TAIBBI-Presidential Debate Aftermath: Mitt Romney Wins All-Important BS Contest While Media Drools

[kpete]

Presidential Debate Aftermath: Mitt Romney Wins All-Important BS Contest


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Romney's performance was better than Obama's, but only if you throw out criteria like "wasn't 100% full of shit from the opening bell" and "made an actual attempt to explain who he is and what his plans are." Unfortunately, that is good enough for our news media, which drools over the gamesmanship aspects of these debates, because it loves candidates who sink their teeth into the horse-race nonsense that they think validates their professional lives
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For God's sake – "I'll take programs that could be run more efficiently at state and send them to state"? Is that a joke? That's worse than a Bill Belichick answer: "What's our plan against the Broncos? We're going to watch the film and do what's best for our football team."

Reporters should have instantly pelted Romney with bags of dogshit for insulting the American people with this ridiculous non-answer, but he was instead praised for the canny "strategy" hidden in the response. Despite the fact that Romney is running as a budget hawk and yet has refused to name any actual programs (except Obamacare and PBS) he will cut, reporters gave him credit in the debate for being willing to be the bearer of bad budgetary news, because he essentially advance-fired Jim Lehrer on TV. Many also complimented the "humor" of the line about Big Bird.

Typically, Obama is the recipient of the breathless media plaudits for meaningless imageering and iconography, but Romney scooped it all up this time. Ugh. At least there are only two more!



Read more: http://www.rollingstone.com/politics/blogs/taibblog/presidential-debate-aftermath-mitt-romney-wins-all-important-bs-contest-20121005#ixzz28Wy2SfP5

[JohnnyBoots]

1. I would love to see him moderate a debate.

It would never happen, but it would be awesome and very healthy for our country. If people actually addressed the bull shit and made people accountable for it, it would do wonders for our 'Democracy.'

[Tippy]

2. I'd pay good money to see it....

[PDJane]

3. Taibi or Jim Wright from Stonekettle Station.

The debate might turn out to be somewhat meaningful instead of this media circus.

[JohnnyBoots]

4. Hell, at this point I'd take David Gergen.

At least he was honest about Romney telling lies.

[Voice for Peace]

5. I love Matt. I'd also like to see Rachel Maddow moderate. She would be outstanding, and fair.

[bvar22]

6. The debates should be turned back over to the League of Women's Voters.

We haven't had a debate since they declined to have any association with the "debates" in 1987.
What we have now are shams.

[font size=3]"The League of Women Voters is withdrawing sponsorship of the presidential debates...because the demands of the two campaign organizations would perpetrate a fraud on the American voter. It has become clear to us that the candidates' organizations aim to add debates to their list of campaign-trail charades devoid of substance, spontaneity and answers to tough questions. The League has no intention of becoming an accessory to the hoodwinking of the American public." --The League of Women's Voters, 1987

[/font]

I'm glad I'm old enough to remember when to remember when the debates were about policy
and not Bumper Stickers, Zingers, Campaign Slogans.

[BumRushDaShow]

7. Bingo!

[gulliver]

8. We have the media and the audience we have.

I think Obama has a multi-debate strategy. He and his folks completely understand the media and audience we have. You really can't attack your opponent unless the audience wants you to. And you can't call your opponent a liar in a face-to-face confrontation unless they lie while you are face-to-face. "Your ad says..." doesn't work.

Obama didn't hit Romney with the things Romney was expecting, because Romney would have evaded them. And now that Obama has been lied to (and about) directly in the public forum, he can come back with "Mitt, last debate you said..." The audience will be more ready to accept attacks from Obama in the next debate.

[Fire Walk With Me]

9. K&R