Fall Debates

[Warren 4 Secretary of Everything]

Who do you think will win the Fall Debates? I mean Romney wasn't that good back in the primaries but was OK at it, and by most accounts, Obama kicked McCains butt in the debates back in 2008.  How do you think they'll play out in terms of their effect on the election outcome. Debates matter. That's how Reagan beat Carter back in '80.

[Joe Biden 2020]

I think Obama will win the debates, because he has a lot more to lose than does Romney.  If Obama loses just one of these debates, with the current state of the economy, he'd better start packing his bags and hiring some movers for Sunday, 20 January 2013.  I think he knows it, too.  If Romney loses the election, he doesn't lose a whole lot except, possibly, the potential of a 3rd run at the White House in 2016.  If Obama loses, not only will he lose his job, but his reputation will largely be damaged on the fact that he promised hope and change, but nothing happened.  He can blame the Republican Congress all he wants, but, ultimately, the American People place all the blame and credit on the President.  The Republican Congress will have their "day in court" on Tuesday, 4 November, 2014.

[pepper11]

Neither are great debaters, though Romney does have the advantage of having 20+ practice sessions in the last year.  As for Obama manhandling McCain, very true. But McCain is a horrid debater.

[Atlas Has Shrugged]

Option 3...DUH STOOPID FACE!

[Grumpier Than Thou]

Write-in: Rick Perry.

[HagridOfTheDeep]

The thing is, Obama has largely been able to run from his record using ad tactics and stump speeches. The debates will be a totally different venue where Obama will have a fine line to tow... And he won't have the luxury of waiting to respond. Obama will have to defend his record without appearing to dodge it. Romney will be relentless. Even a mediocre debater could bring Obama down at this point, because Obama has so far run a very deceptive and thin campaign. Obama can be undone easily if Romney can only find the right stone to pull.

[President von Cat]

The thing is, Obama has largely been able to run from his record using ad tactics and stump speeches. The dabates will be a totally different venue where Obama will have a fine line to tow... And he won't have the luxury of waiting to respond. Obama will have to defend his record without appearing to dodge it. Romney will be relentless. Even a mediocre debater could bring Obama down at this point, because Obama has so far run a very deceptive and thin campaign. Obama can be undone easily if Romney can only find the right stone to pull.

Honestly Hagrid, you could sub out every reference to Obama there and plug in Romney's name and all of that would be true.

[You kip if you want to...]

"Governor Romney 'likes firing people' and under my leadership, America has created 4.5 million jobs. Go figure."

[Yank2133]

BO is going to take him to the woodshed.

[WhyteRain]

I think Obama will win the debates, because he has a lot more to lose than does Romney.  If Obama loses just one of these debates, with the current state of the economy, he'd better start packing his bags and hiring some movers for Sunday, 20 January 2013.  I think he knows it, too.  If Romney loses the election, he doesn't lose a whole lot except, possibly, the potential of a 3rd run at the White House in 2016.  If Obama loses, not only will he lose his job, but his reputation will largely be damaged on the fact that he promised hope and change, but nothing happened.  He can blame the Republican Congress all he wants, but, ultimately, the American People place all the blame and credit on the President.  The Republican Congress will have their "day in court" on Tuesday, 4 November, 2014.

I largely agree with this, except that Obama won't win the debates.  But he doesn't have to.  All he has to do is earn a "tie", as he did in 2008 when he kept saying "John is absolutely right" (eight times!).  With a tie, Obama will be proclaimed the winner by the Obamamania media.  He just has to keep it close and not make any major mistakes.  (Btw, I said in 2000 that I thought Gore won all three debates with Bush, so I'm not being partisan here.)

Obama's problem this year is that, yes, he's a lawyer -- that is, he has years of experience in thinking on his feet and sounding reasonable even if he has to say something silly -- but for the first time, he's going to be facing another Harvard Law School graduate.

I recall watching the 2011-12 GOP debates, and, trust me, I wanted Romney to fall on his face so badly -- just one time!  He didn't, to my chagrin.  So, Obama cannot count on Romney making any mistakes in October.  He's going to have to be flawless, too, to earn the "tie" that will get him proclaimed the winner.

[WhyteRain]

Write-in: Rick Perry.

Compared with the two mooks the major parties will nominate, the three-term governor (and former lieutenant governor, which in Texas is an even more powerful post than governor) of America's most successful big state looks really attractive.

However, you needn't waste energy on a write-in ballot.  Vote for Gov. Gary Johnson (R-NM).

[True Federalist (진정한 연방 주의자)]

WhyteRayne, while Romney won't be a disaster at the debate, neither will he be able to land a heavy blow.  A tie works to Obama's advantage not because of how the MSM might spin it but because Romney will likely be in the position that Gingrinch was in during the primaries of needing to land heavy blows on his opponent and his campaign crumbling when he failed to land them.

[WhyteRain]

WhyteRayne, while Romney won't be a disaster at the debate, neither will he be able to land a heavy blow.  A tie works to Obama's advantage not because of how the MSM might spin it but because Romney will likely be in the position that Gingrinch was in during the primaries of needing to land heavy blows on his opponent and his campaign crumbling when he failed to land them.

