It seems to me this is what we have. On the one hand the MSM-including MSNBC it must be admitted-thinks that Romney had a big night. He was "energetic" and "dominating."
The President is criticized for being too "professorial" and looking down a lot and also nodding when Romney was speaking as if this means acquiescence.
Many have been quite apocalyptic about the President's performance. Someone even claimed it was the worst debate performance in years. Apparently he missed Bush in 2004.
I have a few observations:
1). Romney whether or not he was superior to the President on style, certainly didn't have a very fact-based night. It's astonishing the things he said about healthcare-that ObamaCare was a model for the nation as he passed it in Massachusetts, but that he'll repeal it on his very busy first day in office-he's already also promised to also on this first day, end Planned Parenthood, declare China a currency manipulator, and now tonight have the Democrats over to the White House.
He also falsely claimed that he had a plan to replace ObamaCare while maintaining coverage for those with preexisting conditions. He also was all over the map on his 20% tax cut that's not a tax cut and also not a tax hike but will benefit the economy and be revenue neutral.
Josh Marshall may prove right that he's got himself in real trouble going forward.
2). The President was probably fine in not mentioning the 47%. That video is everywhere in the country. He may not have needed to go there as the country "goes there" every day.
Overall, his performance is being criticized much like his Convention speech was. That didn't actually hurt him at all as he got a huge bounce. This debate may prove the same. This leads us to point 3.
I don't think this will get Romney a huge boost in the polls. Debates usually have at best a mild impact on elections. The President's performance was compared to Bush's debate in 2004. Yet it's forgotten that even if Kerry dominated the first debate, he didn't win.
So I don't think it hurts the President much. It might actually hurt Romney much more when people finally consider just how much Romney lied tonight.
The debate will narrow the margin in the polling numbers; initially. Whether it has a lasting effect remains to be seen. Romney was the clear winner in my view. Never mind that he lied about everything, the electorate wasn't looking for "truthiness." I couldn't believe that Obama didn't push back on the Medicare lost 750 Billion and seniors are the losers under Obamacare as a result. The split screen shots of Romney when Obama was speaking were awful, and yet the instant polling after the debate indicates otherwise. Obama has been put on defense, and it will be interesting to see how the MSM plays the story and for how long in the news cycle.
ReplyDeleteAgain, buddy, as I said I didn't even get to see the debate. I'm still trying to find a place that offers the whole thing on the web.
ReplyDeleteHowever, I've seen some of the soundbites and can't beleive the crap Romney said. He said he likes what he did in Massachusetts-and he'll repeal ObamaCare in the same breath.
I get that you think Romney won. My parents think so to as did MSNBC and even HuffingtonPost.
However, name me even one substantive point Romney won on? People seem to think Romney won because of style. He seems to have beaten the President on style points or so the conventional wisdom says.
Only TPM seems to get it. Romney really said some things that will get him into hot water. He claimed people with a preexisting conction won't lose their coverage, that he has a plan. Then his adivser had to say after-nope, he doesn't.
But I got to watch it and see if I can figure out what you guys are all talking about.