I was happy to see some newly registered teenagers around here express actual excitement and anticipation for tonight’s debate. I can’t honestly say that I am experiencing the same set of emotions, but it’s refreshing to see youthful optimism and political engagement. Personally, I feel like the parent of an Olympic gymnast. After all the work that has been put into this election, I don’t know if Obama is going to stick the landing or fall off the beam. And he’s lost his margin for error. He cannot afford to flop tonight. We can’t afford it. We live in a very stupid country.
How are your nerves?
Update [2012-10-16 19:55:37 by CabinGirl]: Just so we’re all on the same page with the facts, here’s a link to Romney’s Tax Plan.
My nerves are totally frayed.
I’m feeling nervous.
It’s going to be what it’s going to be; I wouldn’t worry about it at all. The Obama campaign knows what needs to happen and they clearly went into the Biden/Ryan debate determined to not allow a single lie stand and I’m pretty sure the President will be fact checking Romney the entire night as well in his own way.
Yes, the VP debate gives me some reassurance that they know what the game is and how to play it. Romney is such a shifty bastard – that’s what the overall take home needs to be. Do you trust this man?
Romney would be spending a lot of money on progressive blogs if people actually clicked on his advertisements.
Hey! Do you make money when I click a Romney ad, Boo? If so, I’m willing to devote 5 minutes or so of clicks.
The question isn’t how Obama performs but how the media reacts; we have fallen this far. I blame our infatuation with reality TV and celebrity judges but there it is. As Charles Pierce asserts, “This is your democracy America. Cherish it.”
I so agree with this comment, hence the nerves. I have been watching the pundits on MSNBC work themselves up into a frenzy (Matthews was spitting) and I still cannot figure out how one person could possible do all the things they say he has/should/needs to do.
I’m so sick of these self-appointed soothsayers on every side proclaiming what so-and-so “must do”, that I think I’d sacrifice a little of the 1st Amendment to just make them STFU. Their advice might work for fashion shows or crap like American Idol, but has no place in politics or in news. MSNBC was the only “news shows” I watched anymore and I think I’m done with them now too. Well, maybe Rachel yet.
These debates have become a palooza for the media. Additionally, now a debate involves another influential variable–the moderator. I anticipate that in this debate and future ones, the media will discuss the moderator’s performance as much as the candidates’ responses. They are all members of the same club. We don’t really have traditional debates anymore and it’s a shame. I don’t know what to expect anymore because debate rules seen to be an afterthought.
I’m a lot more cranked up since I heard from our niece at Hofstra that she got in to the debate. Hoping for photos later.
No margin for error… hmmm… kinda like the 2008 primaries?
I’m not worried just quite yet. We’ve been through this with Obama before, more than once. I think he’ll be fine and the country will survive this election.
It’s neither a debate nor a legitimate town hall. The questions have been pre-selected by the “moderator”. A real town hall would have one or two dozen randomly selected registered voters with no one knowing their questions. Then we might have something that would help voters decide. Real (or fake) answers to what’s really on voter’s minds.
perfectly calm…l have no expectations one way or the other.
obama knows what’s at stake here and what mitt’s going to do…lie and obfuscate with impunity…so he’ll either rise to the task or he won’t.
frankly, l’m in agreement with the rude one:
With the news of George McGovern entering hospice care, am reminded of the one time I was able to cast as vote FOR a first rate candidate and AGAINST a corrupt, venal man. What is even sadder is the a majority in this country have been pleased or satisfied with the changes over the decades. They like politics as blood-sport even if they haven’t a clue as to who benefits and who loses. They want religion in politics, unlike the time where it was improper to mix the two (thanks for nothing Mr. Carter). But mostly it’s the greed and selfishness towards those less fortunate and adulation of those with wealth regardless of how that wealth was acquired, but quick to say, “whatever it costs,” when the Pentagon war machine comes asking for more.
Someday this country won’t survive another four years of the latest reiteration of Nixon. Until then, we’ll just keep affirming the decision made in 1972.
“And when you ask them ‘How much should we give’, they only answer … more more more”
Actually Nixon was a Saint compared to these thugs.
Tricky Dicky initiated everything exhibited by his successors. Difference was that the New Deal Democratic opposition was more alive during his tenure.
