Bill Clinton's thought bubble as he watched Barack Obama's pathetic, weak, listless, performance during the first debate last night: "I can't believe we lost to this guy."
Clinton NEVER would have mailed it in the way Obama did. Once those klieg lights shine and those camera lights flash on, Bubba rises to the occasion, seducing everybody in his path with smooth rhetoric, faux charm, and an easy command.
Obama has been known for those things too, although delivered in a colder way. But last night, Obama was ill prepared, easily flustered, petulant, meandering, and weirdly deferential to both Romney and the moderator, Jim Lehrer.
The Left has offered up all kinds of excuses for Obama's disastrous performance: the Denver altitude (Al Gore), his wedding anniversary (Whoopi Goldberg), Lehrer's freewheeling management style (Stephanie Cutter). They blamed everything except the real reason for his poor showing: he cannot defend his atrocious record, and all of his "new" second term promises (deficit reduction, cutting the corporate tax rate, etc) are actually unfulfilled FIRST-term promises. Most Americans realize that they've heard those promises before....so why haven't they gotten done yet, and why are we hearing the same promises again? One of Romney's most effective attacks was when he reminded Obama that he's been president for almost 4 years. He's had the power---and during at least the first two years, the Congress---to do these things....and didn't.
Obama spent most of the night staring down at his notes, avoiding eye contact with Romney, and nodding weirdly when Romney was speaking as if agreeing with him. The whole spectacle was bizarre.
The Left and the left-wing media experienced a total kook meltdown. They've spent the last 5 years defending, protecting, excusing, and advancing Obama, only to have him blow it when he had to stand alone, without their protection. They believe they've done their jobs in getting him elected and insulating him, and they're furious that he didn't do his job of defending everything in which they all believe. No wonder Chris Matthews was screaming and his cohorts were practically crying.
Romney's commanding performance---and Obama's anemic one----have changed this race. The conservative grassroots are jazzed; they're newly energized and hitting the phone banks and the streets to knock on doors. This time, we've got the energy, the enthusiasm, and the REAL hope and change.
As Obama found out last night, it ain't 2008 anymore.
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