Every commentator regardless of party or allegiance, with the possible exception of Rachel Maddow, has acknowledged Romney's victory. Maddow, MSNBC's icon of fairness and bi-partisanship, threw her usual kiss to Obama and blamed Obama's debate failure on moderator Jim Lehrer and a POTUS candidate bully named Romney.
On the other hand, only hours after the debate was over, Obama acted as if he won. He attributed Romney's pseudo-victory to Romney's dramatic change in his policies just in the nick-of-time for the debate. Despite Romneys insistence that repeating a lie does not make a truth, Obama was touting Romney's alleged $5 trillion tax cut for the rich the morning after the debate. Obama did not mention that Romney denied the accuracy of Obama's assertion three times during the debate. Obama knows better - that repetition does make truth in politics.
In the final analysis, Obama may be smarter than the debate illustrated. Obama did not make any gaffes that could sink him in the election and Obama now knows the full extent of the weaponry that Romney has in the republican arsenal. Obama's bowed head and inarticulate ramblings may be a Trojan horse. Perhaps Obama saw this debate as a reconnaissance mission for the real battle in the next two debates. After all Obama has befriended Bill Clinton and Clinton has taught us that most Americans have short memories. It is what it is.
After the debates were over, I traveled from Albuquerque to Palm Springs. Along my route, I read several small city newspapers and surveyed several retail sales people who had watched the debates. No newspaper I read or no person I talked with said there was a clear winner. Most said that Obama and Romney both said the same thing. I was flabbergasted beyond understanding.
Debates aside, Romney needs to speak to that 47% who ever they are.
No comments:
Post a Comment