by Andy Weddington
Thursday, 04 October 2012
"Debate is masculine, conversation is feminine." Amos Bronson Alcott
Four years ago about this same time I remember driving around the Coachella Valley (Palm Springs and other desert cities) and it seemed every car on the road - from coupe to classic to clunker - was decorated with an Obama bumper sticker.
Last week driving the same roads I did not see a single Obama sticker. Not one. But I did see at least a dozen Romney and Romney/Ryan bumper stickers. They too were slapped on coupes to classics to clunkers.
A sign of things to come?
The first presidential debate was last evening.
There's no other way to open this comment...
Prior Proper Planning Prevents Piss Poor Performance - The 7 Ps!
Mr. Romney did prior proper planning, and he performed.
Mr. Obama was piss poor.
Mr. Romney showed clear command of the material - all of it. His answers were straightforward and easy to understand. And so were his rebuttals to Mr. Obama's distortions, half-truths, and complete falsehoods (it's not proper to call the president a liar).
Mr. Obama relied on talking points - he did not have command of the material. His answers, at times, drifted and did not make sense. How can that be for a man who's been president the past four years?
The silent audience and lack of teleprompter was not good for Mr. Obama. Nor did he have opportunity to slip into his phony diction - "dolla" for dollar; "togetha" for together; and "famly" for family, for example. The format and setting did not allow him to preach, to make up his own facts, and feed off a dopey, worked up congregation urging him on.
Mr. Obama averted eye contact. He gazed downward and to his left when speaking. He smirked - it's not good for a president who wants to keep his job to smirk. Mr. Obama did not come across as confident - and that's because he had no idea what he was talking about.
It was a long 90 minutes for the president.
Mr. Romney looked and carried himself like a president. He looked Mr. Obama and the audience in the eye and spoke with clarity and confidence. He knew what he was talking about and so was able to articulate his thoughts and ideas to the audience - all 50 million or so. He was direct while being respectful and that was endearing.
The moderator, Jim Lehrer, is a Marine so I will give him the benefit of the doubt. Though he did, at times, come across as an Obama acolyte wanting to debate Mr. Romney. And more than once he cut Mr. Romney off when speaking up to refute an inaccurate Obama remark while letting the president ramble well over time hacks. Mr. Lehrer lost control. If there was a lean towards the president, it didn't matter. Mr. Romney beat both of them. Convincingly.
In his closing, Mr. Obama again gazed downward and left when speaking. Only once or twice did he momentarily look at America - into the camera.
Mr. Romney, in closing, looked directly into the camera - he addressed America. He looked energized and ready to carry on for another 90 minutes.
Mr. Romney was superb.
The president embarrassed himself.
It's only going to get worse for Mr. Obama. Four long, dismal years are indefensible. And there's no reason to believe another four would be any different. Frankly, there's every reason to believe life in America and for Americans would get worse - substantially worse.
Mr. Clinton was right four years ago when saying this guy, Mr. Obama, was the biggest fairy tale he'd ever seen. Now the fairy tale, finally, has collided with reality - he showed up last night.
Per Mr. Alcott...
Mr. Obama was conversant though not coherent. So explains why he enjoys a comfortable margin with single women - he's "eye candy" (his words), he's one of them.
Mr. Romney was certainly masculine. He won the debate, big, like a president.
One debate down. Two to go. There's no question Mr. Romney will be prepared. Will Mr. Obama? Rather, can Mr. Obama?
Post Script
Next Thursday the vice president candidates face off. I can hardly wait.
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1 comment:
Would just like to say that it's high time America became willing to call out its presidents and all other politicians as the liars they are. Respect for the office be damned. It's time the politicians respected America.
Semper Fi
USMC 78-85
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