Why Mitt Romney can not win the debate Wednesday night

[BadGimp]

The reason is a very simple. Wednesday night is THE defining moment of his life to date. All the marbles are on the table, everything is at stake and this is the only moment that matters for his future and his ambitions.

In competitive sports athletes often refer to this monument as "winning time". It has many names, but in the end it always means the same thing. When we as individuals find ourselves at a moment of greatest diversity or challenge we always revert to our authentic selves. That is where we draw our greatest strength.

Mitt Romney's authentic self is simply not going to be enough. We can each pontificate as to what we surmise is Gov Romney's authentic self, but we all have seen that part of our President, time after time after time. Remember the race baiting speech before the 2008 elections, how about the recent Democratic Convention? Now think of that contrast between the two men in your mind for a moment. It quickly becomes clear that Mitt has no deeper place in his self to go to bring forth the needed well of energy, vision, hope and leadership required to rise to this great moment. He has never had to. It's always been pre-ordained or provided for him. Contrast that with Obama's past and you clearly see how their lives have shaped them and made them very different men with very different capabilities.

Watch for it. That moment in the debate were it becomes clear that the zingers are not enough, or the other gimmicks they are training him for run their course and he's left standing there with just himself, his authentic self to draw from. Obama will be kind if not even generous in the moment, but make no mistake he will finish Romney right then and there. Because that's what a winner does when it's winning time.

[NYC_SKP]

1. I hope he pees his pants uncontrollably from sheer fear.

I'd pay good money to see that.

[mopinko]

12. me too.

[TroyD]

2. Jennifer Granholm says that Mitt Romney WILL win the first debate

So the reality is that no one really knows until it happens, and there are a million different predictions out there.

[rhett o rick]

14. So your point is that "the reality is" that no one knows the future? Well duh! nm

[Scootaloo]

28. Depends on the meaning of "win."

My perdiction is that he could shit himself and do nothing but sing the theme for "Loveboat" the whole night, and every media outlet will call it a win... Just to have some dramatic play at "could he turn things around" in the horse race narrative. He'll fail the next two just as miserably and be called on it, but hte first one is going to be a fawning orgy from the media.

[INdemo]

31. No need to get the cart before the horse but

I checked out Jennifer Granholm's show and didnt see anywhere she predicted the winner..but she did talk about the debate stand in(s)

http://current.com/shows/the-war-room/videos/debate-prep-for-the-romney-obama-matchup

then here is Jennifer Grahholms video clip of Sarah Silverman

http://current.com/shows/the-war-room/videos/twr20120928-rochkind

[Merlot]

44. She did an "extra" segment which was on apple tv's Current channel

She did say she expects Obama to loose the first debate. She made very good points about the fact that rmoney has spent the past few months getting a lot of debate experience during the primaries (although she did say his opponents were riding in the "clown car&quot . It's been 4 years since Obama has debated. But the biggest reason she gives is that the media needs a horse race and will pretty much declare rmoney the winner.

[TheCowsCameHome]

3. Ann is suggesting Mitt may be losing his marbles.

I don't know about the table, though.

[lunatica]

4. I'm not stupid but I tell you

I can't even imagine where anyone gets the idea that Mitt is in any way a match, much less better than President Obama. It doesn't matter what spin the Republican pundits and FOX puts on it. Obama's worst day is a thousand times better than Mitt's best day.

That there's any question, especially on the Democratic side is astounding to me.

[speedoo]

10. I agree.

It may be spun afterwards that Romney did well, but I don't see it happening.

[NICO9000]

27. Yup!

I love how they've tried to lower expectations for Mittens. Even Ryan came out today and questioned Romney's chances of winning the debate.

I look at it like this: Mitt was in 20+ debates during their Rethug primary circus. All of his opponents (save for Huntsman perhaps) were batshit crazy people with world views that should have frightened anybody with a soul. Now, he has to take on a great debater and maybe his ego tells him he can win, but his little peabrain will cancel out his over-inflated sense of himself.

I just hope the MSM doesn't pat him on the head on Thursday and try make excuses for what is certain to be a debacle for this douche.

