October 8, 2012

"The Romney revival lasted, what, 12 hours?"

Mickey Kaus has a sharp eye:
Before the debate, Mark Halperin said the press corps was itching to write the Romney comeback story. It turns out what they were really itching to write was the Obama-comeback-from-the-Romney-comeback story. You know, something like “How Obama reset his campaign.” … Glenn Thrush of Politico has, in fact, already written it:  There’s  already a “newnarrative.” A “whipsaw transformation.” Obama “was radically different Thursday—not just calm but buoyant, loose, focused.” He gripped the podium with a fresh intensity! “That’s what he does when he’s really into it,” a “top” Obama adviser revealed.  …
(Internal links omitted.)

51 comments:

kcom said...

Meanwhile, water remains wet.

tim maguire said...

Seems to me, this will only encourage Obama to not transform his campaign, to continue behaving as though all were well.

Tyrone Slothrop said...

It's good he's buoyant. We should always elect men who float.

rehajm said...

...and now we know why NBC wanted to wait until the long weekend was over before we begin post debate polling.

Chip S. said...

I think this means that Obama's feeling buoyant about his ability to memorize the answers he's been given to the questions that have been planted with the SEIU members who'll be in the town-hall audience.

YoungHegelian said...

So, the press hangs what little credibility they have left on the hopes of a sterling performance by Obama in the next two debates? That's a pretty thin reed if you ask me.

What are they going to say if he tanks yet again?

Sam L. said...

Me, I'm still believing my lying eyes.

pm317 said...

oh God, let us put these Journolisters out of misery, soon.

virgil xenophon said...

LOL, kcom beat me to it! Mine: "And any here should be surprised?" This can't even be classed as a volte face on the MSM's part, all they did was temp hesitate and regroup--all pretty intuitively obvious..

To the extent the MSM was forced to admit the obvious in declaring Romney the winner they did so with all the sincerity of the unrepentant, ducked-down, squint-eyed look Sylvester gives when forced to spit out Tweety (all right, all right..)

SteveR said...

Just as I predicted, this was entirely expected.

sunsong said...

I thought that was so funny - I read it to my 91 year old mother. She said Obama's gripping the podium with renewed intensity so that no one can take it from him - lol

cubanbob said...

Obama should simply delegate to his script writers his place on the podium for the next debate. Might give him a chance at winning. After all isn't affirmative action nothing more than handicapping a debate?

Automatic_Wing said...

Yep, the only question who will be the first journolister to drag out the hoary old "Comeback Kid" cliche to describe Obama.

virgil xenophon said...

Chip S is unfortunately on to something. Anybody think the Obama campaign is going to let all those SEIU bodies go to waste?

BarrySanders20 said...

How Stella got her groove back.

How Obama got his TOTUS back.

BarrySanders20 said...

How Stella got her groove back.

How Obama got his TOTUS back.

Michael K said...

It might be wise to check Obama for wires before the debate. If he can't have a Teleprompter, he needs a radio receiver.

Priscilla said...

"She said Obama's gripping the podium with renewed intensity so that no one can take it from him"

Haha, Perfect.

virgil xenophon said...

PS: I see Chip S is also a devotee of my favorite great political philosopher Lilly Tomlin: "I try to be cynical, but I can't keep up."

Farmer said...

Tyrone Slothrop said...
It's good he's buoyant. We should always elect men who float.


Ha!

Larry J said...

sunsong said...
I thought that was so funny - I read it to my 91 year old mother. She said Obama's gripping the podium with renewed intensity so that no one can take it from him - lol


I wonder if Obama is going to have a special emblem on his podium for when he leaves office. It'd say something like "Former President of the United States", like that President Elect emblem back in 2008. Of course, the podium would have a Teleprompter permanently installed. I doubt he can have a bowel movement without referring to a Teleprompter.

jungatheart said...

Obama will do well enough in the bullshit town hall format. This leaves the final debate, foreign policy, for Romney's opportunity to deliver the coup de grace. But the final debate can go either way because of the inherent bullshit factor in foreign policy.

Chip S. said...

Martha Raddatz, Moderator: Welcome to the second presidential debate. We'll take our first question from audience member Tony:

Tony: Mr. President, I was just wondering what it felt like to kill Osama bin Laden with your bare hands.

The President: Well, Tony, first let me say that I didn't do it all by myself, or with my bare hands. I had a lotta help from my combat buddies, Seal Team 6, as well as the hard-working Americans-who-follow-the-rules-and-deserve-a-fair-share at Armalite, proud makers of the AR-15 assault rifle (my weapon of choice), located in the great state of Illinois! [crowd cheers, chants "Ill-i-nois! Ill-i-nois!"]

Raddatz Thank you, Mr. President. And now a question for Mr. Romney, from Julia:

Julia: Mr. Romney, during your time as governor you were in command of the Massachusetts National Guard. Now, we know that members of certain National Guard units were involved in the atrocities at Abu Ghraib. Would you care to explain why you didn't do more to prevent those atrocities from happening?

bgates said...

I wonder if Obama is going to have a special emblem on his podium for when he leaves office.

Let's all chip in and get him an Office of the President Reject emblem for his last eight weeks. Instead of "Vero Possumus", "Claudus Anas".

Megaera said...
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Megaera said...
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Bryan C said...

"Podium gripping! Oh yeah! Fresh, intense podium gripping!" the adviser elaborated, quickly excusing herself to visit the ladies' room.

pm317 said...

