"I think it's fair to say I was just too polite."

[WilliamPitt]

- President Obama, quoted by the Huffington Post, on why he didn't do well in the first presidential debate.

...and then there's this:

Gibbs: Obama Will Bring ‘Different Game’ To Next Debate

Robert Gibbs, adviser to the Obama campaign, promised supporters that President Obama would turn in a very different debate performance in his second debate against Mitt Romney and to channel their "nervous energy" into helping re-elect President Obama during an appearance on MSNBC's "Morning Joe" Wednesday.

"This president's going to bring a much different game to this debate," Gibbs said, referring to the Oct. 16 presidential debate. "I guarantee you you'll see an energetic, enthusiastic president in that next debate."

(snip)

"I would tell them to take whatever nervous energy they have and whatever hand-wringing they will do over the next 24 to 48 hours and put that into a real effort to get this president re-elected," Gibbs said, referring to Obama supporters. "Get out there and register somebody to vote. Go to a phone bank. Make sure you tell your friends what's at sake in this race… Let's go out there and stop hand wringing and get to work."

Link: http://livewire.talkingpointsmemo.com/entry/gibbs-obama-will-bring-different-game-to-next

OK.

If that's the attitude they're bringing to the next debate, my mood is substantially improved.

No More Mr. Nice Guy.

Biden has to park it deep tomorrow, but I am confident he will do just that.

Three Tuesdays + six days and counting.

The race starts now.

[TwilightGardener]

1. See, that's the spirit.

[Skink]

2. Obama should use words like Liar and Scoundrel

[JustAnotherGen]

4. I betcha

Biden does . . . I think he won't 'come at Ryan' - I think he's going to smile that big Joe Smile and and very quietly make his points.

At some point when he smiles and makes one of those statements he needs to follow it with - BTW - that wasn't a gaffe.

*stops smiling*


"I meant it and I'll say it again."


*Start smiling again*

[villager]

3. Somewhat describes your whole first term, Mr. President. We need Term Two to be much different

...if the Republic is to have a whisper of a chance at some kind of thriving, sustainable future...

[Bake]

5. Park it deep! Yeah, Joe, park your boot deep in Lyin' Ryan's ASS!!

Park it deep!

Bake

[Baitball Blogger]

6. This amuses me, well, not really.

The mother of a Repub friend always said that Democratic candidates are mean-spirited and are too quick to mudsling. Of course, she's a Republican (though she's in denial). Back in the W years I told her that Dems were not aggressive enough. When this debate took place last week, I thought, this is EXACTLY how she wanted Democrats to be. Passive but informative. And sure enough, you know she counted it as a loss.

You can't please them. Obama came across EXACTLY the way that all the anti-mudslingers wanted to see their candidates. And guess what? It doesn't win elections. Something we all have known for a long time, but Obama now has all the authority to go in balls to the walls in the next debate without taking criticism.

[aint_no_life_nowhere]

7. I hope that's what it was

My recollection was that Obama was tentative and stuttering. My impression was that he wasn't familiar enough with Romney's previous positions to call him out for his lies. I hope this time he's done his homework so that he can repeat Romney's lies back verbatim including the date and place where he said them. Obama has got to undress Romney on national television, giving him no place to hide.

[progressoid]

8. What? I read on DU that the polite thing was his strategery.

How could DU be wrong about that?

[nadinbrzezinski]

9. History is prologue Will

incumbents usually lose the first debate...

[Mack_the_Turtle]

10. Here, there, and everywhere

That line from the Beatles song (Here, There, and Everywhere) keeps going through my mind as I read about Romney's every moving positions on abortion, foreign policy, health care . . ..

Might it be a good "zinger" for the next debate? Talk about Romney "here" on abortion, then "there," then changing his position twice in 24-hours, meaning that he's "everywhere." How can you know what he'd do as President, being the follow up?

[Angry Dragon]

12. Welcome

[bigtree]

11. so the expectations game actually works in his favor now

'drama' Obama will rock their worlds

or something like that

and, there's going to be a narrative in place (established before the last debate, and solidified by the Obama campaign) of 'Romney's lying.'

I know it's probably not your view, but I actually think the President benefits from the press taking some ownership or responsibility for the fact-check. Sure, Obama can and should take it to the hoop this time and dunk it; but, the officiating should be alert to the fouls Romney took liberty with (in the press' faces) in the last contest.