President Barack Obama's lackluster performance in the first U.S. election debate provoked uneasiness in European capitals on Thursday, where hopes are mostly, if unofficially, pinned on his securing a second term.
While a lot can change before the November 6 vote, and Obama and Republican challenger Mitt Romney will go head to head twice more before then, polling conducted immediately after the debate showed Romney came out overwhelmingly on top.
A flash poll by CNN showed 67 percent of viewers thought Romney had 'won', with just 25 percent for Obama. Intrade, an online prediction market, cut Obama's re-election prospects from 74 percent to 66 percent.
In Europe, where leaders and finance officials have worked closely with the Obama administration over the past 2-1/2 years trying to resolve the euro area debt crisis, there was particular consternation at Romney's singling out of deficit-ridden Spain as a poorly administered economy.
"Romney is making analogies that aren't based on reality," Foreign Affairs Minister Jose Manuel Garcia-Margallo told reporters after a meeting of his centre-right party.
Leading Spanish daily El Pais highlighted the fact that Spain was the only European country mentioned, and contrasted Romney's negative depiction of it with Obama's praise for Spain's renewable energy policies during the 2008 campaign.
"Spain has never been mentioned in a presidential debate as a symbol of failure," the left-leaning newspaper lamented. "What happened last night makes history. And not in a good way."
Political commentators in France and Germany registered surprise at Obama's underwhelming performance, saying the election could be much tighter as a result.
"Obama showed a lack of desire to be president, which could put him on shaky ground as a presidential candidate," said liberal German news magazine Der Spiegel.
"It's now clear that to get back into the White House the U.S. president needs running shoes, not flip-flops."
France's Le Monde appeared equally surprised by Obama's sub-par performance. "Where did the favorite go?" it asked on its front page, with a headline below saying: "Obama fails his first televised debate against an incisive Romney."
Posted by: 49 Pan ||
10/04/2012 11:57 Comments ||
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#2
"Obama showed a lack of desire to be president, which could put him on shaky ground as a presidential candidate," said liberal German news magazine Der Spiegel.
Of course he he's not interested in being president. In the finest traditions of Shaka kaSenzangakhona, his desire is to be emperor.
#8
Oh, that's not probably what is REALLY terrifying them.
The fabric of liberal reality is maintained by compliance to a regime of unequal judgment. I was most impressed with Mitt's quiet, but persistent and eventually successful challenge of the moderator's biases. Reagan undermined it quietly, but Mitt's storming the gates.
#9
"Romney is making analogies that aren't based on reality"
How would you know, Jose? You haven't lived in reality in decades, if ever.
Shorter version of these clowns' whining: "But, but, but we haven't finished looting the American's bank accounts yet! We've already looted everything we can from our ownsubjects citizens; if Obama isn't there to continuing giving us money and destroying the U.S. economy, what will we dooooooo?
Posted by: Barbara ||
10/04/2012 13:26 Comments ||
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#10
A President that respects his true allies ie UK,Australia,NZ,Canada would be a start before Europe.
#3
Didn't bother him much when he spoke in font of the Styrofoam Greek columns. Better choom back then, I guess...
Posted by: M. Murcek ||
10/04/2012 12:46 Comments ||
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#4
Anybody who has ever flown into Denver could have told him. In fact, IIRC, I ranted right here last week that Romney should show up in Denver a few days early so his body could adjust to the altitude. Last time I was there it took me two or three days before I was up to snuff and the first night I nearly barfed in my hotel room. Hmmmm...was that because of all the drinks at dinner, or the altitude, or because I couldn't open the damn hotel window and the air conditioning was anemic just like Obama? Lucky I didn't have to debate anybody.
#7
I have never felt the effects of altitude sickness below 9600 ft. Everyone is different though.
It's still a pretty lame excuse.
If it isn't the media making excuses for him, it's the Goracle.
#9
hah, some talk of our Colorado Rockies having an advantage due to the altitude here when their team loses.
The spin and blame for Obama's performance is truly sickening.
Posted by: Jan ||
10/04/2012 13:22 Comments ||
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#10
"Blames Altitude for Obama's Debate Woes"
Riiiiiggggggt.
And the dog ate his homework, too.
STFU, loser.
Posted by: Barbara ||
10/04/2012 13:48 Comments ||
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#11
I used to run up and down Cheyenne Mountain @ NORAD and I still was not as breathless as the prez.
#18
Why does the left always blame everyone and everything for their failures. Bunch of immature twits unwilling to accept responsibility for the consequences of their behaviors. Someone suggested last night that Obama won in losing. WTF?
#19
Lucky O did not drive up to the summit of Mt. Evans or Pike's Peak. Holy Hypoxia, Batman.
Posted by: Alaska Paul ||
10/04/2012 20:32 Comments ||
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#20
Besoeker missed the comma before BH6, g(r)omgoru, which would have made it clear to all readers that it was an affectionate diminutive for Broadhead6.
Separately, Besoeker: it is assclown as a single word, following the formation of jackass.
WaPo front-page headline: Romney Finds His Voice on the Economy
The two contenders seemed to swap roles Wednesday. Obama was the one who struggled for his footing, scowling on the split screens of millions of television viewers across the nation and often looking like a man who wished he were elsewhere. Elsewhere, meaning, in front of his TOTUS.
Romney pressed his case against Obama's stewardship of a disappointingly weak recovery. He sought to sharpen his own proposals and to soften the perception among voters that he favors the interests of the wealthy over those who are struggling.
Obama, meanwhile, did not make many of the arguments that he and his campaign have used most effectively against Romney but which we'll repeat here, in case you missed them. He did not recount the former governor's career in private equity, during which Romney laid off workers, or the secretly taped video in which the Republican nominee told wealthy donors that the 47 percent of Americans who do not pay federal income taxes are dependent on government and see themselves as victims. The TV ads, however, continue to run. Why give Romney an opportunity to respond to them? Better to let the ads run unquestioned.
