The American Politics thread

[Top_Cat]

Originally Posted by Fusion

I really have to say that Obama’s performance in the debate is being blown wayyyy out of proportion. Romney was better, there is no doubt about it. However, Obama wasn’t the disaster that he’s being made out to be. It’s almost like people are comparing him to Rick “I can’t remember the agencies I’ll eliminate” Perry. Just my opinion of course, but Obama had an average performance, not a disastrous one.


Anyway, to the real scope from the debate: Big Bird: The Real Enemy

It's an affront to common-sense that Romney was even in the game, tbh. For the part of that Obama was in control of, yeah agree with SS.

[Anil]

Originally Posted by Top_Cat

Sorta disagree with that. No matter your intellect, you're obviously well aware of what's happening to you personally and a lot of people will be looking for things the candidates say which have a chance to change their personal circumstances. Putting all of the bull****/esoteric political debates aside (which only wonks and pundits are really interested in anyway), if Obama can't get across to the population at large how what he's doing will help them on an individual level, that's a failure to communicate.

That's what made Clinton's speech so brilliant; he made clear what Obama hasn't been able to. The lines about things being on the up but it taking a while to feel it were perfect. Having normal people able to understand what he was talking about would have been a pointless exercise without making it relevant to them on a personal level. I get the feeling that many will decide to put their faith in Obama because they're really putting their faith in Clinton's endorsement of him.

if that is the case why do so many middle class/working class people vote against their own interests in every election? and in obama's case, if his message doesn't permeate the senses of these last few low-information, undecided voters, i don't know if that is his failure or the inpenetrably thick skull of his listeners...and if you don't think many more people will vote based on race (both black and white) than in 2008, you would be wrong...i talked to some white democrats over here recently and that too educated women, you would think just based on the republican positions on women's rights and other social issues they would be squarely behind obama, but it sounded like they were desperately searching for excuses to vote for romney...

[silentstriker]

Romney now a slight favorite in Florida. Obama now projected to win less than 300 electoral votes for the first time since early summer. That one night of debate seems to have erased all of Obama's convention gains. Realclearpolitics poll averages now shows Romney with a slight overall national lead, for the first time this entire election cycle. Not disastrous, you say?

[Jono]

Romney's communications advisor was pretty God awful here:

Mitt Romney's communications advisor interview fail video

[silentstriker]

I know it's unlikely but how hilarious would it be if Obama won the election despite losing the popular vote? Would love to see the right wing get mad at this after being all for it in 2000.

[wellAlbidarned]

And we try to claim goldfish have short memories. Democracy is nuts sometimes.

[morgieb]

Originally Posted by silentstriker

I know it's unlikely but how hilarious would it be if Obama won the election despite losing the popular vote? Would love to see the right wing get mad at this after being all for it in 2000.

Haha given Obama's position in Ohio this could actually happen.

[Fusion]

Originally Posted by silentstriker

Romney now a slight favorite in Florida. Obama now projected to win less than 300 electoral votes for the first time since early summer. That one night of debate seems to have erased all of Obama's convention gains. Realclearpolitics poll averages now shows Romney with a slight overall national lead, for the first time this entire election cycle. Not disastrous, you say?

As you are well aware, polls are a snap shot of any given moment. Romney got a bounce after the debate, nothing more and nothing less. Let's see if this bounce holds up for a month. Only then will it be meaningful. At that point, you could call Obama's performance as "disastrous". Until then, I will maintain that people are overreacting.

Obama is still forecasted to win the election is he not? Is Romney ahead in Ohio yet in all the polls? No one debate is going to decide this election. It's very conceivable that the next debate between them will take away the momentum that Romney has built. I'd like to see all the overreaction the other way if that happens. The simple fact is that it's going to be a close election and no one event is likely to decide the outcome. Romney's 47% remark wasn't disastrous to him. The debate wasn't disastrous to Obama.

[Cevno]

When is the Biden - Ryan debate ? I.e how much time from now ?

[silentstriker]

Originally Posted by Cevno

When is the Biden - Ryan debate ? I.e how much time from now ?

35 hours and 17 minutes.

[Fusion]

On Debates and the Election: Could 90 Minutes Really Change Everything

James Fallows on The Atlantic argues for my point that one debate isn’t going to tilt this race one way or another.

[Sanz]

Originally Posted by Fusion

On Debates and the Election: Could 90 Minutes Really Change Everything

James Fallows on The Atlantic argues for my point that one debate isn’t going to tilt this race one way or another.

The Atlantic is delusional. Te debate has tilted the election in Romney's favor by a historical proportion. Obama's only hope is that he wins Ohio. 538 says Obama winning chances have gone down by 18% or the total electoral vote count has gone down by 25.

Unless Obama comes back with a magical performance in the next two debates, I don't seem him gaining his ground back. Needless to say that the mess they have created in Lybia is really going to put them in defensive on foreign policy debates.

[Sanz]

Originally Posted by Fusion

As you are well aware, polls are a snap shot of any given moment. Romney got a bounce after the debate, nothing more and nothing less. Let's see if this bounce holds up for a month. Only then will it be meaningful. At that point, you could call Obama's performance as "disastrous". Until then, I will maintain that people are overreacting.

This bump is going to help Romney because Early voting has already started and some of the swing states do allow early voting (FL, OH, NV, IA, WI & CO). Early voting is suposed to work in Democrat's favor, unfortunately Obama's poor performance in the debate is going to hurt him.

[silentstriker]

It's been a 20% drop in the forecast in terms of chances of Obama winning since the debate....

[Spikey]

So basically the position most of us took remains the same eg it's obama's election to lose. how can you be in a debate with romney, discussing health care, and you not say 'flip flop'. jesus christ man.