How a Race in the Balance Went to Obama

[Tx4obama]

How a Race in the Balance Went to Obama

Seven minutes into the first presidential debate, the mood turned from tense to grim inside the room at the University of Denver where Obama staff members were following the encounter. Top aides monitoring focus groups — voters who registered their minute-by-minute reactions with the turn of a dial — watched as enthusiasm for Mitt Romney spiked. “We are getting bombed on Twitter,” announced Stephanie Cutter, a deputy campaign manager, while tracking the early postings by political analysts and journalists whom the Obama campaign viewed as critical in setting debate perceptions.

By the time President Obama had waded through a convoluted answer about health care — “He’s not mentioning voucher-care?” someone called out — a pall had fallen over the room. When the president closed by declaring, “This was a terrific debate,” his re-election team grimaced. There was the obligatory huddle to discuss how to explain his performance to the nation, and then a moment of paralysis: No one wanted to go to the spin room and speak with reporters.

Mr. Romney’s advisers monitored the debate up the hall from the Obama team, as well as at campaign headquarters in Boston. Giddy smiles flashed across their faces as their focus groups showed the same results.

“Boy, the president is off tonight,” said Stuart Stevens, the senior Romney strategist, sounding mystified, according to aides in the room. Russ Schriefer, a senior adviser, immediately began planning television spots based entirely on clips from the debate. As it drew to a close, Gail Gitcho, Mr. Romney’s communications director in Boston, warned surrogates heading out to television studios: “No chest thumping.”

-snip-

Full article here: http://www.nytimes.com/2012/11/08/us/politics/obama-campaign-clawed-back-after-a-dismal-debate.html?hp&_r=1&pagewanted=all&

A VERY GOOD READ


p.s. Lots of good stuff in there about the last days of the campaign, Sandy/Christie, Election Night, Ann Romney crying, etc.

[Chunk]

1. Had to read just for Ann Romney crying.

As Ann Romney cried softly, he headed down to deliver his speech, ending his second, and presumably last, bid for the White House.

[graham4anything]

2. Obama did the rope-a-dope in debate 1 and Mitt fell for it however, outcome never in doubt

I don't believe the meme of this article

The outcome never was in doubt in the electoral college and Obama never came close to losing

The media was almost all wrong (Ecept of course for Rev. Al Sharpton who was spot-on the entire time( KUDOS Rev. Al!!!

[bemildred]

3. I agree. The last thing O needed was a boring campaign.

Politics is theater, never forget.