Is there a chance Obama will be too aggressive

[nevergiveup]

at the debate this Tuesday? Obama is not a good debater but he is good at the one on one in a town hall setting. He needs to confront Romney on his lies but this is tricky business when you are speaking directly to a member of the audience. I am just not sure how this is going to play. What do you think?

[brewens]

1. Possible, but I think a lot of the phony poutrage about Biden is an attempt

to try and bluff Obama away from being aggressive. They'd love to see Willard push him around again.

[Native]

2. I don't see how it would be possible given his personality.

[VespertineIconoclast]

5. Correct. n/t

[DURHAM D]

3. No

[MjolnirTime]

4. are you concerned this may be the case??

[nevergiveup]

16. Yes

Even calm by nature folks can come out swinging if they feel their back is against the wall. He needs to be aggressive with the serial liar and also presidential. This is a tough row to hoe.

[Maximumnegro]

23. Not in his nature at all

Won't happen. We have all come to love or hate that face, so no use one AGAIN projecting onto the PResident. He is who he is and he's going to handle the debate by being true to himself.

[woolldog]

6. I think the aggresiveness angle is overplayed

He needs to look like he knows what he's talking about and look like he's in command of the facts. That means no uhhm, and ahhhs, and ya knows. A quicker delivery. And plain talk. A lot of policy details

He doesn't have to be like Biden in going after Ryan. But he does need to draw sharp and detailed distinctions between his plans and Romney's.

edit: Oh and positive, strong, and upbeat body language. Look Romney dead in the eye when he's talking to him. No nodding his head up and down in agreement when Romney is attacking him.

[flamingdem]

14. Only Biden can be Biden

LOL guy is an original

[Lugnut]

18. Exactly!

Joe and the Prez have totally different personalities. President Obama will do things his way.

[JimDandy]

41. EVERYTHING you said. n/t

[tanyev]

7. There is a very good chance that whatever he does, someone will criticize him for it.

[ModLibCentrist]

8. He Needs to..

do what Biden did exactly but without the damn chuckles and body language.

[michael811]

9. Biden has already taken the too aggressive spin hit for Obama

What Biden did was perfect because the spin of being too aggressive and condescending has already been played out so when Obama gets accused of the same thing it won't matter

[Lone_Star_Dem]

10. There's always a chance, but it's highly unlikely.

This is a venue he's good at, and one Romney is weaker on.

I think it will go fine for us.

[elleng]

11. WHATEVER he does, he will be criticized.

That's all, folks.

[Lugnut]

19. Bingo!

The GOP will whine regardless.

[elleng]

21. Yes and the format will determine a lot,

he'll be responding to 'folks' and not to moderator and rmoney so much (I expect.)

The second presidential debate will take the form of a town meeting, in which citizens will ask questions of the candidates on foreign and domestic issues. Candidates each will have two minutes to respond, and an additional minute for the moderator to facilitate a discussion. The town meeting participants will be undecided voters selected by the Gallup Organization.

[totodeinhere]

28. Yes they will egged on by the corporate media. n/t

[Maximumnegro]

24. So THIS time around we have to have his back

No falling apart and wailing and whining.

[Jeroen]

12. Obama is a "baseline player"

He will not be tempted to make serious mistakes.

[Paladin]

13. Beats Me. Let's Worry About It For The Next Few Days, OK?

Sarcasm alert, for those who require it.......

[geek tragedy]

15. He needs to stop worrying about Romney and focus on his agenda, his

vision, and the track records of Romney/Bush vs his own.

[occupymybrain]

17. I don't think Obama will get aggressive....

it's not who he is. He has never got aggressive with any of his opponents that I have seen. Not like Biden. Obama is more calm and collected and anyone that underestimates him will find that out. His attacks are based in fact not lies. In a town hall setting I don't think being overaggressive is good for Obama. The people asking the questions will be standing right there, don't know how that will play out for Romney. Romney and living people don't mix well. Tricky indeed, I think its best to look as though you support the person asking the question and make it look as the other guy could give a shit less. The other guy is Romney should be easy to make him look like he is. If he flip flops then call him on it with facts. And when it's all done Know that the Media is going to fuck it up. It's what they do. Don't listen to the crap and just look forward to the win.

[VespertineIconoclast]

20. Short answer: No.

If there is anything that these two debates would have hopefully taught President Obama, is that he will have to call Rmoney out on his half truths and outright lies in real time. The Presidential debate moderators cannot be expected to moderate or even confront the BS that spews from Mitten's mouth. But, President Obama will also have to keep a controlled face (so as not to "offend" the delicate Repukes) and still be strong enough to push back against what will surely be another Gish Gallop manic Rmoney performance.

