Obama campaign: Adjustments will be made in debate strategy

[Freddie Stubbs]

Source: The Hill

Adjustments will have to be made in President Obama's debate strategy, his advisers said Thursday, the morning after the president stumbled in his first showdown with Mitt Romney.

David Axelrod, Obama’s senior campaign strategist, said they are going to take "a hard look" at Obama’s debate performance and that they’ll “have to make some judgments about where to draw the lines in these debates and how to use our time.”

“It’s like a playoff in sports,” Axelrod said to reporters on a conference call, adding that there are strategic judgments “that have to be made and we’ll make them.”

Appearing at a campaign rally in Denver on Thursday morning, Obama sought to crank up the tempo on his campaign, taking an immediate shot at Romney.

Read more: http://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/260283-team-obama-adjustments-will-be-made-in-debate-strategy

[LynneSin]

1. That's the first dumb mistake Obama has made in this debate

Why?

He did great last night. As another poster mentioned - 'Rope-a-Dope'.

The most important debate is the last one and by that debate Mitt is going to be seen as the biggest fraud to ever run as a presidential candidate.

[gordianot]

8. The originator of rope a dope now has Parkinson's from taking too many head blows.

He won at a price. No more of that strategy from now on.

[montanto]

14. It's a metaphor, not actual boxing.

Romney exposed both his ignorance, and his unwillingness to demonstrate how he will make the changes that he claims he will make in a flurry of blind punches. The next debate will need take advantage of that exposure. Romney will be forced to confront the real issues in these debates. Whether he answers them or not is another issue, but if he doesn't, he will pay for it. I'm positive that Obama has a long game here, and that Romney does not.

[gordianot]

47. Taking a metaphorical beating takes a toll year after year.

If 2010 was some sort of grand strategy to reveal Republicans all it did was let the fox in the hen house (another metaphor).

[naaman fletcher]

13. I disagree, he was horrible

Sure Romney was full of shit. But the point in a debate is that when your opponent is full of shit, you smack them down with reality. Obama didn't do that.

[Vietnameravet]

18. right!!

Does not have to get nasty but there are ways of attacking with a smile and a chuckle that are very effective...

Last night was sickening...but there is always a tomorrow!! and it will be better as long as we can take a good look at our mistakes..
The good news is that all the lying Romney did is not going unnoticed...

[Atypical Liberal]

31. I agree. n/t

[Vietnameravet]

21. Rope-a-dope doesnt mean just taking endless punches..sometimes you gotta fight!

[LynneSin]

26. I'd agree if this was the only debate

we've got 2 more and I suspect we'll see alot more of Obama as we get closer to the election.

Today was letting Mitt spew lies - it was all about Mitt's lies.

[underthematrix]

36. I agree

the President did great. There was no way he could come out swinging in the first debate. Now PBO can go for broke and everyone will be onboard. If he had gone all in in the first debate, they would have accused him of beating up on the ole white dude. PBO played it right - that's how a rope a dope works.

[PatrynXX]

37. prepared to what?

Obama was prepared to have a serious debate. Again it's impossible to debate with fiction. And mitt was all fiction. Mitt figured the debates were a joke. Having Huffpo in big huge letters declaring Willard won the debate made a joke out of Huffpo. Last nights Mitt Romney win was about as fake as the Packers loss with fake refs..

[frylock]

43. obama is smart enough to change strategy midgame..

this is a lame ass excuse. you change your strategy to meet your opponents attack.

[onenote]

46. So do you think Axlerod is lying?

Your post, and others I've seen here, seem to suggest that President Obama's performance was part of some three dimensional chess strategy. Is Axlerod's statement part of that strategy too, or an indication that they really didn't intend for the immediate result of the debate to be negative reviews for the President and positive reviews for Romney.

Yes, Romney twisted the facts, lied, distorted etc etc etc. And hopefully the message regarding the substance of his performance, as opposed to the style, will begin to cut through the post debate assessments that suggest a revitalization of the Romney campaign. But its not as if Romney lied because the President adopted a passive approach. Indeed, he would have lied just as much, if not more, and just as loudly, if not more loudly, if the President had been more assertive.