I don't think Romney needs to "win" the debates.  As I said, I thought Bush lost all three debates in 2000, but he still won.  But while I thought Bush "lost", I thought he never lost BADLY.  He did decently -- in boxing terms, Gore was winning by close decisions, not knockouts.

[Grumpier Than Thou]

Write-in: Rick Perry.

Compared with the two mooks the major parties will nominate, the three-term governor (and former lieutenant governor, which in Texas is an even more powerful post than governor) of America's most successful big state looks really attractive.

However, you needn't waste energy on a write-in ballot.  Vote for Gov. Gary Johnson (R-NM).

Reading your posts makes me ill.

[WhyteRain]

Write-in: Rick Perry.

Compared with the two mooks the major parties will nominate, the three-term governor (and former lieutenant governor, which in Texas is an even more powerful post than governor) of America's most successful big state looks really attractive.

However, you needn't waste energy on a write-in ballot.  Vote for Gov. Gary Johnson (R-NM).

Reading your posts makes me ill.

I'm sorry.  Why do they?

[Grumpier Than Thou]

Write-in: Rick Perry.

Compared with the two mooks the major parties will nominate, the three-term governor (and former lieutenant governor, which in Texas is an even more powerful post than governor) of America's most successful big state looks really attractive.

However, you needn't waste energy on a write-in ballot.  Vote for Gov. Gary Johnson (R-NM).

Reading your posts makes me ill.

I'm sorry.  Why do they?

You just stated that Rick Perry would be better than Romney or Obama.

I'm sorry, I at least want a President that can count to three.

[WhyteRain]

Write-in: Rick Perry.

Compared with the two mooks the major parties will nominate, the three-term governor (and former lieutenant governor, which in Texas is an even more powerful post than governor) of America's most successful big state looks really attractive.

However, you needn't waste energy on a write-in ballot.  Vote for Gov. Gary Johnson (R-NM).

Reading your posts makes me ill.

I'm sorry.  Why do they?

You just stated that Rick Perry would be better than Romney or Obama.

I'm sorry, I at least want a President that can count to three.

Ah, then you have very low standards.  And very superficial ones, too.

When I look for a leader, I look for "a record of success", not his ability to look clever on TV.  I'm sorry that causes you to be sick.

[Grumpier Than Thou]

Oh boy. I'm sure Rick Perry's all fine and dandy, but if he can't communicate his positions on issues, how am I (the future voter) supposed to understand where he stands? Action is only half the game in politics. You gotta speak pretty, too.

[HagridOfTheDeep]

I disagree. The prettier speaker won the 2008 Democratic Primaries. And I have a feeling most people would agree, in hindsight, that the other chick mighta made the better president.

[WhyteRain]

Oh boy. I'm sure Rick Perry's all fine and dandy, but if he can't communicate his positions on issues, how am I (the future voter) supposed to understand where he stands? Action is only half the game in politics. You gotta speak pretty, too.

As I say, your standards are sadly, even disturbingly, low.

And what did Perry "fail to communicate"?  On one occasion when he said he wanted to abolish three federal government agencies and had a brain-fart when he tried to name the third?  Nevermind that he's had the most successful tenure of any big state governor probably in all of U.S. history -- That disqualified him for you?

Well, I guess you better stick with the "pretty speakers" then.

[modify:]  I notice that your "political matrix" scores indicate that your views are similar to Gov. Perry's, so I have to ask:  Are you, like so many Northerners, congenitally repelled by Southern accents?

[modify2:]  I hope you realize that the "purdy talkers" will almost invariably be lawyers (the exception, Reagan, was a long-time actor) like Obama and Romney.  Law school is three years of intensive public speaking practice, especially in terms of making bullsh!t sound brilliant.

[Grumpier Than Thou]

I notice that your "political matrix" scores indicate that your views are similar to Gov. Perry's

[WhyteRain]

I notice that your "political matrix" scores indicate that your views are similar to Gov. Perry's

Sorry, I should have said specifically your "economic score" on your political matrix.  I realize that Perry's not much of a social liberal.

Btw, in case you missed my "modify2" above, I said:

I hope you realize that the "purdy talkers" will almost invariably be lawyers (the exception, Reagan, was a long-time actor) like Obama and Romney.  Law school is three years of intensive public speaking practice, especially in terms of making bullsh!t sound brilliant.

[Averroës Nix]

It seems fairly clear to me that Perry's poor debate performances were, at least in part, caused by the pain medication that he was taking for his back. I would not have suggested that 20RP12 or anyone else support him, but WhyteRain is correct in objecting to your dismissing Perry over an overplayed gaffe.

[RogueBeaver]

It seems fairly clear to me that Perry's poor debate performances were, at least in part, caused by the pain medication that he was taking for his back. I would not have suggested that 20RP12 or anyone else support him, but WhyteRain is correct in objecting to your dismissing Perry over an overplayed gaffe.

Which was the icing, not the cake.

[Donerail]

However, you needn't waste energy on a write-in ballot.  Vote for Gov. Gary Johnson (R-NM).

Johnson's registered and running L, and was registered L during his governorship.