If the National Media Has Been Unable For Months To Pin Down Romney On His Policy Proposals...

[TomCADem]

...How do we realistically expect President Obama to do so within 90 minutes?

I think President Obama can certainly point out inconsistencies in Romney's message, but the fact of the matter is that Romney has been evasive for the entirety of his campaign. Heck, even Fox News could not get Paul Ryan to explain how the math works out.

My point in reading many news articles and posts is what do people realistically expect President Obama to do? I think that realistically, you can point out that Romney has refused to disclose his tax returns, his tax proposals, his health care proposals, etc., in a way that makes sense. Yet, you will never get Romney to concede that he is full of it. Indeed, Romney will likely deny that he made the inconsistent statement that he made in the past, which of course will not be validated or proved until AFTER the debate.

Thus, at best, aside from better optics, I don't think it is possible substantively to do much better than what President Obama did in the first debate, which is to lead Romney into making contradictory statements, but waiting until after the debate to run ads that show the inconsistency. The realistic challenge is to get the media itself to hold Romney accountable for his lies, rather than celebrating such lies as good politics.

[WI_DEM]

1. The MSM cares nothing about that. All they care about is the horse race.

If they cared about issues they would have spent the last five days talking about all the lies Romney told instead of concentrating on all the polls indicating his bounce.

[russspeakeasy]

2. The MSM does not care about the future of this country

anymore than Lyin John McCain did/does.

[wisechoice]

3. President Obama can get Romney to answer if he can frame the question

in his next debate along these lines....

If Romney calls for revenue neutral by cutting loopholes for the rich, then how come the rich will have more money to create jobs?

How is it that Romney's plan is different than President Obama's plan if Romney is saying that he will cut taxes more for the middle class and fill the hole by by closing the loophole for the high income? The net effect is the same as increasing the tax on wealthy and lowering the tax for the middle class.

Romney will be forced to clarify with more details in order to show his position is different from President Obama's position.

[TomCADem]

5. How will Romney be forced to clarify, particularly if he lies...

... or simply denies having said a prior statement? What if he simply says that 6 studies have concluded that his plan will result in substantial growth that would make up for any revenue loss, but then dismiss all studies on the ground that everyone has an opinion, which is what Romney did say at the debate? Or, even better, Romney can say that won't cut taxes without first ensuring that his cuts are revenue neutral, then retract his statement after the debate like he did with respect to pre-existing conditions. In other words, Romney is perhaps the most bold faced liar I have ever seen. He has no shame. And, he can smile and calmly say that the President is being hysterical if President Obama starts to contradict him.

[wisechoice]

7. I agree

President Obama's job is going to be tough in the next debate. If he can somehow show the public that Romney is avoiding the specifics...

[wisechoice]

8. Or he should have zingers like

"if i cannot understand where you stand how can the public understand your position.. "

[NCLefty]

4. I mostly agree

that Romney will dodge and weave, change the subject or spin it around; He's as talented a pol as any.

I almost just think if Obama had seemed more passionate it wouldn't have come across so bad. He could utter the same words but like he reeeeally cared about them. Look into our eyes (the camera) and act like you mean it, and like it *matters* urgently.

[TomCADem]

6. Agree With You. President Obama should focus more on the optics, then trying to fact check Romney

I think President Obama got bogged down in trying to be "right" and explaining himself. Make your point, contradict Romney, but don't count on Romney acknowledging his error or lie. Romney is the most skilled liar I have ever seen, which is why even Republicans don't trust him. He won the RNC primaries by attacking right wing candidates from the right because he has no shame. Look at immigration. He attacked Perry and Gingrich from the right, then is now attacking President Obama from the left by promising immigration reform, which he never ever details.

[mnhtnbb]

9. Who'd have thought that President Obama would be in agreement with Newt Gingrich?

Gingrich: ‘You Cannot Debate Somebody Who Is Dishonest’

http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/politics/2012/01/gingrich-you-cannot-debate-somebody-who-is-dishonest/

It's interesting that Gingrich describes his reaction in the same way, with some of the same body language
that President Obama displayed. Turning away and not looking at someone whose behavior is shameful
may be an instinctive response--according to some scientists who study behavior.



"Romney's performance was one that's probably unprecedented in its dishonesty," senior adviser David Plouffe told reporters.

<snip>

The president opted against "serial fact-checking with Governor Romney, which can be a never-ending, exhausting pursuit," Axelrod said. "Obviously, going forward, we're going to have to look at this, and we're going to have make some adjustments."

http://www.cnn.com/2012/10/04/politics/debate-main/index.html