Romney practices for the next debate w/ Pres Obama by answering questions from folks at a town hall

[Tx4obama]

Skip to the 18:30 minute mark for the Q & A part.


I thought it would be interesting to see how Romney does when folks ask him questions at a town hall because the next Obama-Romney debate will have a town hall format.

I don't know how telling this is because the folks in the audience asking the questions might have been planted,

but it seems like Romney doesn't have a clue what the question at the 25:40 mark is about.


During 2008 I watched almost all of Obama's rallies and town halls, this is my first attempt at watching Rmoney.

[CthulhusEvilCousin]

1. Romney will

stack the audience with Mormons and GOPers. He learned this lesson during the primary debates when people were heavily cheering Newt or other individuals in the race with him not getting any kind of a return. The following debate, I heard from people on the ground that Romney had brought in a lot of people to fill the audience. I recall hearing conservatives complain "Why are people cheering so hard for Romney?", and the truth was that they were all props from the Romney campaign, except they had a pulse. I then recently read another story about Mitt saying that he wouldn't do the interview with Telemundo (or whoever it was) unless they let him bring his supporters to fill the audience.

So, I'm pretty sure that everywhere Mitt goes, he is stacking the audience in order to get the correct response, as he understands that perception is what makes something a victory or defeat. When he lost the first debate against Newt, he realized it was because of the positive responses the audience gave, which in turn influenced the talking-heads and the voters at home. I wonder, then, if he can get away with this in the national debate? It's possible.

[Brother Buzz]

2. That's what he does for HIS controlled events. He can't pack this audience

Tickets for each debate are controlled by the Commission on Presidential Debates and are extremely limited.

[JI7]

6. he did during the Primary debates, but yeah, they weren't as controlled and limited as these pres

ones are supposed to be.

but i noticed how he always got way more cheering and applause than the actual support he got. most of his wins resulted from newt and santorum splitting the vote. and even in many cases like some southern states he came in behind both.

[Tx4obama]

3. OMG! At the 51 minute mark he tells a story of going to the wrong house for a party/dinner

... and he tells the story of meeting the Navy Seal Glen Doherty there at the dinner (the SEAL that the mother asked Romney not to talk about anymore)

[Brother Buzz]

8. Glen Doherty's buddy tells a intersting story of that chance encounter

Glen Doherty's friend, Elf Ellefsen, also spoke with Seattle's KIRO, expressing similar disagreement with Romney's mention of his friend's death.

According to Ellefsen, Doherty found his exchange with Romney to be "insincere and stale."

"Mitt Romney approached him ultimately four times, using this private gathering as a political venture to further his image," Ellefsen told KIRO. "He kept introducing himself as Mitt Romney, a political figure. The same introduction, the same opening line ... (Doherty) said it was pathetic and comical to have the same person come up to you within only a half hour, have this person reintroduce himself to you, having absolutely no idea whatsoever that he just did this 20 minutes ago, and did not even recognize Glen's face."

[Scootaloo]

4. "I'll look at that particular piece of legislation."

Mr. Romney, as a man seeking hte highest office in hte land, don't you think it behooves you to know more about the motherfucking national defense Authorization Act than the audience? or the readers of DU? Christ's sake man.

[tomm2thumbs]

5. watched it all

He's got his game on that's for sure... being personable and blatantly promising ponies for everyone... and hiding what he REALLY stands for without someone calling him out on it or confronting him is his power position, and this video shows how it works when no one questions him on facts.

Frankly, if Obama doesn't call him out on his false convictions now being dispensed, even in a town hall setting which they say is less conducive, is going to be a hard battle to keep some undecideds from crossing over after watching this performing seal.

They've obviously worked in a few narratives, some tell-us-a-story snippets, and some pat, safe answers to hard questions. Unfortunately, he's able to say anything he wants because no one can hold him to what he is saying.... EXCEPT his record in Massachusetts, at Baine, AND the Olympics. Job creation in Mass. - bottom of the barrel. Medical mandates are okay when I say. I want jobs for Americans (except when I made a profit at Baine sending them overseas) We should all be self-sufficient and not feed off government (except when I am working on the Olympics and I want the money for my stuff) Etc, etc.

Just in watching this video, he's giving everyone the 'rah rah USA' speech without much detail, with no measure of his ever-changing positions, and without so much as an iota of depth or a challenge. You know, just how they spoonfeed folks on FoxNews.

Obama needs to challenge, challenge and challenge. Because when someone lies to your face and doesn't get held accountable - they win.

[maddiemom]

7. Romney is so full of it, warping everything he can to his advantage.

It used to be said of Richard Nixon: would you buy a used car from this man? Obviously no. Mitt Romney is the perfect slick guy that you WOULD buy a used car from, and regret it in short order. Without Nixon's paranoia, Romney seems more and more to have little or no conscience. Nixon was without conscience politically, but truly wanted to be remembered as a great statesman. Romney just seems to want the office as his entitled due.

[andym]

9. Yikes. He's actually comes off well in this format --because he panders and misrepresents easily

And this kind of format is not one that allows one to call out an opponent very well. That means we are facing a debate where it will be very hard for either candidate to "win."