Obama and Romney sort of went mano a mano in their debate on the sixteenth, a bit of refreshment from the blinking lights and beeps signaling when a candidate can and cannot express himself. The vast majority of prepared questions were not asked, though one could never have believed they would be used. Some eleven or so questions were used and read by participants in the Town-Hall setting.
Moderator Candy Crowley of CNN (Obama cable-supporter) did fairly well although she made a critical error in trying to neutralize a humongous Obama lie concerning the Benghazi attack on 11 September. I watched as he and State Secretary Clinton appeared in the Rose Garden on 12 September and solemnly declared that the Benghazi slaughter was due to passions aroused by a film that Obama made sure everyone understood was made by an American.
Since he mentioned much later something about terrorists, Crowley tried to connect the two statements, which only made matters worse for Obama since it indicated that he knew the actual circumstances surrounding the Benghazi attack; otherwise, he would have had no reason to mention terrorists. He should admonish whoever prepared his remarks, and Crowley later acknowledged her perfidy in attempting to advance the cover-up.
Whereas President Nixon tried to cover up a simple burglary in 1974, Obama tried to cover up an incident in which four U.S. government employees were killed. Nixon resigned. Obama flies above an “insignificant” event like the betrayal of U.S. workers. Nixon was at the mercy of a democrat Congress, 56% majority in both houses, but Obama has the Senate in his pocket. Even worse, UN Ambassador Rice was sent out to perpetuate Obama’s humongous lie all over TV at least four days after the truth was known. Benghazi-gate is a much worse cover-up than Watergate, by any measure.
Strangely, as always seems the case, the moderators in the debates are culled from left- or far-left-leaning networks, respectively this year, Jim Lehrer (PBS), Martha Raddatz (ABC), Candy Crowley (CNN), and Bob Schieffer (CBS). The latter three networks are firmly in the Obama corner, as any valid consensus of observers would indicate. Indeed, a Raddatz ex-husband heads the Obama Federal Communications Commission and both she and her current husband have been connected to PBS, for which he is still a 30-year employee. ABC’s head guru, George Stephanopoulos, was Bill Clinton’s chief-of-staff.
Romney put to rest any question as to who is the better speaker, as well as who thinks better on his feet. Obama came out swinging but he was backed into his corner by Romney over such things as the energy quagmire, the huge added costs to the taxpayers of Obamacare, and the results of lowering tax-rates. Obama has no background in economics but Romney knows chapter-and-verse regarding the financial systems worldwide and how they work.
Romney’s fluidity of speech, sometimes almost too rapid-fire, contrasted sharply with Obama’s broken sentences, pauses apparently to decide what to say, and general unease, perhaps even anger. Romney kept battering Obama’s record for the last four years, particularly with respect to his energy policies, magnified by forcing Obama’s hand in the matter of his granting less than half the number of licenses for drilling, compared to preceding years.
Obama tried the lame claim that 5 million jobs had been created during his tenure but Romney shot it down by mentioning the 5 million jobs lost – zero accomplishment. Romney also bore down on the fact that the actual unemployment rate is 10.7%, for which Obama had no answer, not even arguiung the current untrue claim of 7.8%. Obama had no answer to Romney’s correct assertion that instead of cutting the deficit in half, as he promised in 2008, Obama has doubled it.
Perhaps the most amazing and totally unexpected statement made by Obama was that he took responsibility for the now-known denial of on-site requests for beefed-up security for U.S. workers in Libya that were made over a substantial period. State Secretary Clinton had already thrown herself under the bus for that debacle in her statement in Peru the day before the debate. Did Obama not know that, or was he just pushed to the wall by Romney and had to morph into Trumanism (the buck stops here). Throwing himself on his sword was totally out of character, this from the guy who said policemen acted stupidly and supposedly has no clue about the “Fast and Furious” botched U.S.-to-Mexico gun-running scheme that has cost many lives.
This reminds of how things are done in this administration. Obama ordered the U.S. military to carry out an unprovoked attack on Libya, a sovereign nation, last year and announced his action in Brazil, whereupon he went on vacation for nearly a week while Libyans were dying. Clinton took responsibility for Libya but announced it well over a month after the fact not in Washington but in Peru, safely out of the country. This is exponential weakness. After his Rose Garden deception, Obama took off for Las Vegas and points west (one activity a silly talk-show – entertainment) while Americans were dead and the Libya situation required the commander-in-chief, as Obama often alludes to himself, to be on the job in Washington. Disgusting!
This election is a turning point in the nation’s history. Will the U.S. slide into socialism conducted by weak-kneed leaders, or will it return to its roots?
And so it goes.
Jim Clark
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