The president also left many of Romney's claims unchallenged. Romney asserted eight times that Obama plans to cut $716 billion from Medicare without noting that the Republican vice presidential nominee, Rep. Paul Ryan (Wis.), shepherded a budget through the House that would do the same thing. "Shepherded" a buget that never passed is hardly on an even footing with signing a bill that does it, then lying about it.
And Romney insisted that he does not want to reduce the share of taxes paid by the wealthy. "High-income people are doing just fine in this economy," he said. "They'll do fine whether you're president or I am." Note the use of the word, "insisted", which suggests a lie or a coverup.
"The problem with raising taxes is that it slows down the rate of growth. And you could never quite get the job done," he said. "I want to lower spending and encourage economic growth at the same time."
Whether the debate did much to win over undecided voters or change anyone's mind is not likely to become clear for at least a few days. In that time, news organization fact checkers will pick over the assertions that were made, pundits will award style points, and social media will amplify -- and perhaps amend -- the overall impressions that were left. What matters is what happens in the polls. What happens when Champ starts to fall behind in the polls?
Posted by: Bobby ||
10/04/2012 06:03 ||
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#1
I think it is time to listen to Ron Reagan, after all O's got Clinton working on his behalf, and since when has a former President re-engaged in partisan politics on behalf of a sitting President...never. The O can't even fight his own fight.
Listen to Reagan talk about BIG GOVERNMENT then and think about the O pushing us over the fiscal cliff today. The financial numbers today are "mind-blowing", all in all O's got to go.
Posted by: Varmint Smiter of the Heathen Rus7700 ||
10/04/2012 15:51 Comments ||
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#5
Any bets whether Bambi will find excuses to skip the other debates?
If he does, maybe Romney could debate an empty chair - with an empty suit on it.
Posted by: Barbara ||
10/04/2012 3:01 Comments ||
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#6
that was an old-fashioned ass-kicking
Posted by: Frank G ||
10/04/2012 7:39 Comments ||
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#7
Larry Sabato, poly sci prof, Virginia said this beat-down was far worse than Reagan's beat down of Carter in 1980.
Obama has never had to face withering punches and counterpunches such as occurred last night.
I do think Romney/Ryan need to be on their game in the future debates. They need to watch out for surprises. Wouldn't surprise me if Obama pushed the green light on Iran.
#8
...Actually, at this point you have got to believe that Joe Biden's handlers are soiling themselves at what will happen when he steps up against Paul Ryan...
Mike
Posted by: Mike Kozlowski ||
10/04/2012 11:31 Comments ||
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#9
Joe will be skewered no doubt. It will be interesting to see what diversionary actions our Champ takes over the next days and weeks.
#11
Bammy was a major stoner in high school and college. That tends to impact quick thinking/sharp responses, especially is you are not used to it. It also impacts work ethic...golf anyone?
It comes as no surprise to learn that Obama was one of a small minority in the Senate who voted against the bill that sought to waive the Stafford Act in order to make assistance funds available to the New Orleans Katrina victims without their having to match them with a 10% contribution.
See this for a list of those who voted for and against the bill. Youll note that Obamas nay vote was one of only 14 cast against the act, almost all of them liberal Democrats. No doubt he would say he knew the act would pass and so he felt okay voting against it in order to protest the Iraq war funds that were also part of the bill. But theres something profoundly distasteful and almost grotesque about him voting against the waiver, knowing the bill had passed despite his vote, and then misleading the audience to make them angry that the waiver hadnt happened.
#2
"He actually voted for or against something instead of 'present'?"
FTFY, gorb. ;-p
Posted by: Barbara ||
10/04/2012 3:05 Comments ||
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#3
Waitaminute! This is the act he told the crowd the evil W blocked to keep them down?
That means 0 voted with Boooosh?
Posted by: Bobby ||
10/04/2012 5:51 Comments ||
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#4
He voted *against* the Katrina bill which passed by a large margin. He then lied to 'his people' that the bill was rejected by the Evil Party to get them fired up. Yeah, that is amazingly shameless. Is it possible to be appalled but not surprised?
#5
Maybe he just doesn't know how to read and has just been social promoted all the way up because of his oratory skills. That would explain a lot of the present votes and 'reading' intelligence briefings yet doing nothing about them.
President Barack Obama On this Memorial Day, as our nation honors its unbroken line of fallen heroes -- and I see many of them in the audience here today... and Republican Willard Mitt Romney ...former governor of Massachussetts, currently the Publican nominee for president. He is the son of the former governor of Michigan, George Romney, who himself ran for president after saving American Motors from failure, though not permanently. Romney has a record as a successful businessman, heading Bain Capital, and he rescued the 2002 Winter Olympics from the midst of bribery and mismanagement scandals. More to the point, he isn't President B.O... come face to face for the first time in this presidential campaign Wednesday night for a nationally televised debate that will give millions of Americans a chance to size up two fierce competitors in a moment of high-risk theater.
Romney, trailing in polls in a number of key states and running short on time to reverse his fortunes, is angling for a breakout performance in the three 90-minute presidential debates scheduled over the next three weeks.
Obama, well aware that the remaining five weeks of the race still offer enough time for tectonic shifts in his prospects, is determined to avoid any campaign-altering mistakes as he presses his case for a second term.
Posted by: Fred ||
10/04/2012 00:00 ||
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A multi-volume chronology and reference guide set detailing three years of the Mexican Drug War between 2010 and 2012.
Rantburg.com and borderlandbeat.com correspondent and author Chris Covert presents his first non-fiction work detailing
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