any Korans. But at least Clint Eastwood claim that Plugs is the intellectual leader of the demoncraps has been validated.
Ben Shockley
October 4th, 2012
9:31 am
“Is there any sight in nature more pathetic than a hapless, hopeless, helpless, half-wit Kenyan without his teleprompter? ”
Yeah there is…the millions of half-wit liberals who embrace his moronic policies.
Granny Godzilla - Union Thugette
October 4th, 2012
9:31 am
Romney won and along the way he was less than honest – again
pre-exisiting conditions
the medicare 716 million
his 5 million tax cut
the amount added to the deficit
death panels
green companies
and the fact checking continues.
barking frog
October 4th, 2012
9:31 am
Reduce rates and eliminate
deductions to spur growth
and increase revenue. The
laffer curve made more
sense.
Stevie Ray..Clowns to the left and Jokers to the right..here I am...
October 4th, 2012
9:32 am
ADAM,
The DEMS want to play small ball…as evidenced by BO’s reference to saving $4 billion from subsidies to oil companies…in the vein of a $1 trillion plus deficit, that number is irrelevant…more ideoligical crap and purely political to suit his supporters who despise oil producers..
Additionally, he got his head handed to him on $90 billion in failed green investments…
Thulsa Doom
October 4th, 2012
9:34 am
Adam,
Perhaps Obama himself is not officially quoted as saying that unemployment would not go above 8% if the stimulus were passed. But it certainly seems that the administration sold that bill of goods to the Rs because every major R seems to have been saying that forever. And I’ve yet to see a major D politician or administration refute that the O administration sold it this way. Perhaps one of them has and I just haven’t seen it but to me it just seems like something that the Ds don’t seem to dispute very much.
RB from Gwinnett
October 4th, 2012
9:34 am
ByteMe, From your link, “In general, businesses can deduct any costs they face in the course of doing business. And the costs of shuttering a factory in the United States are not exempt.”
So, it’s not a “tax break for shipping jobs overseas” as Obama put it, it’s a tax deduction EVERY business is entitled to take for their cost of doing business. Gee, which segement of morons in our society do you think calling is a “tax break for shipping jobs overseas” is supposed to sway?
When you’re done answering that question, Byte, perhaps you’ll tell us why Obama didn’t shove that exemption clause down our throats in the same manner he did Obamacare and the amnest for illegals. I mean, since it’s such a big issue and all.
Face it, Byte, that whole line of crap is designed to sway people who have no intention of paying attention. If that shoe fits you, so be it.
Jm
October 4th, 2012
9:34 am
Doom 9:20
It was a failed “line” delivery
Citizen of the World
October 4th, 2012
9:36 am
Godless Heathen 8:26 — yes, Obama talked longer, but Mitt talked waaaay more often, not willing to wait to take his turn.
Marty Huggins'
October 4th, 2012
9:36 am
Granny Godzilla – Union Thugette
October 4th, 2012
9:31 am
They both stretched the truth.
Both throwing out half truths as graded by the fact checkers.
Why. Indemnity one drunk driver and not the other simply because you feel one is less drunk?
They are both drunk drivers ( liars)
barking frog
October 4th, 2012
9:36 am
Repeal Obamacare except
for the preexisting condition
part and some other parts
to be revealed later at which
time it will be called
Romneycare.
Jm
October 4th, 2012
9:36 am
Butch
The point of the format was to have a more free ranging, substantive debate
On that objective, I think it was very successful
Quit whining
GT
October 4th, 2012
9:36 am
And Jay I think we will see Obama will do just fine too. There is a lot more meat on this bone that has been picked over this morning. Romney is taking Jim’s job if he wins, with that part of the debate Jim did better than fine not being bias. I hear Big Bird is not taking it as well.
independent thinker
October 4th, 2012
9:36 am
So Mitt as of last night is in favor of government regulations and thinks Dodd-Frank is just fine except there should be more regulation of the largest banks? How long is that new position good for? One news cycle?
Finn McCool (The System isn't Broken; It's Fixed)
October 4th, 2012
9:37 am
According to Politifact, Obama speaks Half-Truth or better 72% of the time. Romney’s talk is half-truth or better just 58% of the time.
Joe Hussein Mama
October 4th, 2012
9:38 am
K71 — “That downward gaze…… so indicative of a very uncomfortable person who knows that things are not going so well. Along with the smirk that goes with it, a perfect narcissistic moment. It’s obvious that he didn’t want to be there.”
FWIW, I thought I saw both Romney and Obama “smirk” at various points.
“It’s also obvious that he knows that he hasn’t been an effective president. He is not used to being criticized, especially in front of 40M people.”