[CthulhusEvilCousin]

29. This will sound

bigoted of me, but from personal experience I know that Mormon missionaries are some of the most dishonest people on the planet. Park Romney, Mitt's ex-Mormon cousin, has said that Mitt is a walking talking manifestation of his religion. He is Temple Recommended Mormon who has been knee-deep in the obfuscations and brainwashing of that church.

To demonstrate what the LDS is, be aware that the LDS have edited their own Book of Mormon by more than 3,000 times. This was the book they claimed Joseph Smith translated word for word from Reformed Egyptian to King James English. The Mormon Book of Abraham is a confirmed fraud, as the Egyptian Papyri Smith bought from a travelling Mummy show were examined and demonstrated to be standard Egyptian burial rites back during the sixties. Smith "translated" them back during a time in history where no one could call his bluff. The LDS, however, continue to push the lie that Smith didn't really translated from those Papyri, it was just "inspiration," despite the fact the Book of Abraham itself says over and over again "this is a TRANSLATION of the words of Abraham written by his own hand." Of course, to kids and your average Mormon, they do not even bother with this explanation, but demand that they only read LDS approved sources. Their "Prophets" and other leaders have throughout the years pushed the most racist and idiotic of dogmas which, until about the seventies and even afterwards, they pushed openly, but now deny they even exist. Any bit of evidence is always explained away as being a "scribal" error, even when you are quoting straight from the mouth of some Mormon Prophet.

In my experience with the truly devout Mormon Missionary, they ALL behave the way Mitt Romney does. They will sit there and lie, straight to your face, about what the LDS teaches. I had one Mormon even claim they believe the Trinity, when their own website demonstrates they deny that and actually believe in three separate gods. Park Romney says it is a consequence of the culture within Mormonism, which essentially teaches "milk before meat,' that it is okay to LIE for religious reasons as a means to an end. Park also says that Mormonism is also quite relativistic, insomuch that "belief" is determined by a unverifiable "testimony." IOW, if you FEEL you are correct, then you are correct. This is how I think Romney is able to basically change positions and lie about them at will, because at that very moment he "feels" that is true. Rich and famous Mormons are even invited to receive a secret "second anointing," which very literally (in their religion) clears them from all sins and responsibilities by sealing them to guaranteed godhood after death. This is an anointing that not every Mormon is allowed to have, though which Mitt Romney himself has most certainly had. Supposedly, it gives the Mormon special powers to open up the heavens (even more special powers than usual), gives them the power to bind and seal (like Popes) the wicked, and though they may be "buffeted in the flesh" by any evil act they may do, ultimately their salvation is guaranteed by the authority of the LDS Prophet due to their good works for the LDS.

Arguing with the devout Mormon, as a result of this, is like arguing with a very dishonest, wild-eyed space alien that thinks it is superior to you. Therefore, this might not be an easy debate.

[lunatica]

35. Thanks for a very educational post!

Welcome to DU!

Are you a Mormon or affiliated in any way with it? You seem to know a great deal. I would like to suggest that you start an OP with this response to me.

But to get back to the debate. It's obvious Romney not only lies with incredible ease, but he also feels absolutely no shame or foolish that he gets tripped up with his lies. What you say explains a lot of his arrogance and inability to relate to normal human beings. Yet lying isn't what the debates are about. They're a way the general public can contrast and compare the candidates based on their answers to specific questions asked by the moderator. They don't have the luxury of a true debate between two people. They will be asked specific questions and given two minutes to answer the moderator. They may be able to make jabs at each other but it's usually in an indirect way. The moderator will hold them to the time allotted to them and it will be civilized. The American people will decide on who won based on what they think is important. But since no one likes Romney, he will not win anyone over to liking him in any debate where he lies and changes his answers. Another thing he'll show is that he doesn't answer the questions. He picks a word or part of a phrase used by the person asking the questions and he'll just repeat his talking points ignoring the question. People will notice this penchant of his. And it will stand out just because Obama will be answering the questions. All of them. Even the tough ones.

[CthulhusEvilCousin]

41. I am not

I am not a Mormon, but I am a Christian who has dealt heavily with the LDS and other groups. The chiefest enemy to the Mormon Missionary is... anyone who takes even the slightest amount of time to learn their history! It is literally a religion that only takes 5 minutes to disprove! Now, that's not to say that ALL Mormons are bad, or that they are stupid, as many of us have delusions that we embrace without thinking, but my distaste for the 'Temple Worthy' (only 15 or so percent of Mormons receive Temple Recommendations, and still fewer get to the level that Mitt Romney has 'achieved' due to his wealth) and the institutions of that church is greatly justified based on the destruction they do to themselves and others around them. To really put this into perspective, think of Mormonism as the poor man's Scientology.

