Topic category: Elections - Politics, Polling, etc.
Something Rotten about the Debates and Debate Commission
Reflecting on the first three debates of the 2012 elections, something seems very peculiar about the second (Vice Presidential) and third (second Presidential) debates.
Whereas the first debate was well-moderated and consisted of both candidates having sufficient time to address and respond to a number of key issues without significant interruption or badgering by the moderator, the next two debates were quite different.
In terms of both interruptions and time to speak, the Republican candidates were both the recipient of the short end of the stick. Biden interrupted Ryan 82 times and had several more minutes of speaking time. In fact, the disparity in speaking time was even worse, as the Ryan clocked time included Biden's seemingly constant interruptions (almost one per minute!). Time and again, during the second presidential debate, Romney was prevented from responding to Obama's blatant misrepresentations.
In both the second and third debates, Raddatz and Crowley repeatedly prevented the Republican candidate from completing discussion and response to issues being debated. Time and again Raddatz would interrupt Ryan's response and badger him. This was a deliberate tactic to throw Ryan off his train of thought. Meanwhile Biden was engaging in childish antics by giving his impression of a Cheshire cat. Crowley interrupted Romney 28 times, preventing Romney from countering particularly blatant nonsense spewed by Obama, thus shielding the President from serious rebuttal.
But there is something even more insidious than the time differential that has always favored the Democrat candidate or the badgering by moderators in debates two and three. The content questions in the second debate seemed to be known to Biden. Time and again, Biden shot out of the gate with a canned response that was clearly programmed into him over the six days he was sequestered in preparation for the debate. Biden simply is not that smart an individual to have intellectual command of the material he repeated during the debate. This facet was overlooked with all the hoopla over Biden's childish antics and highly inappropriate smirks and laughter during what should have been serious topics of discussion.
The third debate was also a little too scripted. Obama was confident because he knew that the worst of the lies he routinely delivers as part of his campaign strategy could be made when he was scheduled to be the last speaker of that round. And, true to form, Crowley prevented any retort by Romney, saying on several occasions that Romney would have "plenty of time later" to speak to that issue, but of course, he did not. At least not until the debate was over. Then and only then did he have plenty of time, but of course it was too late by then.
It is tough enough to have to debate someone who you know is going to lie through his teeth (as does Obama). It is a characteristic of narcissists that they lie as a matter of course. Their lies are their "truth." Obama not only lies, he adamantly clings to his lies, and repeats them again and again. When Obama isn't lying outright, he is telling half-truths (e.g., Romney's tax rate). Romney had to deal with Obama's lies as well as a moderator who was, inappropriately, far too involved with shaping the discussion, apparently to shield Obama from any response to his lies.
It should be emphasized that in the first debate, Jim Lehrer was outstanding in his role as moderator and there is no question that we saw the real candidates best in the first debate. That explains why the Left was so upset with Lehrer (for failing to run interference for Obama).
Now, what really is going on at the Presidential Debate Commission that these unfair and bullying tactics are allowed to be used?
Well, consider this from The Obama Timeline by Don Fredrick.
Yes, I think things are in much better focus now.
I can just imagine how the final debate will go. Romney had better be very well prepared to deal with the onslaught that will be launched against him. Despite the miserable failure of Obama's foreign policy, there will be no real difficult questions for Obama despite his lapses that tragically cost our Ambassador to Libya and three other Americans their lives. And you can rest assured that nobody will ask Obama why he didn't ensure there was adequate security/protection for American foreign service personnel in North Africa and the Middle East as the anniversary of 9/11/01 approached.
Be prepared to witness once more Obama being given more time to speak and having to deal with far fewer interruptions and badgering than Romney.
Bob Webster
WEBCommentary (Editor, Publisher)
Biography - Bob Webster
Author of "Looking Out the Window", an evidence-based examination of the "climate change" issue, Bob Webster, is a 12th-generation descendent of both the Darte family (Connecticut, 1630s) and the Webster family (Massachusetts, 1630s). He is a descendant of Daniel Webster's father, Revolutionary War patriot Ebenezer Webster, who served with General Washington. Bob has always had a strong interest in early American history, our Constitution, U.S. politics, and law. Politically he is a constitutional republican with objectivist and libertarian roots. He has faith in the ultimate triumph of truth and reason over deception and emotion. He is a strong believer in our Constitution as written and views the abandonment of constitutional restraint by the regressive Progressive movement as a great danger to our Republic. His favorite novel is Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand and believes it should be required reading for all high school students so they can appreciate the cost of tolerating the growth of unconstitutional crushingly powerful central government. He strongly believes, as our Constitution enshrines, that the interests of the individual should be held superior to the interests of the state.
A lifelong interest in meteorology and climatology spurred his strong interest in science. Bob earned his degree in Mathematics at Virginia Tech, graduating in 1964.