Obama Shaken, Rattled and Rolled.

[emilyg]

Just how bad was Barack Obama's debate performance last night? Not as bad as Britney Spears' song-and-dance routine at the MTV Awards. Not as bad as Bill Buckner's legendary error during the '86 World Series. Not as bad as Bob Dylan's music during his God phase. Not as bad as John Travolta's Scientology cinema experiment in Battlefield Earth. Not as bad as Mike Dukakis' fateful ride in a military tank.

In other words, Obama could have done worse. Neverthless, if he still harbors any hopes of driving Hillary Clinton from the Democratic race by scoring an upset victory in Pennsylvania, he might be wise to get real. It's hard to imagine that he won over the working-class, culturally-conservative Democrats who constitute the swing vote; if anything, his performance during the first 45 minutes of the debate may well have cemented their suspicions.

Obama's devotees will no doubt complain today that the ABC News inquisitors were grossly unfair, that they focused their fire on Obama while leaving Hillary Clinton relatively unscathed, and that they asked too many dirtball questions at Obama's expense. (George Stephanopoulos to Obama: "Do you think Rev. Wright loves America as much as you do?") Whatever. Whining about the media is the last resort of losers. The bottom line is that Obama didn't successfully adapt to the environment. For instance:

1. He muffed his latest explanation of his recent remarks on small
http://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2008/04/obama_shaken_rattled_and_rolle.html

[Yael]

1. ...

[anonymous171]

2. Brush it off!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FlR9DNfqGD4

[BeyondGeography]

3. Like this

[AtomicKitten]

18. whooop there it is

:hi:

[blm]

4. Tonya Harding whines about the media - Obama made a BRILLIANT ad about their uselessness to

the American people seeking information about the issues that matter to them.

You do know WHY many of us have been calling Hillary Tonya Harding the last few years don't you? HAHAHAHAH!

[Arrowhead2k1]

5. It wasn't that bad.

We're pissed that he got ambushed with some RW talking points at a Democratic debate on two fronts, but we're not terribly dissappointed with Obama's performance. Even though we could have wished for a bit better, it just wasn't the disaster you guys are making it out to be.

[stellanoir]

6. He was amazingly upbeat, light hearted, and funny about it today.

So there.

[Straight Shooter]

17. Because Axelrod and Gibbs told him to be.

Obama always needs time to assess, recuperate, and salvage. It's one do-over after another. Works for him now. Won't work for him later.

[stellanoir]

20. Rotsa ruck

clinging on to the past.

[Straight Shooter]

21. Rotsa ruck

Ignoring the lessons of the past.

BTW, "cling" is an Obama word.

[stellanoir]

24. That's precisely why I invoked it.

This may be an unprecedented age. One wherein the old politics of intractability and divisiveness need no longer apply.

Time will tell.

Peace

[Straight Shooter]

25. Time will indeed tell.

It always does.

Peace.

:hi:

[JoFerret]

41. He has great handlers

and great marketing.

[kid a]

7. you are in desperate need of this..

[Texas Hill Country]

8. WOW... "Instead of answering straightforwardly, Obama lied."

[Cant trust em]

9. "Whining about the media is the last resort of losers." not according to Howard Wolfson

"I think it is true that every time the Obama campaign in this campaign has attacked Senator Clinton in the worst kind of personal ways, attacked her veracity, attacked her credibility, said that she would say or do anything to get elected, the press has largely applauded him. When we have attempted to make contrasts with Senator Obama, we have been criticized for it."

Whining about the media seems to work out just fine for Hillary when SNL does it for her.

[hisownpetard]

12. I care about what Howard Wolfson has to say about the media almost as much

as I care to hear about my neighbor's surgery to have his hemorrhoids removed.

[Cant trust em]

16. My post is in response to the article saying "Whining about the media is the last resort of losers."

apparently my post missed the point a bit. Thanks for alerting me to this.

[hisownpetard]

37. Nah, your post was fine. I'm just venting.

[RoyP]

30. How's he doin' anyway?

[hisownpetard]

36. Fine. He's fallen in love with his rubber doughnut.

I'll be sure to convey your concern next time he corners me.

And welcome to DU!

[melody]

10. ROFLMAO!!!

You're joking, right? That's the best you guys can come up with?

There are countless articles by genuine journalists about the right-wing grilling Obama yesterday and all you people can offer is this?

[lark]

29. "you people"

Uh oh, racism alert. Thought Obama folks wouldn't go there.

[melody]

33. What racism? I'm talking about Hillary people -- you transcend race and are self-selecting

You people indeed.

And unfortunately people who use "racism" in this context usually are mocking the very concept. In other words, if the racism shoe fits ...

[ElsewheresDaughter]

11. Obama has much to learn yet....still naive

but he will be well seasoned for 2012


.

[NOLALady]

22. 2012

He'll be well seasoned for his second term.

[JoFerret]

34. Hope we don't have to live through the seasoning

Maybe he should hire Hillary to help him.

[NOLALady]

39. That would be nice.

Somehow, I don't feel she would take the job. I would love to see a reconciliation and see them working together.

[tabatha]

35. The rate at which Hillary is learning with her 35 years of

experience, she may be ready by 2060.

[bobthedrummer]

13. Did Mark Penn help write that? He's still doing HRC Polls and stuff.

"Know Your DLC: Mark Penn"
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=132x5515506

[GarbagemanLB]

14. The last line was sadly the most truthful.

But the viewing audience is biggest during the first 45 minutes, and it's questionable whether a sufficient number of Obama skeptics stuck around to hear him recoup on policy. So I score the night for Clinton...with John McCain smiling in the wings.

[islandmkl]

15. instead of watching reruns of the 'debate' from last night...

you should have paid attention to Barack and his public comments today....

yeah, the poor guy was all torn up and dazed and confused and depressed and nearly despondent...

well, not really...he turned the crap right around...check out the responses of the crowds...

people know what they saw last night...

[BeatleBoot]

19. Not Ready For Prime Time should have given his dirty laundry to

Keith Olbermann. Just add Tide and let it spin and rinse.

End of story in the Echo Chamber called DU these days.

But alas, Mr. Obama bumbled and stumbled and even KO couldn't help his performance.

Velvet gloves was the treatment.

A catastrophe waiting to happen if the scene makes it until November.

[smiley_glad_hands]

23. Pffftt. Aint nuttin but a thang. eom

[TML]

26. RCP = Republican hacks

Why do you link to that crap?

[kikiek]

27. Very true. It was evident who can and will handle the GE debates. Hillary!

[Bonobo]

28. You should be ashamed of yourself.

[Bluebear]

31. Bill Buckner! Slowly I turned . . . .

[RBInMaine]

32. Obama did FINE in the face of IGNORANT, SILLY, STUPID, corporate media bias CRAP !

[emilyg]

38. Are you referring to what Clinton had to put up with?

[2rth2pwr]

40. Britney's meltdown was painful to watch, but Buckner , I really feel for the guy.