Welcome to DU! The truly grassroots left-of-center political community where regular people, not algorithms, drive the discussions and set the standards. Join the community: Create a free account Support DU (and get rid of ads!): Become a Star Member All Forums Issue Forums Culture Forums Alliance Forums Region Forums Support Forums Help & Search

Jessy169

(602 posts)
Tue Oct 16, 2012, 05:54 PM Oct 2012

Gaming the town hall debate -- How Dems react to tonight's debate really matters

We all know that President Obama needs a better night than he had in the first debate. But the entire Democratic political apparatus and Obama’s own supporters also need a better night than they had last time. Who prevails this evening depends not only on how each candidate does but also on how their supporters react.

Mitt Romney cannot play it as if he has the election in hand. He doesn’t. He still needs to overcome that indelible moment when he consigned 47 percent of Americans to the hopelessly dependent category. And he can’t say anything goofy or unfeeling, his habit at so many points in the campaign — but something he avoided in Debate One. My hunch is that Romney will try to surprise Obama again, as he did in their first debate by throwing off his right-wing, GOP-primary self and playing at being more moderate. Obama needs to be ready for a second Romney surprise.

.....

Finally, watch what Obama’s supporters make of the debate. Keep an eye on the Twitter feeds and on what the more liberal commentators say in their post-debate commentaries. As the first presidential debate went on, the feeds of progressives went almost silent. After the debate, Obama-leaning commentators might have been even more critical of his performance than neutral analysts were. The negativity built and metastasized to the point where Obama’s “defeat” looked far worse 24 and 48 hours later than it did at the time. To invoke a football metaphor, it would be as if post-game commentary had the power to spin a 24-to-14 defeat into a 38-to-3 catastrophe. That can’t happen in sports, but it can happen in political debates.

My hunch is that this won’t be repeated this time — partly because Obama’s supporters have been put in a fighting mood by the possibility of a Romney victory, and partly because Obama rarely makes the same mistake twice.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/post-partisan/post/gaming-the-town-hall-debate/2012/10/16/6b3ed27c-179d-11e2-a55c-39408fbe6a4b_blog.html?hpid=z2

23 replies = new reply since forum marked as read
Highlight: NoneDon't highlight anything 5 newestHighlight 5 most recent replies
Gaming the town hall debate -- How Dems react to tonight's debate really matters (Original Post) Jessy169 Oct 2012 OP
No matter what happens democratic debate spinners need to be ruthless against romney. hrmjustin Oct 2012 #1
Totally agree Jessy169 Oct 2012 #3
Agree! courseofhistory Oct 2012 #14
If DU is a sign, I am not too optimistic. Mass Oct 2012 #2
Does anyone ever suspect Jessy169 Oct 2012 #5
Don't hesitate to hit the ALERT button if that happens. Wednesdays Oct 2012 #13
I've got the name of a guy who seems to be a little suspicious. AverageJoe90 Oct 2012 #20
Agreed. It pissed me off that the repubs seem to always LOVE what their candidate does... progressivebydesign Oct 2012 #4
This is total war Jessy169 Oct 2012 #7
Absolutely! BainsBane Oct 2012 #16
The fact that Repubs and the media had NO "Dukakis" moments to rehash TwilightGardener Oct 2012 #6
K&R regnaD kciN Oct 2012 #8
The game as I see it PATRICK Oct 2012 #9
The internet, Twitter, blogs, etc... give us power to fight back against the MSM Jessy169 Oct 2012 #11
Exactly Jessy.. I like your style. Cha Oct 2012 #18
Were we so worried about McCain? Rosa Luxemburg Oct 2012 #10
That was then, this is now. What's your point? Jessy169 Oct 2012 #12
Don't complain about the President's performance BainsBane Oct 2012 #15
Which is exactly why "concern trolls" need to be exposed bushisanidiot Oct 2012 #17
I can see that Rosa Luxemburg Oct 2012 #19
So someone who expresses concern is automatically a troll who needs to be stopped? NCLefty Oct 2012 #21
a brand new user who is constantly "concerned" bushisanidiot Oct 2012 #22
I disagree NCLefty Oct 2012 #23

Jessy169

(602 posts)
3. Totally agree
Tue Oct 16, 2012, 05:58 PM
Oct 2012

If Romney supporters can call a stinking pile of manure a "fragrant serving of nutritional scrumptousness", then NO MATTER what or how Obama performs, we need to put the meanest possible spin on it and stuff it down their throats.

courseofhistory

(801 posts)
14. Agree!
Tue Oct 16, 2012, 06:25 PM
Oct 2012

I put all sorts of good spin (and honest points made by Obama) on the first debate. A lot of good it did. But I'll do it again. Can't hurt! Many people said Obama didn't respond to Romney's lies but he did. I noticed during the debate but it was drowned out by the idiot pundits. And if you read the transcript, it was obvious he refuted Romney on several of his lies.

Jessy169

(602 posts)
5. Does anyone ever suspect
Tue Oct 16, 2012, 06:02 PM
Oct 2012

that we have some -- not to say this rudely or disrespectfully -- but we might possibly could have some (cough cough) "plants" at DU who have been playing along and all just for the critical moment when they can rain dismay and negativity down onto the heads of all the rest of us? DO NOT LISTEN TO AND DO NOT BELIEVE ANY NEGATIVE REVIEWS. Heck, IMO, Obama won big-time last debate simply because he stuck to facts and policy. How can anybody think that a combatitive, rude liar like Romney "won" the first debate? ONLY because that was the perception created not just by Romney supporters putting the best possible spin on the stinking dish he served up, but also because of Obama supporters feeling disheartened when their guy didn't "fight back". Obama won't make his mistake again tonight, guaranteed, and either should we. Don't believe or pay any attention to "the weepers" that might show up on DU with their pathetic reviews.