So are you saying that you would *enjoy* being criticized in front of 40M people? Frankly, I think that’s a ridiculous criticism on your part. Hoodahell would *like* something like that?
“This is not the game he wants to play…. and it shows. To win the next one, he will have to fundamentally change his persona and for a person so narcissistic, that’s going to be really tough.”
FWIW, the ‘narcissism’ and ‘arrogance’ that you often decry are useful qualities, IMO, in a leader. Plus all the tough-guy policies your side says it wants used in the Middle East *require* that sort of a leader. I don’t know what kind of leader you’re after if you don’t want one with a spine, which is what it sounds to me that you’re saying.
Besides, if you don’t like narcissism and arrogance, then I have no idea why you would have voted for Bush the Younger.
Thulsa Doom
October 4th, 2012
9:38 am
“The DEMS want to play small ball…as evidenced by BO’s reference to saving $4 billion from subsidies to oil companies…in the vein of a $1 trillion plus deficit, that number is irrelevant”
Typical liberal debate tactic. A rational, reasonable person understands how small and petty 4 billion is relative to a trillion dollar deficit. But to liberal people who are taken in with emotional arguments about big oil it sure seems to score political points. Nevermind that this is a standard depreciation write off that is available to many American businesses- not just big oil, and has been around a hundred years.
TaxPayer
October 4th, 2012
9:38 am
Which Mitt is the real Mitt. Would it be the hidden camera Mitt in front of the much needed wealthy backers or the public Mitt in front of the much needed voters. Or can both of these Mitts exist within the same body. I’m torn but not as much as Mitt must be given all of his opposing views on everything.
Granny Godzilla - Union Thugette
October 4th, 2012
9:38 am
Marty
Please expound
Welcome to the Occupation
October 4th, 2012
9:39 am
Ben Shockley: “Yeah there is…the millions of half-wit liberals who embrace his moronic policies”
That’s kind of unfortunate for you then, because Mitt Romney doesn’t really differ from Obama all that much on quite a wide range of issues.
So are you half-witted too?
Finn McCool (The System isn't Broken; It's Fixed)
October 4th, 2012
9:39 am
So, tax break and tax exemption aren’t the same thing?
Reach, baby, reach.
TaxPayer
October 4th, 2012
9:39 am
Can someone remind me of the savings we the people got from cutting funding to NPR.
peggy
October 4th, 2012
9:40 am
butch cassidy, your an idiot.
Finn McCool (The System isn't Broken; It's Fixed)
October 4th, 2012
9:40 am
That downward gaze
He shoulda held his notes up at eye level?
Don't Tread
October 4th, 2012
9:40 am
“From the opening question, he came off as unprepared, unsteady and almost uninterested in the task at hand. He found himself on defense throughout the debate, and when opportunities arose, he failed to recognize them.”
Of course…0bama is planning on being re-elected because he’s 0bama. What other result were you expecting? Oh wait…sorry, I forgot…you knew that outcome before going in, right?
“The new Romney endorsed regulation of business…”
Please tell me where he said all regulation should be abolished. The truth is that he endorses regulations that make sense (and that hasn’t changed), but you libs have equated that to “abolishing all regulation”. You’ve believed your own lie for so long that you classify his statement as a “new” position.
bman
October 4th, 2012
9:41 am
“Which Mitt is the real Mitt”
He’s the one who was prepared & focused.
Steve-USA "None of the Above"
October 4th, 2012
9:41 am
“According to Politifact, Obama speaks Half-Truth or better 72% of the time. Romney’s talk is half-truth or better just 58% of the time.”
Or you could call it a “half-lie”, nothing for either side to be proud of.
Oscar
October 4th, 2012
9:41 am
In the long run, between now and November, people will realize that Romney’s statements did not add up to good policy.
He wants to increase spending for defense. Can’t do that and reduce the deficient.
He is not willing to decrease medicare expenses. Was critical of Obama for reducing medicare. To reduce the deficient medicare will have to be cut, just as Obama has started to do.
He wants to repeal Affordable Health Care Act. That will bring back pre-existing conditions clauses in health insurance. Don’t want that. Make some changes in the law, but don’t go back to pre-existing conditions.
Romney’s closingof loopholes will hurt the middle class and increase their net taxes.
In order to reduce the deficit, we will have to cut spending in social security, medicare and defense, and raise taxes on the top one per cent. Romeny is against all of those.
Fact is,
Romney has no plan that will work.
Joe Hussein Mama
October 4th, 2012
9:42 am
S. Ray — “Additionally, he got his head handed to him on $90 billion in failed green investments…”
Nope. It’s starting to come out that that figure likely includes toxic waste and Superfund cleanups as well as agricultural price supports for corn, whether it was going to be used for ethanol or not. There may have been some manipulation of the truth by Romney on that point, so I’m waiting to see where that number came from and what’s going into it.
