Now Let's Have an Obama-Palin Debate

The Washington Post ^ | 2/1/10 | E. J. Dionne

[steve-b]

President Obama's decision to televise his Q&A with House Republicans was one of his shrewdest political moves since he transformed the 2008 controversy around his pastor, Jeremiah Wright, into an occasion to discuss race in American life.

The hour-long session accomplished two things that Obama has been struggling for months to achieve. It set his political base on fire, even as it set a post-partisan tone that political Independents, who have been straying from him in the polls, like so much.

Evidence of how the base took the event was all over the blogs (Daily Kos, for example, live blogged the event), and tellingly, MSNBC's Keith Olbermann and Rachel Maddow merged their shows on Friday into a two-hour special that broadcast of the entire session, along with commentary by the two of them and Chris Matthews.

For progressives, this was Obama on the offensive, facing down his opponents and getting a chance to confront and coolly undercut conservative claims that have demonized his stimulus program and undermined his battle for health care...

The Q&A was a smash success, and we need many more. Let’s have Obama do the same kind of session with the Senate Republicans. Then, let’s have him debate potential 2012 Republican presidential candidates, starting with Sarah Palin, and then, perhaps, Mitt Romney. I’m quite serious. Tens of millions of Americans would turn on to politics again. The potential Republican candidates will accept, if only for the publicity and a chance to prove they can take on Obama. And no, let there be no media moderator, no one keeping time, no one to give one of the participants a chance to hide. Just the two of them, and they can take the discussion wherever they want....

[goodnesswins]

Yeah...let’s.....BAAAWWAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH

[jla]

Zero wouldn’t have the balls to debate Palin, even if Michelle lent him hers.

[RC2]

No written speeches. All questions must be answered and not go off on a tangent. A true debate, not a political BS session. No questions given to the debators prior to the debate. Have Glenn Beck be the monitor, not the media.

[UB355]

Chris Matthews comments are worth what ?

[randog]

The Q&A was a smash success...

I hadn't heard of this event. Was it a "smashing success"?

[Psalm 73]

....or how about a debate on Constitutional Law with Justice Alito?
Maybe a debate on Foriegn Policy with Condi Rice or Dick Cheney?
A debate on American History with Richard Brookhiser.
Or a debate on any topic with Charles Krauthammer...............

[Jeff Chandler]

The only question is whether the meeting steeled the resolve of the Republicans or caused them to cower and capitulate?

[Oceander]

Hey, that's not fair - it would be unfair for Palin to take down such a palpably unarmed opponent.

[coaltrain]

Bring it on. That Q&A firmed up both bases and the independents dislike Obama even more. It’s the same thing that happened in MA. The left saw the Q&A as a victory for Obama, the right saw it as a victory for the House GOP with a a clueless Obama.

And yes, if you watch it on MSNBC with Olberdouche and Mr. Maddow, you would think Obama was brilliant. Luckily, MSNBC has no audience. Meaningless talk will firm the base but do nothing for unemployment and higher taxes.

And yes, Q&A only, with no 30 minutes upfront lecture by Obama to let him pretend he is a leader.

[ClearCase_guy]

You have to be a serious kool aid drinker to think that Obama did himself any favors by meeting with the Republicans. He looked like an angry, lying, confused politician. Didn’t look like a leader at all.

[red tie]

It's pretty sad we don't have real political debates in the country. What a novel idea. ;-)

[roses of sharon]

“Debating” is easy for the Kenyan who confidently lies...

[SnakeDoctor]

I’m sure she’ll be waiting in 2012, and I look forward to it. For now, I’m fine to let Obama continue to trip over his own feet.

SnakeDoc

[sickoflibs]

Too many problems with this idea. O won’t go for it, neither would Palin. Romney would love it and it would make him look like the nominee far too ahead of time.

This obsession with 2012 is not healthy. A current elected Republican leader needed to debate Obama instead of that retreat format, like Senator McConnell or John A. Boehner or a conservative that works for them. (How about Jim DeMint? That would be FUN!)

[midnightcat]

from what I read on FR, it’s questionable as to whether the Q&A was a smashing success. Obama seemed visibly angry and lying through his teeth.

[Non-Sequitur]

Let’s have Obama do the same kind of session with the Senate Republicans.

Won't happen. Obama ambushed the GOP once and is reaping the rewards for it. The Republicans would be far more prepared at any future meeting, and Obama wouldn't be able to score as many easy points. So he won't take the chance again.

[randog]

Obama seemed visibly angry and lying through his teeth.

That's what I was thinking--he probably made promises he never intends to keep or are impossible to keep...?

[freespirited]

You have to be a serious kool aid drinker to think that Obama did himself any favors by meeting with the Republicans. He looked like an angry, lying, confused politician. Didn’t look like a leader at all.

What you said.

[Jim from C-Town]

The president was treated too respectfully by the Republicans. They should have allowed for the questioner to follow up. They should have told him NOT to cut off the questioner. As he was a guest at a Republican function, he should do more listening than lecturing. After all, his numbers have declined precipitously as rthe Republican congresses have increased.

The fact remains that those who like Obama liked the show. Those of us who do not like him, saw him for the stuttering stumble bum liar that he is.