I don't think this debate is the end of the world, but attempting to spin it as a positive, even if Romney's duplicity becomes the top shelf point in the narrative (which certainly hasn't happened yet), is silly. Axlerod is right -- the President needs to make some adjustments in how he presents his case and rebuts Romney's. I would be shocked if the narrative going into the second presidential debate is "will Romney lie again". Rather, its going to be -- can President Obama get back his mojo. Bet on it.

[Drum]

2. So that was a wasted round.

Forgive me, all, but I expect better than this.

[Oddman]

3. Weak performance by the President

It was an uninspired, apathetic performance by Obama. Seemed like he could have used a dose of Adderall . . .

[DaveJ]

6. Just guessing but I'd think the POTUS is on a different schedule

In addition to campaigning, I envision the President speaking to world leaders around the globe, throughout all hours of the night. In addition, Romney is probably one of the least important people he is required to talk to. But at the same time I gathered the sense of concern over the prospects of his winning.

[PatrynXX]

38. never had adderall

Ritalin yes adderall no. the one that starts with a C. give me a bad heart. had to go back to ritalin

[Kteachums]

4. I have to offer a quote from my friend, Marlene "Romney is the fly and Obama is the spider"!

I hope that will help console my Democratic friends today!

[gordianot]

5. The turning the other cheek thing does not work Obama campaign should know that by now.

When debating an etch a sketch it is understandable you never know what you get now they know what to expect.

[oliverrams1]

7. MSNBC

Is making me sick. REV AL is the only one standing up for the POTUS.

[Freddie Stubbs]

9. Encouraging bad strategy is not 'standing up' for someone

[Oddman]

10. Exactly

[Vietnameravet]

19. seriously

Allowing someone to continue making mistakes is not supporting them..

[Monk06]

11. I thought the trip to Boulder Dam the other day was a bit odd. Maybe the maestro was a bit over

confident or thought a rest was better than last minute cramming.

One things for sure on the second debate he has to come right out and point out in detail Romney's lying about his own platform.

Mitt is using the classic Goebbels strategy, keep lying until the lie buries the truth. I'm not calling him a fascist but it is an historical fact that the big lie actually works.

[Phoonzang]

12. They better do more than adjust...

Full overhaul is warranted I think. Or maybe some fucking coffee.

[DaveJ]

15. I'm guessing this might be when Obama normally sleeps

As I mentioned above, if he's speaking with world leaders, he might do that starting at that at 3am. Michelle has stated she gets up at 4:30am. At any rate, 7 or 8 might very well be when he normally goes to sleep. Romney obviously gets beauty sleep because he cares about nothing but himself. Serious issues around the world are, and should be, his first priority rather than speaking to this guy. I just hope that swing voters understand this. I think they do.

[Viva_La_Revolution]

24. nope, he's a night owl

http://seattletimes.com/html/politics/2009254973_apusobamanightowl.html

I've heard him say so a few times. I think they really weren't prepared for Romney to completely change his policy positions so blatently.

[Vietnameravet]

16. Hate to say it but

didn't we "negative ones'" have it right?

Lets not forget..we are all on the same team...

[torotoro]

41. Yup

And sadly when we make mention of it too often we end up getting banned on DU.

[Lars39]

17. To me, "Draw the lines and how to use our time" means they're going to decide which lies to refute

and when to start ignoring what Mitt is saying and just lay out the plans, get the message across. I so dearly want to see the look on Mittwitt's face when he realizes he is being ignored.

[JoePhilly]

20. The Obama team underestimated Mitt's willingness to lie openly ...

Mitt lied over and over, and in very blatant ways. I don't think the Obama campaign anticipated that tactic.

I got the sense that Mitt was daring Obama to call him a liar. Perhaps that's where Mitt's zingers were to be found ... some retort to being called a liar.

The "adjustment" should be to repeatedly point out Mitt's changing positions ... and the BIG lies he tells ... Romney threw so many lies at once last night, picking out the most insidious was tough to do in real time. Now having heard him lie, you can parse them and select the ones you want to smack him with.

