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

[ProSense]

Matt Taibbi

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

I didn't watch the debate – I just couldn't. I read it in transcript form afterwards. I know it is widely believed that Mitt Romney won, but I don't agree. I think both candidates lost. I think they both sucked. Romney told a series of outright lies – the bit about the pre-existing conditions was incredible – while Barack Obama seemed unaccountably disinterested in the intellectual challenge of the exercise, repeatedly leaving the gross absurdities hurled his way by Romney unchallenged.

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.

- more -

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

People are so proud to declare unhinged lying as winning. Lowering standards.
http://www.democraticunderground.com/10021467011

[ProSense]

1. Kick! n/t

[Hydra]

2. Matt's commentary is as brilliant as always

The comments on the main page scared me more than a little- how many idiots do we have in America that believe we have a "liberal" media, and that Mitt was telling the 100% truth??

[Unknown Beatle]

3. Unbelievable

That lies pass as political discourse. What the hell happened that such outright falsehoods are becoming the norm in today's political landscape? And to top it off, people actually believe that Romney will not cut taxes for the wealthy because he said so during the debate. I should know this because on another blog, a right wing troll was calling liberals liars for believing that Romney will cut taxes for rich. It's truly sad state of affairs.

[politicasista]

4. Wonder why are people calling for

Obama to replace Senator Kerry as debate coach? He hasn't done anything to Obama. Unless there is somebody better.

[ailsagirl]

5. Because Kerry is no rMoney

Obama should have gotten some obnoxious. loud-mouth braggart who won't let anyone get a word in edgewise.
Senator Kerry is a gentleman.
IMO

[politicasista]

8. Oh. Ok

Still don't get it tho.

[ailsagirl]

10. I wouldn't think that DU-ers would slam Kerry

Maybe you've read some posts that I haven't, but I doubt that Team Obama could have anticipated the manic performance nitt put on. He made quite a spectacle of himself.

[politicasista]

12. that's true

It was definitely manic.

Maybe I have been reading things wrong. Not a big pol junkie, a DU vet with lapses, but people here (and you) have taught me a lot.

[ailsagirl]

16. Happy to oblige, politicasista

[politicasista]

17. Thanks

[tblue37]

19. As a Mormon, Money Boo Boo probably has no tolerance for caffeine, but

I think he was hopped up on Red Bull for the debate.

”Manic” rather understates how he was actign and speaking.

I once had the misfortune to be stuck in a car for over an hour with a couple of young women, one of whom was all coked up. Her wide-eyed motormouthed word salad rambling was a lot like what I saw Mitt doing during the debate.

[Indpndnt]

6. Mike Taibbi needs to be careful.

Or he'll be compared here to freeptrash for not proclaiming Willard the debate winner outright.

[tularetom]

7. The last Democratic presidential candidate that seemed comfortable in a debate was Clinton

Gore, Kerry and now Obama all looked reluctant to get their hands dirty by actively going after their opponents even though they had knowledge and experience on their side.

I realize we aren't electing the Debater-in-Chief but the liberal media loves these fucking debates and until we get rid of them our candidates are just going to have to learn how to conduct themselves at them.

[Whisp]

9. triple, quadruple rec

just goes to show how brains have been washed out of reason when a fucking lying liar like Mitt lies for 90 minutes and people here say HE WON, HE WON! Obama failed, Mitt won!

omfg. Karl Rove would be licking his lips with greasy pleasure at the display here on debate night. The right has dragged some to the area that reads: Lieing Doesn't Count, poking your thumb in your opponent's eye, like Obama should have done, does count.

[Bette Noir]

11. I'd like to see a rant-off between Matt Taibbi and Rude Pundit.

That would be a beautiful thing.

[cali]

13. PPP now has Wisconsin in a statistical dead heat and

they attribute it to a big post-debate bump for Romney. That's what winning is.

[flamingdem]

14. K&R

[RichGirl]

15. The biggest losers on debate night.....

MSNBC. They could have acted like professionals instead of hyperventilating!

The reaction should have been: that was boring, Obama lethargic and Romney lying...then gone on to fact check lies. Instead of acting like Romney had single-handedly won the world series.

In general all the news agencies were over-the-top ridiculous. It's like they were all FOX NEWS for the night. I think the media gave Romney a bump, not the debate.

[Nevernose]

18. "Romney should have been pelted with dog shit..."

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.