The Lesson of 2012: never blow off debates

[VirginiaTarheel]

In 2016, candidates will be preparing for general election debates in May. Parties will judge potential nominees' electability on debate skills and the media will hype debates as critical.

[oswaldactedalone]

1. True that

Ford was a known intellectual lightweight.

Carter was bamboozled by the hostage crisis and Reagan's oratory skills.

HW Bush wasn't interested in debating.

Bush II is a well-known moran.

Obama is highly intelligent, cares about America, and believes in the American people. Yet, he came in with no enthusiasm, a bad plan, and was afraid to counterpunch.

That's what makes his debate defeat so surprising. He was capable, faced no real headwinds politically, but didn't show. His defeat will long be analyzed for its errors.

[VirginiaTarheel]

2. Why didn't his campaign correct the problems well before Wed?

Now, we learn that Obama's performance had been subpar in debate prep for weeks. Why didn't Team Obama treat it as a crisis, bring in debate heavy hitters and Bill Clinton, and clear the President's schedule?