Posted on 10/18/2012 11:04:19 PM PDT by Kaslin
I confess a certain fascination with debate prep. What is it, exactly?
What did Mitt Romney do that earned him such a commanding win in his first debate with President Obama? What did the President not do?
In the second debate, was President Obama better prepared, or just more energetic and focused? Could Mitt Romney have prevented an underwhelming moment on Libya with a few more drills alongside Rob Portman?
I raise these questions because as the final debate draws near, I wonder how Governor Romney’s time is best spent. Is it a matter of homework alone, or something deeper?
National Review’s Robert Costa has done some compelling reporting on Team Romney’s behind-the-scenes discipline, which obviously paid off in Denver. Sen. Portman is generous in his praise of a candidate who showed a tireless devotion to the task of absorbing data and engaging in mock debates.
But with just one opportunity left to make a case before tens of millions of people at once, the Romney campaign should consider a strong possibility: the homework is not what won it for him in Denver, and was not responsible for his best moments in the second debate Tuesday.
Absorbing numbers is a good thing. So is studying the style of an opponent. But Mitt Romney’s chances of winning over undecided voters Monday night does not hinge on encyclopedic knowledge or hours spent studying past Obama debates.
He will succeed with the same formula that brought him success in the first debate. To large numbers of uncommitted voters, he looked like a man who should be President of the United States.
A broad, nebulous concept, to be sure, but a vital factor in any successful run for the White House. Without regard to any particular quote or any particular moment, Romney exuded a vibe of confidence and competence that earned the approval of voters unsure of him mere hours before.
I had the chance to visit with Rick Santorum during a Texas visit this week. Recalling the debate that even MSNBC had to admit was a Romney win, he told attendees at a fundraiser: “I debated Mitt Romney twenty times. I never saw that guy.”
Santorum saw what many Republicans (and potential Republicans) saw-- a nominee who may have picked just the right time to become comfortable in conservative skin. This has led to the erosion of some doubts that have dogged his campaign, even as it steamrolled to the nomination.
The GOP base knows about his business acumen, his strong faith and his beautiful family. What we have wondered about is his passion for conservatism. Is it a recently discovered enthusiasm born of political expediency, or a genuine journey leading to the kind of enlightenment that yields a far better candidate and perhaps a great President?
So on Monday night, debate success will not stem from some skillfully-placed factoid about Syria or even a pithy retort the tenth time the President reminds us he got bin Laden.
Romney needs to address foreign policy the way he mastered domestic issues on October 3-- with the determination to take an unacceptable situation and make it better.
It is unacceptable that Iran marches toward a nuclear weapon without a steadfast American response.
It is unacceptable that America has forfeited a leadership role around the world, leaving power vacuums to be filled by terrorists and tyrants.
It is unacceptable that we seem more interested in coddling the Muslim world than in confronting the portion of it that still threatens us.
It is unacceptable that we have neglected our alliance with Israel.
And to make it as fresh as today’s headlines, it is completely unacceptable to hear of embassy personnel security requests going ignored, and for the resulting deaths to be dishonored by a politically-driven campaign of deceptions.
Only the most entrenched Democrat partisans can assert that this presidency has been a foreign policy success. With moderator Bob Schieffer unlikely to run interference as Candy Crowley did, President Obama will be left to defend the decline of America on a world stage still swirling with dangers.
In shattering the falsehoods leveled at him by Obama attack ads, Mitt Romney has offered himself up to independents and undecideds as a thoroughly palatable alternative to the President on domestic issues. Similar success on foreign policy matters could seal the deal, establishing a momentum storyline that could spur the polls-- and thus the election-- to break his way.
With binders full executive experience, Mitt is the more optimal candidate.
The first post debate polls are just now coming out and they are showing a bump for Romney. The MSM obviously grades these by a different standard than the “undecided” voters.
The polls in the next few days will show that Obama’s second debate performance was not optimal.
Hahaha. His entire 4 years were not optimal.
It would be much easier if he had binders full of the pre-arranged questions like 0 had.
Two wonks batting statistics back and forth over the net isn’t going to seal the deal with anyone.
This election is about transcendental principles. Romney may never have been the best man to speak to those civilizational principles but he’s the guy and thats what he needs to do.
The economy teeters on the edge of collapse and we’re printing money like mad counterfeiters to hide whats happening. People are standing on street-corners all over America, there isn’t a family in the country that doesn’t have kinfolk out of work with little hope of going back to work.
And we are very likely going to be at war very soon, whoever is elected, even had Ron Paul himself been elected war is coming because madmen will it to be so. We are electing a war president like it or not.
The next president will either save the country for another day or sink it and Romney needs to let the people know which man is he, that he gets what we face, that he is prepared to deal with whats coming, and that he has the clarity and the moral character to see us through what is coming. I know, he wasn’t my first choice either, but he must rise to the challenge. Monday he needs to give people a glimpse at the president he can be.
If he gets into the weeds with the conman the opportunity will be wasted.
Mitt needs to mention the tritorous remarks to the Russian President about being “more flexible” after the election. Also, promise that he won’t bow to foreign leaders, only to God.
Binders full of the questions in advance would definitely be optimal.
Mitt needs to mention the traitorous remarks to the Russian President about being “more flexible” after the election. Also, promise that he won’t bow to foreign leaders, only to God.
Absolutely. The laughable Captain Obvious list of “unacceptables” that the article author had sweated out ain’t gonna do it, and Obummer’s team will have ready answers to each of the points, that will rely on lies and style, and the assertion that Romney lacks foreign policy experience, as well as appeals to patriotism and the need to stand together, and all that Barbra Streisand. Romney must, as you say, rise above all that and not get lost in the wonky details. I hope his team understands the task.
Romney wins by showing up and not drooling on the podium more than twice.
Mitt Romney became the next President of the United States the second Clint Eastwood said “ thank you and good nite “
It will be interseting to see how many watch the last debate.
As important as foreign policy is.. most people will not care. The Won has huge holes in his policy that can be shot down.
This election will be won on economic issues. I understand that.
That being said..I would love to see one of our Freepers photoshop a pic of Crowley holding Barry’s hand thru the next debate.
It would make me laugh.
Yup.
Gotta avoid any bumps in the debate.
I predict: deduct two more points from Slytherin.
Add that Romney’s ONLY repsonse to ANY comment by Obama about “Usama Bin Laden is dead” should be “Mr. President, Usama Bin Laden should have been the EASIEST decision of your presidency” and that’s the end of it.
RLTW
“I WILL TRANSMIT THIS MESSAGE TO VLADMIR...” If Mitt doesn’t flesh out this outrageous off-camera moment in the foreign policy debate, when Obama sold us out to Russia promising more flexibility to Putin “after the election”, Romney is nuts.
“I WILL TRANSMIT THIS MESSAGE TO VLADMIR...” If Mitt doesn’t flesh out this outrageous off-camera moment in the foreign policy debate, when Obama sold us out to Russia promising more flexibility to Putin “after the election”, Romney is nuts.
BIN LADEN: Romney needs to inform Barack Osama that he well knows that the information that led to Bin Laden was gotten from methods used at Guantanamo — a place that he promised to close in 2008 campaigning but then broke his promise.
Barky Obama also well knows that a large part of the intelligence ops to find Bin Laden were in place as a result of George Bush’s admin, not Obama’s.
For Obama to take all the credit for finding/killing Bin Laden without giving a lot of credit to GWB and without apologizing for his naivet about Guantanamo is just tacky.
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