Not sure about that. Am currently reading a book from my local library by Don Fulsom called “Nixon’s Darkest Secrets”. If the book has any credibility, Nixon did lots more dirty things that I had never heard about and I was of voting age during his Presidency.. Really vindictive and venal is entirely apt. The only thing which makes his actions even remotely tolerable is that he and his party weren’t totally captive to the social and religious fundamentalists. Otherwise he was a real piece of work.
If he refrains from mentioning Bowles-Simpson throughout the debate, he wins. If not, tomorrow I’m going full-on ‘it’s not going to affect me much if he loses.’ If Obama loses (and quite likely the Senate will go with him)…. It will affect women, a lot. It will affect racial minorities and young people quite a bit. Hell, it will make life for all of us more miserable, but, it’s been pretty miserable for most of the past 35 years, hasn’t it. I’ve survived, fairly well, against fairly long odds. Obama’s political party unity schtik (as Armando/BigTentDemocrat of other-blogs originally put it) will have done him in. And you know what, good. That schtik deserves to die. If Obama wins, he’ll take it as vindication in his approach these past four years and things will only get more miserable less quickly (which would be better, admitted).
For me, it’s just a question of how much more miserable this country, run by a cabal of sociopathic self-annointed overlords will get, not that Obama’s victory is going to change that direction.
If Obama mentions Bowles-Simpson, even once, it’ll be my clue that he’s clueless. And time to move on and work to ensure my own future, and the future of those that I care about. Most of us have already seen the sky fall under the leadership of the Reagan/Bush/Clinton/Obama reign. If we survived that, I think we might make it through a season of Romney, too.
I’m nervous because I wonder if what passes for pop journalism in this country will ever let go of their new narrative: that Obama’s fatal misstep has sealed his fate. It’s all bullshit, of course — there was no significant misstep except the one the media harped on endlessly. Will Obama find a way to dangle some better candy in front of them? Very large order.
In the first debate Obama wasn’t himself. I think he was overprepped by incompetent coaches yapping and yapping about the “angry black man” crap. If he hasn’t bought some overreactive “corrective” tactic, and just uses his own huge talents and intelligence, he’ll do just fine.
Apparently I have more confidence in the president than you do. I’m not worried. Maybe I’ll be eating crow.
I hate these ridiculous debates. Basing one’s vote on the outcome is laughable. The fact that people do this makes me ill. Haven’t they been paying any attention to these people or their positions for the last several years? The whole format reminds of a game of Jeopardy.
” I’m sorry Mr President, your answer was not in the form of a question. “
I’ll be watching baseball tonight. Plenty of time to read about the aftermath of the debates tomorrow in the paper.
4.6 earthquake in Maine. About a half hour ago.
The joke here is that all the men in southern maine were practicing their zumba moves.
Nervous because fact checking is largely ignored while form trumps substance. I don’t doubt that Obama knows what needs to be done, and will do it.
Nervous.
Obama’s gotta be willing to punch, and punch hard. Can’t rope-a-dope his way through this one.
No worries – it’s only showbiz, we’ll be fine. Nobody likes a phony.
I’m having a little trouble getting that Romney tax plan down.
Anyone else try it yet? 🙂
Nervous as hell I needed that!
If I was inclined to drink, I’d already be drunk. The Olympic parent analogy is perfect.
Wow. Just now while reading the comments here I was called and pretty intensely polled about the NV Senate race and the Presidential race. About 15 minutes. Didn’t catch who conducted it but it was thorough.
We should know early in what kind of strategy the Dem team settled. My hope is that they avoid taking any bait at all and instead use the time to simply define Romney. We learned in the last debate that low info voters (aka morans) saw Romney for the first time and found him reasonable. Obama just needs to educate these folks on the real guy. Hiding his tax returns, destroyed records when he left MA governor’s office, was once pro-choice, thinks half the country are dead beats, plans to ignore Israel-Palestinian conflict, hasn’t yet said exactly how he’s going to reduce the deficit without raising revenue, hides his money in offshore accounts (what a patriot!), offshored jobs, spent his time at Bain “harvesting” companies, invests in a company that funds research on aborted fetuses, wants war with Iran, etc. etc. ad infinitum and nauseum.
Who cares what Romney says? Obama just needs to lay it all out about Newly Mr. Reasonable. The folks need some schooling.