So where's the Presidential Debate Thread?

[Hauldren Collider]

Jaguar asked what people learned from the debates on Facebook, and this is how I replied:

"I learned that Mitt Romney is not in fact a vampire. He doesn't sparkle. He also appears to not be a robot--again, the lack of sparkling gives it away. Despite everything I've read in the New York Times, shockingly, he seems actually human."

While the phrasing of this is as a joke, I think it is a serious point. These debates are dismantling Obama's entire summer campaign. While Romney is a strong debater and wins help, what really is helping him the most is the fact that he now is properly viewed as a viable alternative to this Administration. Every moment Romney spends onstage with Obama helps him simply from the fact that people are seeing the actual Mitt Romney, not the one Asher sees when he watches nothing but clips of his worst moments.

[Asher]

Really?

In both debates he came across as an egotistical, disrespectful, desperate man. Certainly not Presidential.

Maybe it's just a different set of standards for each person, though.

[Hauldren Collider]

Really?

In both debates he came across as an egotistical, disrespectful, desperate man. Certainly not Presidential.

Maybe it's just a different set of standards for each person, though.

Maybe it's the fact that you are a MrFun level tool?

You admitted to only watching clips, by the way. Perhaps if you actually made any effort to do something other than reinforce your priors, you wouldn't be such a stubborn ignoramus.

[Asher]

Maybe it's the fact that you are a MrFun level tool?

Always nice of you to remind me of your maturity. I think you're a nincompoop too, Mr. Smellyfingers!~

You admitted to only watching clips, by the way. Perhaps if you actually made any effort to do something other than reinforce your priors, you wouldn't be such a stubborn ignoramus.

I've watched it in whole since then. I only saw newsclips by the first post because I was actually busy last night.

You act like I'm mischaracterizing it, but you know that's a lie. He was egotistical, disrespectful, and desperate and bullied the moderators in both debates. Even most Romney supporters can probably see that.

[Hauldren Collider]

You are mischaracterizing it, and the polls reflect that. Mitt Romney hasn't gotten to a tie/mild lead in the polls by being a wooden robot vampire bastard-baby of Uncle Scrooge and Gordon Gecko.

[Asher]

You are mischaracterizing it, and the polls reflect that.

Sorry, can you point me to a poll which demonstrates that people didn't find Romney disrespectful?

You live in a parallel universe sometimes, HC.

[Asher]

Mitt Romney hasn't gotten to a tie/mild lead in the polls by being a wooden robot vampire bastard-baby of Uncle Scrooge and Gordon Gecko.

I think it's outstanding that you can reference both Wallstreet & Duck Tales! Great stuff! Adds much to this conversation.

Unfortunately, the fact that it has nothing to do with anything I said is a point against it. Good effort, though.

Maybe drop a Goof Troop reference next time.

[Hauldren Collider]

Sorry, can you point me to a poll which demonstrates that people didn't find Romney disrespectful?

You live in a parallel universe sometimes, HC.

Polls don't ask that question specifically, but they do ask the question of likeability, and that gap is vanishing rapidly. You might be able to plausibly argue that some saw Romney as rude, but many more saw Obama that way.

[Asher]

Polls don't ask that question specifically

So you concede.

but they do ask the question of likeability, and that gap is vanishing rapidly.

A gap that is lead by...who?

You might be able to plausibly argue that some saw Romney as rude

But you just said I couldn't!

but many more saw Obama that way.

Oh yeah?

Please show me your evidence that "many more" found Obama rude than Romney.

[Hauldren Collider]

I think it's outstanding that you can reference both Wallstreet & Duck Tales! Great stuff! Adds much to this conversation.

Unfortunately, the fact that it has nothing to do with anything I said is a point against it. Good effort, though.

Maybe drop a Goof Troop reference next time.

It has everything to do with this conversation, though I like how in typical fashion, Ben, you don't speak at all on the merits of a point. The fact of the matter is that the entire Obama campaign strategy was to portray Romney as an unlikable, unamerican extremist. That myth has been shattered. Months of effort by the Obama team has been wiped away simply by people seeing Mitt Romney without the media lens.

[Hauldren Collider]

I can see why Asher hates Ben so much. Oftentimes the people we tolerate the least are those that are the most similar to ourselves. He even has the deceptive multi-quoting down, so he can argue against half a sentence instead of the far more cogent full point.

[DinoDoc]

Seems to me that it would be smarter to focus on the incompetence at multiple levels of the Administration,

The narrative the administration tried to spin wrt the Benghazi attack can't be separated from the stream of incompetence that flowed from this incident. Sticking to the protest gone wild meme in the face of evidence to the contrary was the equivalent of Bush claiming that no terrorist attack occured on 9/11 just a series of mechanical failiures on aircraft.

especially if your one 'fact' about it is actually wrong.

CNN’s Candy Crowley: Mitt Romney ‘right in the main’ about Libya

However you are correct that it should not have been the main thrust of the attack on that point. I would have hammered him on Joe's claim that the admin didn't know about the need for more security at the Benghazi consulate despite sworn testimony to the contrary and the fact it had been attacked twice in the months leading up to the final assault on 9/11.

[Asher]

Just for the record, Obama's something like 22 points up on Romney in "likability". Obama also has something like a 10 point lead on being "Presidential" after the debates. So your comment that

You are mischaracterizing it, and the polls reflect that

is clearly ridiculous.

[Hauldren Collider]

Romney messed up on Libya, no doubt, but he has plenty of time to make the point correctly and will get a full 90 minutes on primetime TV to do so in another week.

xpost

[Asher]

It has everything to do with this conversation, though I like how in typical fashion, Ben, you don't speak at all on the merits of a point. The fact of the matter is that the entire Obama campaign strategy was to portray Romney as an unlikable, unamerican extremist. That myth has been shattered. Months of effort by the Obama team has been wiped away simply by people seeing Mitt Romney without the media lens.

A 22 point lead in likeability after the debates is pretty ****ing commanding, HC.

You're being so ridiculous right now, and you put it over the top by comparing me to Ben.

Reality check, HC: You and Ben are on the same team, both of you have a certifiably absurd outlook on the world, and you're both terrible debaters.