[DaveJ]

22. Obama is taking the high road by not responding to lies

Condescending attitudes are what we have come to expect during debates, but Obama proved himself to be above that. Romney looked low and despicable overall, willing to say anything just to win. I'm happy Obama did not dwell on Romney's lies. It made Obama appear to be a better man, which I think everyone will come away from the debate thinking. It humanized Obama as well, which reminds me of the time Michelle said "he's snory and stinky" which caused people here to say it's all over, when instead he won by a landslide. All is well.

[Vietnameravet]

23. That is the same attitude John Kerry had regarding the Swiftboat attacks

look where that got him..

Respectfully disagree with you..

[DaveJ]

27. What swift-boating is happening exactly?

They've been trying to swiftboat Obama for 4 years and haven't succeeded. In this case Romney is lying about himself, making himself out to be a better man than he really is. Apples and oranges. The most important thing we can hope for is that swing voters are not idiots and can find out the facts for themselves. The ability to fact check on the internet was not as pervasive then as it is now. Ultimately lying will hurt Romney. But I agree with you in the sense that they should not let their guard down.

[JoePhilly]

30. Obama did respond to a number of Mitt's lies ... Mitt just continued to repeat them.

Obama called out Mitt's lie on the 5 trillion in tax cuts. Mitt simply repeated it.

Obama called out Mitt's lie on covering those with pre-existing conditions ... Mitt repeated it. Later, his campaign walked it back.

Obama called out Mitt's lie on the $716 in savings from Medicare reforms ... Mitt repeated that lie, by the count of one fact checker, 10 times.

Trying to respond to every lie Mitt told would be like taking a bucket out into a rain storm, and trying to catch every rain drop before it hits the ground.

That's what the Obama campaign did not anticipate ... Mitt's willingness to lie over and over, and over.

[Vietnameravet]

32. I dont doubt that but

he did not respond to several issues in a way that I would consider effective, forceful and memorable...without being nasty ..Obama played too much defense..

and you are right the campaign did not expect these lies...but they should have and they should have prepared a strategy for dealing with them..and for gods sake dont let Obama put his head down like that!!

[JoePhilly]

34. Obama should see Mitt as an evil person ... but he doesn't ... I doubt he sees anyone that way.

Obama seems always to allow for the possibility that the opponent really believes what he says.

Mitt is proving that he will say anything.

And I think they expected Mitt to lie some, but to repeat the lies over and over, not sure anyone could anticipate that. By repeating them over and over, Mitt tended to get the last word on many of them.

I suppose Obama's campaign should have anticipated that, but even then ... Mitt lied so much, so repetitively, if Obama tried to respond to all of them, each time, he'd never get to talk about anything else.

That might have been Mitt's strategy ... try to spend the entire debate on his lies. Just repeat them over and over, keep the water muddy, and avoid providing any details. It was pretty successful.

But I'm not sure it has legs.

[StarryNite]

42. The operation was a success in the things you stated but

the patient died. Clinton would have wiped the floor with romney. Obama can and should do it in the next debate. He seemed way off his game last night.

[skeewee08]

28. David Axelrod should not be saying this in public,

I know they are hearing the criticism from the Democrats and they need to reassure us, however don't leak to the media there will be changes. Now Robme will be on the offense instead of defense.

[frylock]

44. he WAS on the offensive last night. obama had set up his "prevent" defense..

playing not to lose is not a winning strategy.

[sellitman]

29. I hope Obama doesn't over react

Then he comes off as the angry Black man. That plays into their wheelhouse.

[Vietnameravet]

33. Good point

To me the best is Clinton because he kills them with a smile and a laugh..Roosevelt did that too..

[sellitman]

35. Clinton was and is a master politician

Obama is very charismatic but is too wonkish with facts. As we all know facts mean little to the low information voters on the right. I hope it means more to the undecided.

[RBInMaine]

40. No "overreacting", BUT, now it is time to HIT BACK good and hard. He's already doing it.

[frylock]

45. there's nothing angry about calling out patently obvious falsehoods..

what's the big deal if obama were to say "I'm sorry, that's just not true." anybody that wants to draw the ABM card likely wasn't going to vote for him anyway.

[SoapBox]

39. All I can say, is that he best do something...

It didn't even look like there was a strategy.