I think we can agree that cleaning up toxic waste wouldn’t reasonably be called a “failed green investment.”
TaxPayer
October 4th, 2012
9:43 am
Mitt’s positions should come with an expiration date just to make it easier to keep up with where he stands on any given topic on any given day in front of any given audience and any given hidden camera.
Jm
October 4th, 2012
9:43 am
Granny
Billions and trillions
I know million seems right
But inflation and a grossly oversized government means those number are 1000 and a million times larger now
I wish it was millions….
TaxPayer
October 4th, 2012
9:44 am
your an idiot.
Does irony drip or ooze.
joe
October 4th, 2012
9:44 am
Obama was as unprepared for that debate as he is for leading our country.
Thulsa Doom
October 4th, 2012
9:44 am
Adam,
You just don’t get it. The office of the presidency is supposed to be above making attacks against private citizens who are critical of the president. If O or any other potus took the time to take cheapshots at all their various critics how the hell would they get anything done. For the president of the U.S. to take an opportunity in a debate to take a shot at someone like Trump just made him look petty and thin skinned.
Joe Hussein Mama
October 4th, 2012
9:45 am
peggy — “butch cassidy, your an idiot.”
Peggy, Butch has proven his knowledge and insight time and time again on this board. It’s fine if you want to disagree with him, but if all you’re bringing to the table is poor spelling and no capitalization, then don’t expect to get a lot of traction with your contributions.
Kimmer
October 4th, 2012
9:45 am
Romney destroyed the president last nite. If you didn’t see it you would know simply by virtue of the fact that one Jay Bookman wrote an article like this about Barack Obama.
Incidentally, one other thing Jay, going back to that ‘old news’ video from 07 that was actually ‘new news’ because nobody got to see it until now. Obama made a big deal race baiting about how the federal government didn’t waive the requirements of the Stafford act for New Orleans. Well guess who actually VOTED AGAINST waiving the Stafford act for NOLA? One Senator Barack Obama! Wow…just wow!
td
October 4th, 2012
9:45 am
TiredOfIt
October 4th, 2012
7:36 am
“How will Willard’s base handle the moderate we saw last night. He seemed at odds with the ideas of his VP?”
Moderate my butt. I heard more real conservative values and philosophy coming from Romney last night (especially fiscally) then I have heard from any Republican since Reagan.
weetamoe
October 4th, 2012
9:46 am
Well Jay Carney’s standard excuse could maybe apply here. As Carney explained to the WH press pool, * the president was not clearly understood by some people * (so get rid of the people and get some new ones–with apologies to Brecht) *because he was a law professor *( not really according to the former dean of Chicago Law) and * he speaks shorthand *(like aaannd, thaaat, and uuhh?)
Jm
October 4th, 2012
9:47 am
Bman 9:41
Also the one that expressed compassion
Expressed his thoughts clearly
Had a command of the facts
And win the debate
Welcome to the Occupation
October 4th, 2012
9:48 am
Just curious, are most of you folks in your early twenties, just starting out in college perhaps?
You guys seem incredibly resistant to stepping back from a narrative that’s spoon fed and cartoonish and looking at the bigger picture with its deeper affinities and surprising alliances. Reminds me of the level of debate framing from my high school government class.
Joe Hussein Mama
October 4th, 2012
9:48 am
D. Tread — “Please tell me where he said all regulation should be abolished. The truth is that he endorses regulations that make sense (and that hasn’t changed), but you libs have equated that to “abolishing all regulation”. You’ve believed your own lie for so long that you classify his statement as a “new” position.”
I’m flipping the script on you. Please show me where he has *advocated* existing regulations or putting *new and additional* regulations in place. I’ve only heard him criticizing existing regulations and calling for their repeal. I haven’t heard him say anything positive about *any* regulations at all.
Joe Hussein Mama
October 4th, 2012
9:49 am
TaxPayer — “Does irony drip or ooze.”
It squirts, as if from a severed artery.