It's a conundrum and the lamestream media has made it such. PBO must be aggressive, but not too aggressive and at the same time be polite, but not too polite....

But I will say this, I believe in President Obama to do what needs to be done in the next 2 presidential debates. He stumbled in that 1st debate because he believed in following the "rules" of the debate format, in the American people's ability to reason, look past the Rmoney BS and performance, and see the truth beyond the lies being regurgitated at them. I truly believe that PBO's eyes are wide open now and he will step up to plate for the American people and prove to everyone why he should be re-elected for 4 more years.

[thecrow]

22. His outfit should include boxing gloves. (Color coordinated, and presidential looking of course)

Maybe a sword in his belt....Just for effect, you know.

[ailsagirl]

25. I wouldn't worry about it.

Worrying is pointless (as I have to constantly remind myself), and it won't change anything.
I'm trying to develop a sense of fatalism during the next few weeks.

[BenzoDia]

26. No. Especially not at a town hall

[totodeinhere]

27. Here's the thing. If he is aggressive then they will criticize him for that. But if he is more

passive like last time then they will criticize him for that. That's why I don't listen to debate analysis from the corporate media.

[dkf]

29. Maybe they are trying to trick Romney into imitating Biden.

That would be such a massive fail.

[Kalidurga]

30. No

There is no way to be too aggressive against a serial liar and pension thief. I hope he pretty much ignores Romney though and focuses on what we need to do to move forward and that means voting against Republicans all of them.

[Azathoth]

31. The words "Obama" and "too aggressive" have never been used in the same sentence before

And I doubt they will be again.

[OhZone]

32. Did anyone ever lose a debate from being too aggresive?

I seriosly can't remember.

But if Obama is smart he will learn from Biden to smile and shake his head at Rmoney's lies and correct the record when he gets a chance. And yeah, interrupt a little.

[unblock]

33. it's certainly possible that the media is goading him into an "angry black man" narrative.

but it's also very inconsistent with his personality.

"a little testy" is probably the worst way they'd be able to objectively characterize anything aggressive he does.

of course, "objective" is hardly the media's strong point....

[Sky Masterson]

34. Obama will be to much __fill in the blank___

They will always find something to bitch about

[WI_DEM]

35. No, Obama will get his points across without being angry or overly agressive.

[riverwalker]

36. no

[budkin]

37. I hope he's mad aggressive

It's about time.

[liberal N proud]

38. The pundits will either paint him as too soft or too aggressive

It has amazed me that a bully attitude won the Romney - Obama debate while the little liar was the winner because Biden was to aggressive.

[Proud Liberal Dem]

39. There is a 100% probability that SOMEBODY SOMEWHERE

will find fault with President Obama's performance NO MATTER WHAT HE DOES!

[LonePirate]

40. Exactly. Faux will portray him as ineffectual or aggressive, depending on the chosen narrative.

Obama cannot win over these propagandists no matter what.

[railsback]

42. Good debates rely on a good moderator

The weakness of the first debate lies squarely on the shoulders of Leher. What we saw from Obama is who Obama is. Leher just got steamrolled by a hyped up Romney, who preyed on that weakness. That's why Rove sent that Tweet during the VP debate. If Martha Raddatz had moderated the first debate, the outcome would have been completely different. Obama is now hunkered down, reviewing ALL of Romney's stances, which can't be easy. Everything Romney says can be countered with an opposite position he's taken before. The goal would seem to be to show that Romney doesn't have any substance, other than working on lowering his own tax rates. Obama won't change his demeanor. We saw Gore do that and that worked out horribly. He's just going to be prepared to counter everything Romney spews. But if Crowley lets Mittens steamroll her, too, it will be another tough night.

[morningfog]

43. Nope. He needs to go in for the kill.

[begin_within]

44. I think Obama needs to:

Address his answer to the questioner who asked the question, then segue into addressing the camera to connect with viewers at home, then finish by going back to the questioner. He needs to demonstrate that he is in touch with, and responsive to, the concerns of everyday Americans. Attacking Romney should only be a secondary consideration if there is time. Romney should be just an annoying fly that won't leave the room.

[mary195149]

45. No matter how Obama is,

whether he's more low key or super aggressive or anything in the middle, the right wing will put him down regardless. I'm sure he will do fine for the sane people.