My post is too badly written to post as a thread, but perhaps later I'll setup a thread with supportive evidence with a break down of the LDS and its history later this week.

In the meantime, you should google for Park Romney's website (a second cousin to Mitt Romney, which isn't that impressive when you consider how many kids they tend to have), as he covers some of these issues that I mentioned, and the central problems in Mormonism that demonstrates how Mitt's worst qualities are definitely a product of that church. Though, the fact is, Mormonism is such an absurd religion there are literally thousands of issues with every aspect of that religion that can be discussed.

[pnwmom]

37. The problem is

how the media spins it. Gore clearly won his first debate with Bush, but by the next day, the Rethugs had the media in their pockets, and all the spin was that Gore was stiff, Gore rolled his eyeballs, etc.

And when Bush debated Kerry he wore an earpiece connected to a transmitter on his back, but the major news media were all unwilling to cover the story.

[TheCowsCameHome]

5. If Mitt thinks 90 minutes of zingers

will propel him to the White House, Ann is right - he's losing his mind.

[Ztolkins]

33. Hah...thanks for this comment

Made me laugh

[smorkingapple]

6. Obama won the referendum vs choice battle but needs to win it Wednesday

Romney wants everything to focus on Obama's record. Everything he says will be toward making Obama defend his record.

Obama needs to do that but also make sure people understand what they get by selecting Romney. It should not be hard to do, but if he falls into the trap of defending himself too much vs pointing out Romney's weaknesses, he can lose this.

I don't think he will though. I'll take my chances prepping against Kerry than Portman any day of the week. Kerry's been here before and knows how to win these debates. I'm sure he's prepped Obama well.

[TroyD]

7. Granholm says it's risky that Obama has reduced the number of debates he has with Kerry

Obama can benefit from the preparation.

[Ztolkins]

34. He really did that?

Or are they just saying he did?

[landolfi]

8. I agree, hadn't thought of it that way

and this is reassuring. Barack doesn't have to study to be himself. I've been anxious about all this debate talk and then I thought about how Barack has risen to every occasion--pundits said his 2008 speech at the Democratic Convention would be the defining moment of his political career, and he came through and then some. He's been doing this over and over, and there's no reason to think he can't do it again. The talk from and about Rmoney reminds me of the chatter before a big football game--I always favor the team that says nothing and lets its play speak for itself.

[Proud Liberal Dem]

47. That's one of the great things about NOT being a liar

you don't have to remember your lies and you can act like yourself unlike, say, Mitt!

[Kennah]

9. Technology may help the robot win the debate

http://www.democraticunderground.com/10021441481

[underthematrix]

16. Yep. I assumed Mittnocchio

would use an electronic device to level the playing field with the President. But really, that's not a good idea with this President. It's a really, really bad idea but his team won't know that until after the debate. Whenever I want to understand how PBO might approach different situations, I always remember the hostage captain and the Somali pirates. CNN was questioning whether PBO had failed on his first 3am call but as we found out later, he took a very aggressive approach right from the beginning to save the life of that captain including killing all but one of the pirates.

[obxhead]

23. I don't think that will matter.

Obama is natural with his pauses and replies. Romney working via remote control will come out of it a loser.

[Mira]

11. I really love the way you wrote that.

There is an implied deadly and threatening tone that's couched in some generosity, that makes my gut churn. Sometimes I have to use it in my life when winning is the only option.
I hope and trust that Obama can do what he must as described in your last two sentences.

[ProfessionalLeftist]

13. He might though, and there are 2 sets of jobs numbers

that will come out before the election. There's also Europe's economy which affects ours.

Anything can happen. Don't get comfortable. It's not won until it's done.

Donate. Volunteer. GOTV.

[tarheelsunc]

15. Don't underestimate how low of a human he really is.

People like him don't operate the same as everyone else. He raids companies for money with blatant disregard for the lives of its employees. He knows this is his moment where he can have the most powerful position in the world if he succeeds, and that's just the type of greed a man like this can draw on to be successful.

