I watched last night's Presidential debate earlier today, as I was watching something else last night, and I'm not sure I saw the same debate that everyone else did. While I was watching the tweets from the debate last night, I thought that President Obama was getting killed. But I saw something different, actually something completely different, from what I thought I'd see. What I saw was two campaigns that had two different plans going into the debate, and they both did what they wanted. Romney, being behind in the polls, wanted to attack the president, and President Obama, being ahead in the polls, didn't want to talk down and bully Romney. He wanted to play it safe, as it was, just stating the facts and let the people decide which one was right. He even said so several times. So what was actually said, what actually happened, and what should happen for both candidates in the future?
Well, to start with, those aren't the real questions, Jim. What are the difference in the candidates on any issue isn't the question, it's what you're trying to find out. So Jim, you want to know the differences in the candidates? Then, to use the first question as an example, Mr. President, both you and Gov. Romney agree that the unemployment rate is too high. What is your plan to lower the rate? Gov. Romney, what's your plan? Now, if there's no time left, it's your job to stop the debate and move on. Any high school debater knows this. But, as any debater knows, the topics are general, and it's the debaters job to shoot holes in the other side's argument. Debates aren't Sunday morning shows, where the host draws distinctions from the two sides. So Mr. President, you were poorly prepared for the flip-flops that Gov. Romney said that were different than his stump speech at rallies. He stated that he wanted the best schools, and thought there were many things that Education Secretary Arne Duncan had enacted that were good, but one of the Departments the GOP want eliminated is Education. No tax cuts for the rich? You've been arguing for tax cuts and trickle down economics for this entire campaign. Some regulations for businesses are good, including parts of Dodd-Frank, you said. But you've been arguing that Dodd-Frank should be repealed since even before it was passed. So on some items, you abandoned the far right GOP budget plan. But in other items, you were a true conservative. Every time you stated what it would cost a small business to enact ObamaCare, it was by a small business group. Do you really think they'd agree any regulation would be approved by them? You stated that it is immoral that debt be passed from one generation to the other, but the Ryan budget, which you've stated is outstanding, doesn't balance the budget until 2040. So how does that work for you? And you complained about the president not getting any GOP votes for ObamaCare. But, it was good enough for your state when you were governor, and you said that you worked with both sides to pass the bill. And it was the Heritage Foundation, a GOP think tank, that came up with the individual mandate. So why isn't it the GOP's fault that they couldn't agree? I could go on, and may in another blog, but I'll try to wrap this up.
So, what really happened? Well, we were just reminded that Gov. Romney is a good debater, and the GOP knows how to read the rules. And the President Obama, no matter what the GOP says, really doesn't like to attack the other side. He isn't comfortable putting the other side in a box. He had many chances, and I agree with MSNBC that he should have gone on the attack on obvious lies and flip-flops.
So what should happen in the future debates? Well for Romney, he has to keep on the attack and hope the president doesn't call him on it. For the president, he has to actually debate. When Romney states a lie or goes against what he's stated on the campaign, he has to point it out and pressure Romney on the point. The first debate isn't a blueprint for all the other debates, and the president can come back after a so-so first debate. It was done in 2004 with George W. Bush after Kerry won the first debate. I believe W. was a 2 term president, and so can Obama.
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