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Tonight's Debate: Does It Matter?
spectator.org ^

Posted on 10/16/2012 10:58:00 AM PDT by tsowellfan

A current Pew poll (on a nearly worthless question) shows that Americans have slightly higher expectations for President Obama than for Mitt Romney in tonight's debate.

My theory: Unless tonight's result is an obvious knockout win for either candidate (which is very unlikely), it really doesn't matter, and neither does the next debate.

Here's the reason: The first debate made such an enormous impact on the electorate and subsequent polls not primarily because Romney "beat" Obama -- which he surely did. Instead it was because, separate from Obama, Romney showed himself to be a reasonable choice for president.

He came across as moderate (in temperament as much as in policy), practical, on top of details in a way that people expect CEOs to be, and caring about the issues facing the majority of Americans...

(Excerpt) Read more at spectator.org ...


TOPICS: Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: 2012debates; debate; election2012
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1 posted on 10/16/2012 10:58:04 AM PDT by tsowellfan
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To: tsowellfan
Americans have slightly higher expectations for President Obama than for Mitt Romney in tonight's debate

Good!

2 posted on 10/16/2012 10:58:51 AM PDT by tsowellfan ("President Obama, We built it, you broke it, we'll fix it and you are fired.")
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To: tsowellfan
Obama: “Mitt Romney's Bain Helped Philip Morris Get U.S. High Schoolers Hooked On Cigarettes”
3 posted on 10/16/2012 11:01:40 AM PDT by TornadoAlley3 (Obama is everything Oklahoma is not.)
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To: tsowellfan

ditto


4 posted on 10/16/2012 11:01:49 AM PDT by Smedley (It's a sad day for American capitalism when a man can't fly a midget on a kite over Central Park)
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To: tsowellfan

Really hard to imagine what Bam can say to pull himself out of this tailspin.

That being said, I expect him to try something.


5 posted on 10/16/2012 11:05:02 AM PDT by Buckeye McFrog
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To: tsowellfan

It won’t matter much... unless one of the two men (verbally) screw the pooch. That is always an unlikely outcome, but not impossible. Otherwise: perceptions already made will be confirmed, and few minds changed.


6 posted on 10/16/2012 11:05:29 AM PDT by andy58-in-nh (Cogito, ergo armatum sum.)
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To: tsowellfan

Bingo. Wasn’t it always the case that people knew Obama was a problem, they just needed to see that Romney was a plausible alternative?

Ala Reagan/ Carter. And I’m not sure Obama has even made a notable mistake as some of Carter’s during those debates. I Remember Carter claiming he asked his little girl Amy, what was the most important issue, and she said “nuclear proliferation”. People saw Carter as an embarrassment.


7 posted on 10/16/2012 11:06:33 AM PDT by Andrei Bulba (No Obama, no way!)
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To: tsowellfan

The first debate was the “OMG, the emperor really doesn’t have any clothes” moment for the country. Obama can’t walk that back, no matter how well he does in the debate. He’s all about “aura” ... aura of inevitability that he’s going to be re-elected, the aura of being so intelligent, etc., etc. .... he can’t stuff it back in Pandora’s box.


8 posted on 10/16/2012 11:07:57 AM PDT by MissMagnolia (Being powerful is like being a lady. If you have to tell people you are, you aren't. (M.Thatcher))
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To: tsowellfan

If Obama blows it tonight...this game’s over.


9 posted on 10/16/2012 11:11:47 AM PDT by RoosterRedux (Obama: "If you've got a business -- you didn't build that. Somebody else made that happen.")
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To: TornadoAlley3

Obama does a good job keeping his smoking habit from the pubic eye. It shows he knows to hide things about himself pretty good.


10 posted on 10/16/2012 11:11:56 AM PDT by tsowellfan ("President Obama, We built it, you broke it, we'll fix it and you are fired.")
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To: Buckeye McFrog

Try something? Commie Crawl-y will do all she can to stifle Romney’s momentum. Romney needs to call her out for doing this and remind all that Ryan was interrupted in the same way.


11 posted on 10/16/2012 11:14:22 AM PDT by Obama_Is_Sabotaging_America
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To: Buckeye McFrog
Ok this is the way its going to play ut the next three weeks.
  1. Media will claim Obama the winner by a hair tonight
  2. All these false polls will show a surge for Obama, faux conservtive pantywaists like Byron York, Brit Hume and Karl Rove will declare about Halloween that Romney is going to fall short..Too bad so sad will be their attitude. Many annoying tools here on FR will spam every thread with negativity.
  3. About November 1st, a fake crisis, vidoe or audio will show Romney in a less than positive light. Aforementioned pundits and FR pantywaists will real amp it up, moping will ensure
  4. November 3rd ..News leaks out that polls maybe tightening.....just a whisper
  5. Election day Romney wins 320 EVs all to the suprise of the pundits and negative nellies

12 posted on 10/16/2012 11:15:00 AM PDT by pburgh01
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To: tsowellfan

No...Romney is going to win the election.


13 posted on 10/16/2012 11:15:45 AM PDT by AngelesCrestHighway
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To: tsowellfan

He chews Nicorette, no doubt. Perhaps there will be a bit something extra in that gum tonight. I hope he goes down in flames.


14 posted on 10/16/2012 11:17:20 AM PDT by Obama_Is_Sabotaging_America
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To: tsowellfan

No. A town meeting is designed to be nothing but a stacked audience out to bash the opponent.


15 posted on 10/16/2012 11:19:20 AM PDT by bgill (Evil doers are in every corner of our government. Have we passed the time of no return?)
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To: tsowellfan
I'll be watching the game.

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16 posted on 10/16/2012 11:35:09 AM PDT by cripplecreek (What does it profit a man if he gains the whole world but loses his soul?)
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To: tsowellfan

Not to Romney . He needs to be spectacular but if debate cancelled it would work well for him. Momentum headed his way.

Obama needs this debate to slow romneys Momentum.


17 posted on 10/16/2012 11:40:36 AM PDT by Morris70
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To: RoosterRedux

Unless Obama really blows it in an obvious way tonight, the media will proclaim him the winner—the headlines tomorrow will be proclaiming that he’s back and has stopped Mitt’s momentum.


18 posted on 10/16/2012 11:46:19 AM PDT by Verginius Rufus
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To: cripplecreek

Well, since Dusty Baker continues to prove to the world that he cannot close the post-season deal, I’m rotting for the Tigers all the way. Go Mo-Town.


19 posted on 10/16/2012 12:10:55 PM PDT by Buckeye Battle Cry (Audentis Fortuna Iuvat)
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To: tsowellfan

I have no expectations for either and don’t plan on watching!


20 posted on 10/16/2012 12:17:12 PM PDT by ImpBill ("America, where are you now?" - Little "r" republican!)
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