[Flatpicker]

17. Mitt's going to win the debate wednesday

Because no matter how it goes, the media is going to declare him the winner.

They NEED to do that or the other debates will tank.

To me it's a non issue. I know how the reports are going to go this week no matter what is said on the podium.

[femmocrat]

18. If he manages to stay upright for 90 minutes, they will declare him the winner.

OTOH, if Obama so much as blinks, his every movement will be dissected for possible "body language" interpretations.

Much of the MSM is just lazy and a bunch of puppets.

[nevergiveup]

19. Thank you for this post.

In the last few days I have skimmed or read countless posts and articles on the upcoming debate. Your thought provoking post totally got my attention. "It quickly becomes clear that Mitt has no deeper place in his self to go to bring forth the needed well of energy, vision, hope and leadership required to rise to this great moment" Yep, you nailed it and all the best bluff in the world Wednesday evening will not change anything. Mitt is what he is and I believe a majority of the American people already have it locked in.

[matt819]

20. You know what I think about when I think about the debate?

You know those scenes in the old Perry Mason shows? Where Perry Mason badgers a witness until he confesses. Or almost every show with a trial showing the defense lawyer pushing a witness over the edge to show that he is the murdered, not the defendant.

I'm waiting for a Sunday news show reporter push with "just one more question" that compel Romney to fall over the edge, to lose his cool, to show who he really is, a la the 47& speech, but in an uncontrolled, unscripted moment. Or to have the President say something - not to Romney himself but to the moderator - that forces Romney to blurt out something that, again, shows who he really is. To show just what his wife was talking about when she said she worried about his mental health if he were to be elected.

I know it's a fantasy, but, admit it, don't you all think the same thing is just around the corner? In contrast, can you see President Obama losing his cool?

[Kalidurga]

21. Romney and Obama have the same problem.

Obama has to prep to debate multiple choice. Romney has to decide which Romney he is going to be in the debate. It isn't that Romney's authentic self is not enough, that would imply he has one of those. He doesn't, he is a rare breed that has no real core, unless greed counts as a core, but it isn't really. The more Romney is out campaigning the less people like him. His inner greed shows I think and people don't like it when the finally see it. Some are less inclined to see it than others, possibly blinded by irrational hate for President Obama. To that end I hope that President Obama is addressed that way often. I believe that alone will get under Mitt's skin.

[magical thyme]

32. I think Romney does have a core

and I think we saw his core in the 47% speech.

I also think we saw his core when he came out with a smirking, "gotcha" response in the wake of the murder of Ambassador Stevens.

And I *know* I saw it in the speech when he swaggered around a room and blurted out, "I LIKE firing people!" and the room fell into stunned silence. He *thought* he'd made a big, macho impression. He didn't even begin to recognize how shocked and uncomfortable the audience was. It wasn't until several moments later that he realized it wasn't coming over the way he thought, and he started trying to back it into "healthcare choices" versus what he really meant. Because what he really meant was he liked having the power to destroy others. Firing people to normal people means you failed somehow: you either hired the wrong people to begin with and now have lost time and/or customers and have a mess to clean up or you made bad business decisions and have to downsize and let go of good people to stay afloat. No sane person likes to fire people.

That, I think, will be his biggest potential downfall in the debates. I don't know if it will come out in the 1st debate. I think he'll start out trying to stick to the script he's practiced. At some point, and it may or may not be in the 1st debate, he'll realize the script isn't working. And then he'll feel his back against the wall and it's do or die. And then he'll go for broke and he'll reach into his authentic, ugly self. And that is when I expect he will do himself in.

Unless, of course, he's goaded into losing his temper when he's challenged by "the help."

[Kalidurga]

43. I stand corrected.

He has a rotten mean low down no good core. I should have stipulated that he has no core strength. Because ultimately when your core is rotten it's not very strong, it is in fact rather mushy.

