I have to say, I am really enjoying the lasting high of the first Presidential debate, Save Jerseyans, even almost a week later.
Governor Romney did exactly what I recommended when he faced off with President Obama in Denver. He emerged as a competent, confident and controlled leader. Romney did not attack the President’s record; instead, he made use of the information available to show the public how he can make things better for our nation. Romney didn’t get defensive at all; he was very matter-of-fact, where the President was sheepish and defeatist, almost right from the beginning.
Romney applied an engaging and conversational style to the debate, he stuck to the facts (and there were a LOT of them), and his flawless delivery reduced Obama to a stuttering mess by the end.
In short, Romney was PRESIDENTIAL. It begs the questions… can Romney repeat this performance? And does he need to? If so, what does a repeat sounds/look like?
Admittedly, it must have been difficult to be in Obama’s position.
I know his administration is telling him he has been successful over the past several years and plenty of people are making excuses for his record. However, he obviously doesn’t agree that he has given a solid performance. Why do I say this? Well, in order to speak with conviction and deliver a strong message, he needed to believe in himself wholeheartedly. I simply did not get that from Obama last week. And honestly, I was nervous because I know that he is an impressive orator and as such, he might have been able to avert viewer attention away from his poor record. That was not the case. Fortunately for us Romney supporters, he probably decided that his skills were enough to carry him through and as a result, his lack of preparation was also a contributor to Romney’s win.
Now we are coming up on The Great Debate No. 2. I find myself wondering how Obama will fare in this debate, if he will choose to come out guns blazing or if he will be more reflective and confident in himself this time around in an attempt to sway the undecided voters his way. The race is far from over, and I know that he can certainly redeem himself if he makes a good showing next week. I am certain that Chris Matthews and Rachel Maddow are praying for the same….although I definitely would not mind another televised meltdown.
So how should our candidate approach his next challenge?
Will Obama use the improved jobs numbers in the next debate? Can this fact give Independent Doubting Thomases more faith in Obama’s presidency and vision for the future? Possibly. But there is no trend analysis to support any of the claims he could make, so my feeling is that it would be a weak point at best. Maybe better not even to mention it…
The only thing we know for sure is that after 43 straight months of unemployment hovering above 8%, for one month it dipped…slightly. But really, the results of one month do not indicate a pattern of progress, by any stretch of the imagination. If a company had 43 straight reporting periods of losses, do you think a CEO would be able to make the argument that things are getting better if the 44th period showed a slight profit AND still keep his job?
It is very doubtful, Save Jerseyans. Certainly not if I was on the board.
The thing is, the first debate was, in large part, about presentation, delivery and resulting public perception. One of the few critiques of Romney post-debate is that he did not provide details about his plans for the country. That is the one area where he just didn’t take my advice going into the debate. Tsk, tsk. Maybe he will take greater note this time around….
Romney portrayed himself as a leader, a visionary, and a smart businessman, and the polls responded to his effective delivery of the issues and his high-level solutions. But in order for him to really pull ahead for the duration, I still think he needs to detail his plans in greater detail. I am hoping his crew thinks the same thing because I don’t think he will be as successful if he does not give the undecided public viewers something to chew on for the remaining weeks of the campaign.
Debate #1 was a great first step for the Romney campaign towards a sweep on November 6. For Romney, Debate #2 has GOT to get into the nitty-gritty of his scope and plan for the next four years – he needs to provide this transparency to the public. The town hall format might help in this regard. Otherwise, Obama will have every opportunity to say that Romney is hiding his plans from the nation and that will give him just the ammunition he needs to defend his title. And Matthews and Maddow will NEVER let us hear the end of it….
Charles Payne discussed the background of the director of the Bureau of Labor Statistics in an article. The questions about the 7.8 number are legitimate. I think BLS just takes people out of the workforce to make the numbers.
http://finance.townhall.com/columnists/charlespay…
romney = used car salesman
Would not surprise me at all. Shadier things have been known to happen….
Well, even though we don't see eye to eye on Romney's skills and expertise, everyone is certainly entitled to their own beliefs. For example, I think that Obama is completely inept at his job and that Romeny can change our country for the better. See? It's so nice to be able to share our opinions!