With Biden Up Next to Debate, Obama’s Aides Plot Comeback

[alp227]

Source: NYT

President Obama’s campaign is working feverishly to restore its momentum after a lackluster debate performance last week, an effort that began with a conference call 10 minutes before the debate even ended and led to new advertisements, a rewritten stump speech, a carefully timed leak and a reversal of months-old strategy.

Perhaps most important as the president’s team struggles to put his campaign back on track is a renewed effort to win the three remaining debates, starting with Thursday’s face-off between Vice President Joseph R. Biden Jr. and Representative Paul D. Ryan. Mr. Biden moved into a Delaware hotel on Sunday for three days of debate camp.

Under the tutelage of David Axelrod, the president’s chief strategist who is personally overseeing the preparations, Mr. Biden will be counseled on how to avoid Mr. Obama’s mistakes and even correct them with a more aggressive prosecution of the Republican ticket. Mr. Axelrod’s involvement highlights the stakes the Obama campaign places on the debate, and Mr. Biden has been reading “Young Guns,” the book co-written by Mr. Ryan, and practicing attack lines that Mr. Obama avoided.

The focus on Mr. Biden comes as the campaign tries to diagnose what went wrong in Denver and what to do about it. Advisers had seen two presidents during practice debates, one who had been listless and passive two nights before and another energetic and aggressive the next night. It turned out the former was the one who showed up in Denver. He kept looking down and was not using the lines they had practiced assailing Mitt Romney, who kept the president on the defensive and presented a forceful case against his re-election.

Read more: http://www.nytimes.com/2012/10/08/us/politics/biden-up-next-obamas-aides-plot-comeback.html?pagewanted=all

[msongs]

1. next time romney tells the SAME lie 10x in one debate, at least refute it ONCE nt

[oswaldactedalone]

2. "Not using the lines they had practiced assailing Mitt Romney"

is the take home from that article. What the hell happened Prez and don't let it happen again.

[MBS]

19. " " " " " "n/t

[torotoro]

20. What lines?

Dump the taking points and just fight back from the heart. Romney is having a field day making voters think he is the Liberal and Obama is some crazy right-wing nut. Crazy world.

[Drunken Irishman]

3. Comeback? So, they're losing now?

[treestar]

9. And why not train the President for his next debate?

What has Biden got to do with it? Strange article.

[plethoro]

18. Exactly..................................nft

dddddddd

[meadowlark5]

4. Why do they give away their plans?

I never understand when strategists or advisors tell what they are planning on doing. Do they think the Mitt-twit's campaign isn't reading it too?

Yeah, what is with that not using the rehearsed lines? After hearing that and him not doing what was rehearsed really makes one wonder if there wasn't something very personal that wasn't taking his focus.

[BlueMTexpat]

8. Well, it's true that - unlike Rmoney - the Prez also has a day job

and, for one thing, the situation between Turkey and Syria was definitely looking dicey and could possibly have blown up big time.

And that's just what we know about.

Perhaps he simply wasn't feeling well - but when I watched him, it wasn't so much that he was "listless" (the new meme apparently), it was that he looked taken aback by the sheer outrageousness of Romney's shameless lying and manic discourtesy.

After dealing with the GOP for four years and having seen shapeshifter Romney in action for months, if not years, I concur that the Prez shouldn't have been so taken aback, whatever the reason. As things have happened since, Big Bird is still the principal takeaway from the debate for most and now that the Rmoney lies have provided and will continue to provide ample fodder for Obama campaign ads, I frankly don't give a damn who thinks that Obama lost. I simply agree to disagree with their perception of "win" for many reasons.

It's the long run that counts. And, so long as we GOTV for the Prez, the pundits or anyone else can say whatever they want about the CO debate, because the polls have not moved significantly in Rmoney's direction since.

[JudyM]

16. Unfortunately, that new Gallup poll has R moving up

http://www.democraticunderground.com/1014259385

Not a good way to start the morning. But agreed, it's all about GOTV, hopefully the next debates will fire the base back up and grab some independents.

[BlueMTexpat]

21. True - but I understand that Gallup

is not the most favorable pollster to Dems in any event. It's still a pretty small bounce and not a game change moment.

Many of us have already voted - for Obama. So Obama could actually stand on his head or spout poetry (not that I recommend that he do either) from now every day until the election and our votes will not change.

So long as those of us who support the Prez and have always supported him are not swayed by anything Rmoney does, our Prez should be OK. Rmoney is absolutely Mr Etch-A-Sketch who will say and do anything because he has no core principles whatsoever. In my rather long experience, the majority of "independents" generally vote R whatever the Dems do mainly because they think that voting "R" makes them look "independent." I've never understood that "logic." Maybe it's because they get more attention from pollsters and media, god only knows.

But there are some in the minority who take the time to inform themselves about the issues and it won't be debate performances that will sway them.

[jtuck004]

5. "... Mr. Biden will be counseled on how to avoid Mr. Obama’s mistakes ..."

I don't think the words "Joe Biden debating" and "stands there looking at his paper" have ever been in the same sentence. Or ever will be.

Will his "counselor" will have 39 years experience?.

[AdHocSolver]

6. If President Obama could lose the election because of one debate, we are so screwed.

Especially when his opponent is a mean-spirited, lying, flip-flopping, job eliminating, tax avoiding, two-faced, bigoted, smirking, out-of-touch, condescending, unfeeling, self-centered, dimwit.

Did I leave anything out?

[beac]

22. Your forgot:

animal-torturing
vet-insulting
chickenhawking
and
felony-committing


But it is a HUGE list to keep track of, so who could blame you ?

[davidwparker]

7. Biden will be good at this.

A noun. A verb. 9/11.

Let's hope Biden does not hold back due to Ryan's youth and inexperience.

[Democat]

10. A wake up call for those of you who think that losing the first debate was the secret plan

Obama was simply off his game.

We can still win, but it was not part of the plan to lose the first debate.

[sendero]

11. Do people really think that?

Nobody intentionally looks nervous and detached during a debate. If you think Obama is playing some kind of long term game, you are too clever by half.

On the plus side, Biden won't take shit from nobody. People like to diss Biden for being a loose cannon, but frankly I think most of the criticism is misplaced. If anyone can take down that fucktard weasel Ryan, it will be Joe Biden.

[GOTV]

17. Only those who can't admit to themselves that Obama has some flaws

[spicegal]

12. Biden needs to be prepared for anything and prepared to adapt quickly. Clearly, Romney used the

"Gish Gallop" strategy, which is difficult to deflect, but can be done. Ryan could do something else, but either way, lies should be called out, not ignored. Perhaps both could take some lessons from Jon Stewart, who debated O'Reilly. I know they're not at liberty to use comedy, but he did a masterful job of calling O'Reilly on his BS, putting issues in context, and framing the real debate.

[bucolic_frolic]

13. David Axelrod will set things straight

Obama looked tired, stressed

from the years in that office

The only risk with Biden is gaffes

But Ryan is even more prone in that department

[hexola]

14. Could they not seat Ann and the Romney boys right in front of the prez next time!

That had to be annoying...next one is a town hall format - so probably not an issue.

I think Obama will do better in this format.

[meow2u3]

15. Biden ought to use the Gish Gallop in reverse

That is, unleash a torrent of rapid-fire, unpleasant truths about the GOTP, at a pace too fast for rAyn to make up lies.