[ailsagirl]

22. I don't know what to think about the debates

The MSNBC gang, in general, seems to think that the debates are not going to change anyone's mind because, in all likelihood, people have already decided who they're going to vote for. The President has been heard/seen on TV for years now, so it won't be as if no one has ever heard him speak. Nitt, on the other hand, is a disaster waiting to happen, though I think he may do better than we think but that still doesn't mean he'll be any good. He's looking pretty wild-eyed lately. The President has a demonstrable record-- Nitt has very little to put forward. So he's rich. So what? That doesn't automatically qualify him to be prez-- not at all. Running the country is not anything like running Bain Capital-- it just isn't.

We'll see.

[INdemo]

24. So what if they give him hidden ear piece like they did Bush

remember the bulge in his jacket?,,Karl Rove could be coaching him directly through ear piece

[ejbr]

25. Well-put...I also would add

that all Mitt has are platitudes and no specifics on what he would do as president. Okay, maybe he might share that he wouldn't do what the President has done, but will not say what he will do in its place. His shallowness will also doom him.

[yurbud]

26. Obama could try to throw it and Romney would have a hard time winning

not because of who he is but what he's selling.

The public has finally begun to realize the Reaganomics snake oil has a little too much mercury, arsenic, formaldehyde, and other toxins to be good for their family.

[SCVDem]

30. I not only want fact checkers

but a body search to scan for bugs.

No Bush conspiracies! Just check!

[BenzoDia]

36. I don't believe Romney will win.

Obama's been weathering criticism for a while now. What new can Romney say? I guess there's the recent Libya issue.

Otoh, Romney has opened himself up to a whole lot of new criticism.

[jmondine]

38. I'm waiting for him to smirk after mentioning some tragedy

[tavalon]

39. What if he has a wifi ear jack?

If he can make it work, I'm sure he'll be coached. They will also have given him a Xanax, complements of Laura Bush.

[MFM008]

40. look

as long as Rmoney doesnt puke, crap, have a seizure, cry or excrete any other body fluids or solids he will " win" the debate.

[D23MIURG23]

42. Which one of these guys is more comfortable thinking on their feet in front of a crowd?

That question gives you everything you need to know about the debates.

[Gal Friday]

45. Romney has ALREADY "won" the First Debate

It's in the media's playbook, you see: They've got to create the illusion of a "horse race."

[nichomachus]

46. Beat me to it. Romney is going to "win"

Just like George Bush "won" the first debate against Al Gore (according to the media).

When the media say "Romney needs to win," what they mean is "We need Romney to win." If Obama wipes the floor with him -- and the media reports that -- it's game, set, and match. The pundits might as well go play golf for a month. They'll have nothing to write about.

Also, the money will dry up. If all of a sudden, the polls show 80-20 for Obama, there will be no more donations flowing in to either party and the media buy will decrease dramatically. The media can't have that. Gal Friday is right. They have to create the illusion of a horse race.

Here's a interesting analysis of the 2000 debate and its associated myth:

Let’s start with false. According to Cooper, Candidate Gore sighed over and over again at his first debate with Candidate Bush. Apparently as a result, “Bush, the underdog, surprise[d] by winning the debate.”

Increasingly, that last claim is part of the script, but it’s just basically false. After that first Bush-Gore debate, five major news orgs conducted “overnight polls,” surveying people who watched the debate. Gore was the winner in all five surveys. He won by an average margin of ten points. Cooper works for CNN. Gore won CNN’s overnight poll, 56 percent to 42—unless you listen to Cooper today, in which case Gore of course lost.

By the way: Did Gore “sigh over and over again” at that debate? On balance, we’d have to say no. If you want to test this question yourself, you can watch that full 90-minute debate at C-Span. We watched that tape about six months ago. You can hear a few sighs or intakes of breath—but in all honesty, we’d say that they’re few and far between. If you watch the full 90 minutes, you can decide for yourself.

Did George Bush win that first debate? Only after the press corps began playing videotaped loops of Gore’s troubling sighs (with the volume cranked, of course). And only after the press corps invented several new “lies” by Gore.

http://www.lawyersgunsmoneyblog.com/2012/09/the-2000-debate-myth

[BadGimp]

48. Boy was I wrong, or was I?

The 24 hour news / opinion cycle had Rmoney way out on to.

But After full 36 hours we are seeing the debat polls turn as people digest the reviews, some of which look at the pesky facts, and now the tide has not only reversed, Obama is now seek as the winner bu online pols.

Go figure..