Harry Rosen, the Princeton prof is calling Obama a liar. Like I said yesterday when Obama and his minions call Romney a liar, watch out they are projecting. These are fucking bastards willfully distorting and lying about Romney.

AllenS said...

I'll bet that quite a few times, BJ Clinton firmly gripped the oval office desk so he wouldn't yell: "EEEEOOOOHHHHAAAAHHHH!"

Scott M said...

Well, there you have it. Only the Lightbringer can be "loose" and "focused" simultaneously.

alan markus said...

60 Million people watched the debate. How many people will see this "new" information?

Nathan Alexander said...

Yep, the only question who will be the first journolister to drag out the hoary old "Comeback Kid" cliche to describe Obama.

There won't be a recognizable "first" on this. That's the point of being a journolister: giving the appearance of a plethora of journalists all independently coming to the same conclusion simultaneously, to give it the weight of consensus.

test said...

America would be a better place if more Democrats were like Kaus. In addition to honestly debating issues instead of spewing hate, you could put him in charge of something knowing he wouldn't abuse his authority to pervert the law. He's what left leaning libertarians hope to fuse with.

Unfortunately when he ran against Barbara Boxer a common "criticism" of him was to claim he was no different than Republicans.

garage mahal said...

Sure enough, 0bummer back up by 5pts on Gallup. Palace Guard Media strikes again! Or the polls are going back to rigged.

deepelemblues said...

Barack Obama is a ninja, and we just need to acknowledge the MSM's very insightful reporting of his superior ninjutsu skills. Do you know the man who was master to Splinter's owner/trainer, Hamato Yoshi? Barack Obama. Bet you didn't know that. Baracky is ultimately responsible for the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles saving us all from the Shredder and Krang.

deepelemblues said...

http://www.gallup.com/poll/157907/romney-narrows-vote-gap-historic-debate-win.aspx

So, garage, which Gallup are you looking at? The rolling average from a week ago, or the one from today? Because 0 points does not equal 5 points... I think.

Sofa King said...

Journalists give shills a bad reputation.

Chip S. said...

You got a link, garage, to something besides your diary?

Beloved Commenter AReasonableMan said...

Marshal said...
America would be a better place if more Democrats were like Kaus.


I am not sure that having the other half of the country take on an apparently endless contempt for working people would really be the best interests of America.

garage mahal said...

http://www.gallup.com/home.aspx?ref=logo

7 day rolling average.

Sloanasaurus said...

What is lost on all of this is the enthusiasm among Republicans and Conservatives.

Prior to the debate there was a lot of internal sniping - the kind of sniping that makes you lose. It was awful.

Now after the debate performance, the sniping is completely gone. INstead, Romney supporters are on an all out attack on Obama as it should be... as if their candidate is all good. Now democrats are sniping...

This is the real benefit of the debate performance and it will last up to the election in donations, and motivation to turn out voters.

edutcher said...

Actually, the Romney revival still forges on.

And, if Ras shows the Romster up gain around Wednesday, Barry's in trouble since the tie is only the result of his usual weekend bump.

alan markus said...

60 Million people watched the debate. How many people will see this "new" information?

Actually, closer to 70.

If not more.

test said...

AReasonableMan said...
I am not sure that having the other half of the country take on an apparently endless contempt for working people would really be the best interests of America.


There's about four things this could mean. But since they're all stupid it's not worth figuring which is intended.

Baron Zemo said...

The 47% already have contempt for working people.

That's why they sit on their ass and call their cousins on their Obamaphone while they are watching Jerry Springer on their plasma TV.

Pay attention.

Carnifex said...

I never knew Bahgdad Bob had so many relatives.

"Are those American tanks behind you Bob?"

"No. As you can see there are no American tanks here on the tarmac!"

"But behind you...that parking lot...isn't that an American tank?"

turns to look,faces camera "All I see are cars...no tanks here"

"But what's that? It looks like a turret, with fire coming out of it"

turns to look again. faces camera again"That's just a toyota backfiring...not a tank...not...a tank...definitely..."

traditionalguy said...

Fake it until you make it always was Obama's plan aided and abetted by the MSM.

But the truth is afoot and the MSM cannot put humpty dumpty back together again.

The question now is whether the EU and China attack the dollar's value the day after Romney wins but before his swearing in thus creating the mass civil unrest that has been their strategy for the last 2 years.

deepelemblues said...

Romney up 4 in latest Pew Poll:

http://www.people-press.org/2012/10/08/romneys-strong-debate-performance-erases-obamas-lead/

Garage, Chris Matthews hardest hit.

Comanche Voter said...

Huey P. Long has nothing on our modern"main stream press". Huey famously said he could sell high cockalowrum at one end of the state of Louisiana, and spout low cockahighrum at the other end of the state.

The New York Times, the "journolists", the WaPo people would put Huey to shame. Hey whatever BS we can spout today is just fine--even if it contradicts what we said yesterday--and tomorrow.

hstad said...

Hey Garage, do you know how to read? Please look at the dates for your O + 5????? You don't even bother to read the headline?

hstad said...

Hey Garage, do you know how to read? Please look at the dates for your O + 5????? You don't even bother to read the headline?

furious_a said...

...the questions that have been planted with the SEIU members who'll be in the town-hall audience...

ABC's rigorous screening process will weed out the obvious plants...won't it?