Well, I WILL be watching MSNBC tonight.

[GaYellowDawg]

I thought their concerns about the first debate were right. Those of you screaming about how they didn't go after Romney's lies? Why didn't the President go after Romney's lies? Why didn't he do the same thing that Joe did to Lyin' Ryan? That turned out extremely well. We already knew from Romney's willingness to get physical with Rick Perry that he's aggressive in debates, and will go completely over the top if pushed. Why wasn't he pushed?

Matthews and Schultz had an over-the-top emotional reaction because they wanted to see the President CRUSH Romney and put the election in the bag right then. I can't fault them for their disappointment. I felt exactly the same way. I thought every single one of you who claimed victory in the wake of the first debate and then couldn't stand any other viewpoint were just about as bad as the morans chanting "USA! USA! USA!" at Romney rallies when he's asked a tough question. I thought it was incredible that you were blind to the fact that debates are for the entire public, not just the informed public, and that when you refuse to confront lies in that forum, you are allowing those lies to be claimed as truth to a public that does not know the difference. I thought it was incredible that you didn't see - that you refused to see - that the fact-based community that is DU is not emblematic of our society, and that style in debates is at least as important as substance when it comes to the electorate. It is not sufficient to have command of the facts. It is necessary to slap down lies as they happen, and to be assertive.

I thought the first debate was a disaster. Polls bore that out. Put your heads in the sand if you want to, but MSNBC was right about the first debate, and I am tuning in for their analysis of the second. MSNBC is the closest thing we have to a legitimate media, people. You need to support them.

[chille1]

1. W.T.F are you talking about ?

Number 1 its not the presidents Job to put on a show ,It was a debate you facts ,It may mean anything to you but to some of us its all that matters ,Especially when your friends at MSNBC, Had been calling Romney out for 2 years on his lies ,until the debate ,then all of sudden facts dont matter ,well here is fact you look for the performance and I will listen for facts ,And hopefully their isnt to many more that have your opinion thanks for sharing Nothing !!!!!!!!!!!!

[GaYellowDawg]

8. Here's what I'm talking about.

Number 1 its not the presidents Job to put on a show ,

It is certainly not his sole job, but it is part of his job, if he expects to get reelected. The convention was a show. Political speeches are show. Town hall meetings are show.

It was a debate you facts ,It may mean anything to you but to some of us its all that matters ,

Of course facts mean everything to me; that's why I'm a Democrat. Facts are more important than anything to most posters at DU. If the Presidential debate had only been seen by DUers, then the President would have won by a mile. However, to much of the non-DU world, style is given precedence over substance. In an ideal world, everyone would actually pay attention to the facts. Unfortunately, it's not an ideal world, so the candidates have to put forth style as well as substance. My problem with the debate - and MSNBC's problem - was that the President was correct on the facts but was terrible on style. He allowed Rmoney to get away with telling lies. He was not charismatic at all. Please understand that this would not be an issue in an ideal, educated world. In the world we live it, it is an issue!

Especially when your friends at MSNBC, Had been calling Romney out for 2 years on his lies ,until the debate ,then all of sudden facts dont matter ,

"My friends" at MSNBC had the same concerns I did. They knew, as I did, that the President's poor style and unassertive air would really hurt him with low-information voters. That's why they pitched a fit, and that's why I did, too.

well here is fact you look for the performance and I will listen for facts ,And hopefully their isnt to many more that have your opinion

This is the main problem. You have to get out of the bubble and realize that not everyone thinks like you! You have to get out of the bubble and realize that there are millions of voters out there who pay attention to the emotional affect. You have to realize that the debate is for those people, too, and it is crucial that the President tailor his performance to take that into account!

You would be in a much better country if there were a lot more people who had my opinions. I am hard-core Democratic. I detested Ronald Reagan for the sham he was. The first Presidential vote I cast was for Michael Dukakis. I have been a part of local Democratic campaigns since Dukakis. My handle has "yellow dog" in it because it used to be said in the South that you could run a yellow dog for office as long as it had a (D). About the only Democrat I've ever thought I could vote against was Jake Butcher.

thanks for sharing Nothing !!!!!!!!!!!!

Well, your reply wasn't worth much, either. Perhaps if you can get your head around the idea that the President needs to generate broad appeal, not just appeal to DU, and that's what the concern from MSNBC was, then you will have learned something.

[asjr]

2. David Shuster would have made a great go-between.

[AlinPA]

3. I won't support Alex Witt and all those airheads on MSNBC nor loudmouthed fools like Matthews.

Cable "news" is a sewer, starting with "Morning Joe" and "Fox and Friends" and those airheads on CNN.

[GaYellowDawg]

9. Your right

and you're certainly correct about the worthlessness of "Morning Joe", but I think that Chris Matthews has said a lot of very good things for and about this President. I think that lumping MSNBC in with CNN and FixedNews is very much analogous to people who say that Democratic and Republican candidates are all alike.

[AlinPA]

11. Our media, especially cable "news" is terrible, especially during the day. I still consider Matthews

a loudmouthed fool. i don't expect him to support anyone, just to act like a professional.

[marions ghost]

4. Style is MORE important than facts...

that's what really hurts. It's American Gladiator/Politics --a sports arena. Idiocracy.

Can't blame people here for objecting when the media hypes it like the damn Superbowl.

[chille1]

5. Style is affective if your a child !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Thats why the ground game is so important knocking on doors ,making phone calls ,For real if we depend on the fake ass media to get the facts we already have lost ,We are not stupid ,we are not accepting of what ever talking head pukes out ,And Lastly if style was such a winning strategy why is there voter suppression ,why is there a do nothing congress ,why is lieing being called style Wake the Fuck up !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[GaYellowDawg]

10. It's also effective to the low-information voter.

We are lost if we depend on the media for a lot of facts. That's why I was so upset with the President for not jumping all over Rmoney's lies. He had a responsibility to set Rmoney straight on the spot, and failed at it. The commentators on MSNBC knew the same, which is why they were upset.

It would be more accurate to refer to "emotional affect" than "style." Low-information voters are going to gravitate towards someone who lies with conviction more so than someone who tells the truth passively. That's the emotional affect. It's real, it has an impact on perception of the debates with low-information voters (and there are way too many of those out there), and it's something that the President has to take into account. If you haven't realized that before, then you are the one who needs to wake up.

[MrSlayer]

6. People are just mad because they aren't blind cheerleaders.

Like Faux. I didn't need Tweety and Ed to tell me that the President got rolled and destroyed in that debate, I watched it happen. My opinion wasn't formed by them, it was shared. I'm sure I'm not the only one that was screaming at the TV for Obama to fight and stop hemming and hawing. I'm sure I'm not the only one that was rebutting Mitt while he was still talking and then looking on in dismay when the President failed to do so. Things are what they are and ugly truths are still truths.

But all that gets left behind tonight. The President is going to make it right. Bet on it.

[chille1]

7. When you know the truth you tell the truth !

And in my opinion ,The truth didnt matter and I believe that is the truth ,And the President he and his campaign underestimated the depth in which Mitt that lieing peace of shit would sink to ,and what happened after the debate was just as bad as the debate if not worse because no one payed attention to the debate ,and the media did not help at all they are professional jounalist ,whos job it is to report the story ,not be part of one or give us through their opinion one ,Thats why the debate was in some peoples minds a disaster for Obama ,and no matter what happens tonight I will be out knocking on doors in the A.M because I am not going to run around booing or boo hooing I am Going to vote and get any and all I can to do the same Period!!!!!!!!!!