October 4, 2012
Unbelievable!
Well. You won't have Jim Lehrer to kick around in 2016. Last night was clearly his swan song. I can hardly wait for the book. He lost control of the so-called debate immediately and spent most of the 90 minutes pleading with Obama and Romney to stop talking so he could get his questions on the table. They would not stop talking, treated him like one of the ushers, and he gave up. He was awful. Imagine the debates to follow! His performance was so bad in fact that he nearly took our gaze from a bumbling performance turned in by the president, who seemed to accomplish the impossible--making Romney look like a star. Well, not a "star," but certainly the winner of the debate Obama couldn't lose. This was the debate that we all thought would wrap up the campaign. It did not!
One person joked that Obama had been drugged. Another that he was sleep deprived. A third that it was not really Barack--it was an SNL look-a-like. (This year's Tina Fey.) Whatever the case, the MSNBC gang looked like they had seen a slaughter. I felt sick.
The networks should have warned the audience that "viewer discretion is advised."
Can he recover? I don't know. Had the president fallen victim to food poisoning or the flu, we would predict a great performance in the next debate. But, alas, what we saw last night might be what we will get in the next debate. Whoa Nelly!
The president chose to go first and, pardon my insensitivity, but it seemed inappropriate to gush on about the Obama's 20th anniversary. I wanted my candidate to go over and bite his leg! Turned out that the anniversary waltz would have trumped the balance of his opening. Turns out that the waltz was the highlight.
Al Sharpton was the only one I saw who believed that Romney, by lying about his tax plan, would be the ultimate loser. He may be right. Romney, as usual, was willing to say anything to gain an advantage. I must admit that the Biden-Ryan debate might be where the action to watch in 2012.
And, when all's said and done, the fact is that only cave-dwellers are still in doubt about the two candidates. Obama is 40-50 points ahead among Hispanics; 90 points ahead among African Americans; 20-30 points ahead among women. Obama should win and probably will. Last night might have been a dream!
post a letter about this blog »
Why is Obungle wasting our time on feckless debates if this is the best he can do? He could settle this and give the election away to Rmoney simply by going for a tank ride in a funny looking piece of headgear ala Dukakis. One 15 second film clip would settle it all and we could quit wringing our hands. Now the readers know why I call him Obungle. He's likable enough, but....
I hope to see a real Democrat again before I die but I ain't holding my breath any more than I am buying green bananas.
-Griebnotz Doerkpfester | (Glad) I Escaped, WI. | October 4, 2012
Reality for liberals sucks. You elected a guy who was a empty suit. Now he is the President and has to answer for his policies and failures. Four years of an adoring media, going on The View, Letterman and hanging out with JZ just didn't prepare him to answer some one who didn't treat him with kid gloves. Can't wait to watch Ryan's beat down of crazy uncle Biden next week.
-SW | Waukesha WI | October 4, 2012
I have to say that I cannot understand why, last night, when Jim Lehrer said: "...you have the first two minutes on this, Mr. President -- do you believe there's a fundamental difference between the two of you as to how you view the mission of the federal government?", President Obama did not begin his reply in this way: "Look Jim, three days ago, October 1st, was the fiftieth anniversary of the integration of the University of Mississippi. It could not have been accomplished without the President sending in Federal troops. This alone should be a powerful and memorable example of the role of the Federal government - if it had been left to the states, as Governor Romney seems to feel all things should, we would still have segregation in many parts of the United States."
-Norman Stockwell | Madison, WI | October 4, 2012
Hard to watch the debate. Lehrer was a disaster. Why not give moderators the option to switch off microphones when participants rant too long?
Obama needed to drive home how privatizing government services will be the end to our democracy and country. Letting corporations call the shots (as if they don't already) affects us all and shortens our lives. Romney scares; Ryan scares even more.
Romney was rabid and almost foaming at the mouth. The drivel made no sense but I'm sure it is enough to convince some undecideds that he is the next man for the job of screwing up our lives.
-Pietr Haikuu | Hurley, Wis | October 4, 2012
Thanks SW for your never ending devotion to this site. You have to wonder about a guy who devotes the amount of attention you do to posting on blogs that are obviously those whom you consider the enemy. You should get a hobby...
But on to the meat and potatoes. I missed most of the debate, busy in a project, but I managed to get about 30 sec.'s of it. In that quick flash I just took a look at the energies each guy was wearing. I shook my head. Obama was still trying to be a "nice guy." Romney wore a "Presidential Face" he found somewhere. Obama looked like he was on the defensive, when he should have been taking the Republicans (formerly known as the "invented" Tea-Party) straight to task and shaking them down.
But Ed...and my friends and enemies here at FightingBob.Com, I just have to tell you what I see going on. The "Game" that is going on in politics is rigged. Our country will be tested in whether Money or awareness will rule. Like Griebnotz, I'm not holding my breath. I've seen too many elections to do that.
The real story here? If we are going to fight injustice we're all going to have to move from just talking about things and meeting about things and realize that we have but two real alternatives. We're going to do nothing...or move to activism. No one is going to achieve social, economic or any other kind of justice without the kind of direct, non-violent activism that slowly and painfully builds awareness and a grass-roots movement. This is the way whatever successes we have achieved in the past have come to be.
If electoral, or any other kind of politics, is going to be determined by "whoever has the most money wins", those are our choices.
We really should throw in with the Occupy movement and "officially" network with groups that are engaging in direct protest and action for social and economic justness and environmental sanity. Lets face it, "party" politics is circus in the theater of the absurd where $$$ holds court.
I wish I was as young as I was the last time I fought in the rebellion. Eh...
-John E Davey | Kendall, WI | October 4, 2012
current
--------
May 2013
April 2013
March 2013
February 2013
January 2013
December 2012
November 2012
October 2012
September 2012
August 2012
July 2012
June 2012
May 2012
April 2012
March 2012
February 2012
January 2012
December 2011
November 2011
October 2011
September 2011
August 2011
July 2011
June 2011
May 2011
April 2011
March 2011
February 2011
January 2011
December 2010
November 2010
October 2010
September 2010
August 2010
July 2010
June 2010
May 2010
April 2010
March 2010
February 2010
January 2010
December 2009
November 2009
October 2009
September 2009
August 2009
July 2009
June 2009
May 2009
April 2009
March 2009
February 2009
January 2009
December 2008
November 2008
October 2008
September 2008
August 2008
July 2008
June 2008
May 2008
April 2008
March 2008
February 2008
January 2008
December 2007
November 2007
October 2007
September 2007
August 2007
July 2007
June 2007
May 2007
April 2007
March 2007
February 2007
January 2007
December 2006
November 2006
October 2006
September 2006
August 2006
July 2006
June 2006
May 2006
April 2006
March 2006
February 2006
January 2006
December 2005
November 2005
October 2005
September 2005
August 2005
July 2005
June 2005
May 2005
April 2005
March 2005
February 2005
January 2005
December 2004
November 2004
October 2004
September 2004
August 2004
July 2004
June 2004
May 2004
April 2004
March 2004
February 2004
January 2004
December 2003
November 2003
October 2003
September 2003
August 2003
July 2003
June 2003
May 2003
April 2003
March 2003
February 2003