Mary Elizabeth
October 4th, 2012
9:49 am
“OK, so Obama did a terrible job in the debate, and Romney did well. But in the end, this isn’t or shouldn’t be about theater criticism, it should be about substance. And the fact is that everything Obama said was basically true, while much of what Romney said was either outright false or so misleading as to be the moral equivalent of a lie.” Paul Krugman, Oct. 4, 2012
Read details at: http://krugman.blogs.nytimes.com/
ahnald
October 4th, 2012
9:50 am
Romney finally showed up and what a result…Obozo ignorant of the facts, lack of leadership, appeared disinterested,etc…Mitt expressed a lot Ameica’s frustrations with Obozo, especially his comment on ” why did you spend two years on Obamacare, while the economy is a disaster ”
Also, Obozo made a comment on his final remarks about ” re-elect me to continue the fight”, wtf…what fight are you talking about ?..we need leadership, Romney showed he has that, Obozo never has and never will
Oscar
October 4th, 2012
9:50 am
Joe Hussein Mama
_____
You should go back and read the transcript. Romney criticized Dodd-Frank for not having enough regulations. He said we needed more regulations of Wall Street than provided by the bill.
Steve-USA "None of the Above"
October 4th, 2012
9:51 am
Paul Krugman LMAO
Butch Cassidy (I)
October 4th, 2012
9:51 am
peggy – “butch cassidy, your an idiot.”
Wow, such concise and clear cutting analysis. Perhaps you’d like to be more specific, and try to elaborate using more than 3 words.
Jm
October 4th, 2012
9:51 am
Taxpayer 9:44 both
Joe Hussein Mama
October 4th, 2012
9:52 am
Welcome — “Just curious, are most of you folks in your early twenties, just starting out in college perhaps?”
I’m approaching retirement, but I’m one of those under-55 people that Romney and Ryan seem to want to experiment on with regards to Medicare.
BADA BING (imagine an umlaut above the i, I'm trying to class things up a little)
October 4th, 2012
9:52 am
Were the 47% watching last night on their new flat screens? Or their iPhones?
Marty Huggins'
October 4th, 2012
9:52 am
Granny Godzilla – Union Thugette
October 4th, 2012
9:38 am
Marty
Please expound
————
Are you claiming Obama told no half truths or whole lies?
If he did indeed do that then I’m just curious why you are concerned about the driver who is driving drunk because of 15 drinks but you make no mention of the other guy (obama) who has had 12 drinks,
Matter of fact it appears you are waving to the guy with 12 drinks because well he ain’t as drunk.
Thulsa Doom
October 4th, 2012
9:52 am
Jm,
Yeah. I think he mistakenly thought it would be funny. Kinda sad when a U.S. president is reduced to taking shots at private citizens because his feelings are hurt. I believe he took shots at Rush Limbaugh also which is also beneath the office. It only makes Limbaugh look bigger and give him free pub to be personally mentioned by the potus even if in a negative fashion. Was that O that took shots at him? Or Clinton? Or both perhaps.
Verbal Kint
October 4th, 2012
9:53 am
Next up…Crazy Uncle Joe will ‘try’ to debate Ryan. That should be fun.
td
October 4th, 2012
9:53 am
Joe Hussein Mama
October 4th, 2012
9:48 am
“’m flipping the script on you. Please show me where he has *advocated* existing regulations or putting *new and additional* regulations in place. I’ve only heard him criticizing existing regulations and calling for their repeal. I haven’t heard him say anything positive about *any* regulations at all.”
Romney said that he thought some parts of Dodd-Frank was good regulation. Did you not hear that part?
Thulsa Doom
October 4th, 2012
9:54 am
Glad to see bada bing is back to lighten things up. Your refreshing humor has been missed of late bing.
Joe Hussein Mama
October 4th, 2012
9:54 am
Oscar — “Joe Hussein Mama, (y)ou should go back and read the transcript. Romney criticized Dodd-Frank for not having enough regulations. He said we needed more regulations of Wall Street than provided by the bill.”
Thanks very much for pointing that out. I’m going to text-search the transcript at lunch and look for precisely that part of Romney’s remarks. I appreciate you directing me to that.
Granny Godzilla - Union Thugette
October 4th, 2012
9:54 am
Marty Huggins’
October 4th, 2012
9:52 am
Granny Godzilla – Union Thugette
October 4th, 2012
9:38 am
Marty
Please expound
————
Are you claiming Obama told no half truths or whole lies?
.
.
.Nope
I asked that you expound.
And I’ll ask again.
Please expound on your original statement.
Welcome to the Occupation
October 4th, 2012
9:55 am
Stevie Ray, I agree with you about the corporations and money in politics. The two parties completely dominate the levers of the political system, as they did for the terms of last night’s debates (the two parties colluded to make sure the no-name candidates stay that way). For example, how many of the ideas of someone who’s outside the two-party mainstream consensus, a Ron Paul for example, were heard last night? It was as though Ron Paul’s candidacy had never existed.
USMC
October 4th, 2012
9:55 am
HURT: Obama the debater: Making Jimmy Carter look awesome…
http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2012/oct/3/hurt-obama-debater-making-jimmy-carter-look-awesom/