 

AverageJoe90

(10,745 posts)
20. I've got the name of a guy who seems to be a little suspicious.
Wed Oct 17, 2012, 05:39 AM
Oct 2012

Send me a personal message......I don't want to start a flame war here.

progressivebydesign

(19,458 posts)
4. Agreed. It pissed me off that the repubs seem to always LOVE what their candidate does...
Tue Oct 16, 2012, 06:01 PM
Oct 2012

Ryan lost his ass to Biden, and what did the republicans do??? They proclaimed loudly WE WON!!!!! That's what you do. You don't sit around an whine, and heap scorn on your candidate, and praise the other guy. It's so frustrating.. it's not a 1st grade spelling bee.

This is how we democrats mess things up every election. We're too nice, we're too fair, and too many of us HAVE to be "right." They want ot appear above it all and sooo urbane, that they go to great lengths to tell you why OUR candidate sucked.

Seriously. Love or hate the republicans, but those assholes know how to win things by circling the wagons around their candidate.. regardless of how putrid or how dishonest they area.

Folks.. we do NOT get a fucking prize for Congeniality. NO ONE is watching us to give out little foil stars because we played the game so nicely. Screw that. I don't care if the President walks out there tonight and has one brown shoe and one black shoe on, and behaves as if he took too much Nyquil. He WON. Period. I think he'll kick ass. He will win it. And even if the pundits say he didn't HE DID. Got it??? there is no fucking award for being "RIGHT"

Jessy169

(602 posts)
7. This is total war
Tue Oct 16, 2012, 06:07 PM
Oct 2012

and nothing loses a war faster than festering fear and negativity. All of us flower smelling peace loving Dems better grow a spine and get ready for the fight, because it is surely coming. Obama and Biden can do their parts, but we need to do ours.

TwilightGardener

(46,416 posts)
6. The fact that Repubs and the media had NO "Dukakis" moments to rehash
Tue Oct 16, 2012, 06:06 PM
Oct 2012

on playback ad nauseam means that the debate wasn't initially a big win for them--UNTIL the over-the-top negativity from Democrats and "supposed" Dems in the media made it a big win for them.

PATRICK

(12,227 posts)
9. The game as I see it
Tue Oct 16, 2012, 06:14 PM
Oct 2012

is that the MSM allows us to make things worse for Obama but not better and will twist anything as they please.

Jessy169

(602 posts)
11. The internet, Twitter, blogs, etc... give us power to fight back against the MSM
Tue Oct 16, 2012, 06:16 PM
Oct 2012

We aren't helpless...

Cha

(295,926 posts)
18. Exactly Jessy.. I like your style.
Tue Oct 16, 2012, 06:46 PM
Oct 2012

Note worthy that you mentioned in your OP that "PBO isn't one to make the same mistake twice". Right! He admits them and learns from them. Always Good to have in a CIC.

The repubs don't admit anything and keep right on plowing toward implosion.

Jessy169

(602 posts)
12. That was then, this is now. What's your point?
Tue Oct 16, 2012, 06:20 PM
Oct 2012

Like Churchhill said, we have nothing to fear but fear itself. That is as true now as it was then. We have Romney beat if we don't wimp out and don't back down. Who gives a flying flip about how worried anybody was back when Obama ran against McCain? IMO, nothing could be more irrelevant.

BainsBane

(53,003 posts)
15. Don't complain about the President's performance
Tue Oct 16, 2012, 06:28 PM
Oct 2012

Regardless. The GOP wouldn't admit Ryan lost. I don't care if he literally falls flat on his face. Obama wins this debate because he's not a pathological liar working for the global financial elite. It you tweet, say how great the President is doing. That is the ONLY appropriate response.

bushisanidiot

(8,064 posts)
17. Which is exactly why "concern trolls" need to be exposed
Tue Oct 16, 2012, 06:43 PM
Oct 2012

they have an agenda.

and it's NOT to help President Obama win re-election.

NCLefty

(3,678 posts)
21. So someone who expresses concern is automatically a troll who needs to be stopped?
Wed Oct 17, 2012, 06:55 AM
Oct 2012

Because if everyone has to say the same thing, that's not discussion; It's propaganda.

bushisanidiot

(8,064 posts)
22. a brand new user who is constantly "concerned"
Wed Oct 17, 2012, 07:58 AM
Oct 2012

and always answers good news for the president with a "but.."
has an agenda. they are not here to support the President's re-election.
they are here to make trouble. plain and simple.

they are pretty easy to spot.

NCLefty

(3,678 posts)
23. I disagree
Wed Oct 17, 2012, 08:17 AM
Oct 2012

You're writing off moderates who may see both sides but still vote D in the end and still want to engage in meaningful dialogue with other left-leaning folks, as well as Democrats who aren't all that moderate but still want to turn a topic over and discuss all angles, including those that may not be so flattering.

And that's a shame. I doubt independent undecideds come here to make up their mind, so what are we so afraid of?

Latest Discussions»Retired Forums»2016 Postmortem»Gaming the town hall deba...