As the debate world turns
Wednesday, October 17, 2012
Toby Harnden has it just right in today's Daily Mail from the UK.
After watching last night's encounter I had the same impression as the author. Are there two different Barack Obama's, the one we saw in the first debate and the one we saw last night? Mitt was his same steady self, but Obama is coming off as a craven self serving chameleon who will change his stripes at will to suit his political needs, and the American people be damned.
President Barack Obama needed a game-changing night here inhttp://preview.tinyurl.com/cm9...
Hampstead, New York and Mitt Romney made sure he didn't get it. Over the
90 minutes, Obama might have edged it - just - but strategically he did
little if anything to blunt Romney's growing advantage. Just as Al Gore over-compensated for his poor first debate in 2000,
we saw a completely different Obama this time around. He had clearly had
some intensive coaching from his debate prep team and was acting under
orders to do change everything. Romney strategist Stuart Stevens quipped
afterwards that he became 'Joe Biden without the charm'.
The problem is that the difference was so stark it was jarring. And
by throwing everything but the kitchen sink at Romney - we had tax
rates, Bain, big bird and the 47 per cent - there was more than a whiff
of desperation. While Obama flung mud, Romney was intent on dismantling
Obama's record in office.
After watching last night's encounter I had the same impression as the author. Are there two different Barack Obama's, the one we saw in the first debate and the one we saw last night? Mitt was his same steady self, but Obama is coming off as a craven self serving chameleon who will change his stripes at will to suit his political needs, and the American people be damned.
