The Obama campaign has blamed the president’s poor debate performance on everything from Mitt Romney’s supposed “lies,” to Obama having an “off night.” So it’s no surprise the blame game is also taking place inside the campaign. NBC’s Chuck Todd reports on rumblings of a possible staff shakeup coming soon (h/t Ed Morrissey):
The finger-pointing has already spilled out into the media, with sources saying the real problem was that he didn’t take the debate prep seriously. The Daily Mail’s article is the worst for the president yet, reporting that Obama didn’t realize he lost the debate until 24 hours later (which is at least better than the time he didn’t realize the 9/11/12 attack on a U.S. consulate was an act of terrorism until two weeks later):
When President Barack Obama stepped off the stage in Denver last week the 60 million Americans watching the debate against Mitt Romney already knew it had been a disaster for him.
But what nobody knew, until now, was that Obama believed he had actually won.
In an extraordinary insight into the events leading up to the 90 minute showdown which changed the face of the election, a Democrat close to the Obama campaign today reveals that the President also did not take his debate preparation seriously, ignored the advice of senior aides and ignored one-liners that had been prepared to wound Romney.
The Democrat said that Obama’s inner circle was dismayed at the ‘disaster’ and that he believed the central problem was that the President was so disdainful of Romney that he didn’t believe he needed to engage with him.
‘President Obama made it clear he wanted to be doing anything else – anything – but debate prep,’ the Democrat said. ‘He kept breaking off whenever he got the opportunity and never really focused on the event.
The article is so brutal for Obama and so sympathetic to his debate-prep staff that you wonder whether it was a pointed leak. If true, it’s difficult to imagine the president will be able to improve much between this debate and the next. As Jim Geraghty writes, “You can’t improve a debater who sees losses as wins.” Maybe Obama actually has shown more self-awareness in the last few days than the article indicates. But per Rich Lowry’s argument, if Obama actually believes his own messaging — that he lost because “Romney lied” — that won’t make his preparation for the next debate very effective.
Romney should make the point: n n n"Why is Obama obsessing about Big Bird being fired? He makes 30 million dollars a year and can pay his own way. What about real red blooded Americans being fired? What does Obama have to say to them, besides 'I've got Big Bird's back'." n nOr maybe he can say something better,
Obama's "disdain" for Romney sounds like code for underestimating him. Romney should not fall into the same trap and come to the next debates unprepared. I don't think this will happen but it is something to consider.
'Romney's supposed "lies"'? n nY'mean Mitt's plan actually does take care of those with prior medical conditions and no insurance? Even his staffers backed away from that whopper.
Liar.
Romney said that he addresses this situation. His plan guarantees that people with preexisting condition can get private insurance if they lose employer paid insurance. Current law does not do that. Nowhere Romney said that people can wait until they get sick and then take "insurance". nSo his plan helps and at the same time promotes responsibility. n nI assume that you insure you house after fire happens. Or is it considered a fraud?
HillelA showed us some time ago that he is not particularly interested in the truth. He is interested only in protecting President Obama from criticism from any source, at all costs, no matter who he has to smear in order to do it.
The recent shift of a number of Democrat voters along with Independents toward Romney is the result of the Romney-Obama debate, which clearly showed that President Obama is running the White House as he conducted himself during the debate: Lazy and disengaged as correctly described by John Sununu on FOX and NBC. Voters found out that President Obama cannot think on his feet. This also came across during the UNIVISION interview with Latin America anchor Jorge Ramos. n nPresident Obama’s supporters and even some media commentators found their own credibility destroyed when it became obvious that the White House is really being run by political strategists (who know nothing about economics and foreign policy) and a president who must have a teleprompter to read words prepared by handlers who to this day have had the press and media in their back pockets. For four years the president’s handlers and the main stream media have kept the real Barack Obama out of America’s living rooms, and it all came crashing down this past week.
Your second paragraph is a masterpiece. n n“…and even some media commentators found their own credibility destroyed when it became obvious that the White House is really being run by political strategists…” n nOh yeah. Of course, the wick truth is that the media commentators have known all along that this was the case and they have been covering it up for the past four years; or if they did not know, they most certainly should have known, if their ears were anywhere near the ground and they had any street sense – a sine qua non for their trade. In other words, for the past four years they have been either completely deceitful and mendacious (my view), or incredibly stupid and incompetent. In either case, they are worthless or worse, and should all be booed off the national stage. n