I don’t feel betrayed by Obama because it was clear in 2007 that he was not a “progressive.” Just look at his speeches in 2007: “I strongly support the expansion of our ground forces by adding 65,000 soldiers to the Army and 27,000 Marines.” Obama increased the military budget beyond Bush’s budget. Does this sound like a … how you say … “progressive”? Of course not. The average liberal Democrat was fooling himself in 2007/08.

Darn it, I missed the debate! Actually, I haven’t the stomach for it. Instead I spent the time reading Idiot America: How Stupidity Became a Virtue in the Land of the Free.

Good morning. I missed it too — turned in early, got a good night’s sleep for a change. But I’ll bet ol’ Etch-A-Sketch got away with it.

I don’t feel betrayed by Obama because it was clear in 2007 that he was not a “progressive.”

Spot on. I have to believe that I don’t viscerally, reflexively hate Obama as much as some others do because he never fooled me I never allowed myself to be fooled into thinking that he is any kind of Progressive.

As for the “debate”, I deliberately missed it.

According to what I’ve read, Willard bullied Lehrer and took control of the proceedings and Obama allowed him to do it.

Good morning, pups. Today we have Kristof and Collins. Mr. Kristof is full of questions. In “Why Let the Rich Hoard All the Toys?” he asks should the top 1 percent of Americans really have more than the bottom 90 percent? That’s America: one nation, unequal for all. Ms. Collins, in “The Season of Debates,” says you deserve a hand, interested citizens. You’ve been through a lot this long campaign. Let’s try to figure out who won the battle of the zingers.

Here they are.

The coffee and tea are ready, and I found a new recipe for breakfast this morning. Try the carrot cake waffles with maple nut cream cheese, or maple syrup if you prefer. I could only take about an hour of last night’s festivities before I gave up. And there are 2 more to go? Oh, joy… Now it’s time to fortify myself with tea and keep my fingers crossed that Spats shows up for breakfast because it’s her day to go off to the vet, along with Precious, to be spayed. Precious is guaranteed to be here, but Spats can be a bit elusive. Oh, gawd… I just saw an ad on my teebee for your choice of Obama or Romney chia heads. I may pass on the tea and just go directly to gin. Have a great day.

Spot on from what I could tolerate before I changed the channel.

Last night may have been the beginning of the end of the “3rd Way.” At last!

In a nut shell that’s pretty much it. Sorry I watched but a friend had invited me over for dinner and debates. Dinner was fine. Debate stunk up the house.

Last night may have been the beginning of the end of the “3rd Way.”

Hmph! It would be worth a Rmoney presidency if that were the case but the Democrats won’t learn that lesson. They’ll believe that he “wasn’t conservative enough”. Obama is a fucking idiot and he’s surrounded himself with people who aren’t as “smart” as he is. Either way, the 99% are the losers. Again. Still.

LMAO! Even Daily Kos apparently wasn’t able, (or even willing), to spin that into a win. There is a whole lot over there about Obama and Lehrer allowing Willard to lie over and over without challenge.

Exactly accurate; I hope Lehrer gets lots of complaints/criticism. He was pitiful.

Mitt’s a very convincing liar and that what the electorate wants, conviction.

Lehrer is held up as the “gold standard” of U.S. “journalism.” It’s nothing but fools gold.

I missed the debate. Actually, I didn’t miss it a bit. Interesting how many politically aware folks here made a decision to skip it.

I spent the evening catching up on Fukushima, watching this weeks Warehouse 13, and sorting dogs.

Boxturtle (You’d be amazed how much sorting four dogs can require)

I hate to say something that sounds prejudiced, but he may be past his “use by” date. Maybe tired….

The Times did some fact checking…

Margaret@11: Give them time. I have absolute confidence in the Obamabots that hang out over there. Remember, they had a couple that managed to spin the Catfood Commission as a good idea.

Boxturtle (besides, if you challenge Mitt’s lies, you have to challenge Obama’s lies, too)

“Obama is a fucking idiot and he’s surrounded himself with people who aren’t as “smart” as he is.”

Ding!

The pity is that all Obama has to do to win is pledge to protect SS and Medicare — to veto ANY reduction in benefits.

morning, I did watch, and it was as Margaret and I had anticipated, Mitt went with big lies, because there was no way anyone could be prepared for them. He was totally able to carry the ‘debate’, because it was fantasy. I believe Obama and team had seen it coming, by watching his usual statements, which are blatant lies. Now they have his talking points, and those deny what he’s run on to date.

Pointing to the fact that this is done in the face of outright attacks on both of those systems might help, too. He did actually counter Mitt’s assurances that only those now paying into Medicare and Social Security should worry, to point out to ‘those now 54 and under’, that team Rmoney was admitting that they were taking away those hard earned support systems from them.

Agree. The reason IMHO that Obama is in any trouble (and he may NOT be in any trouble) is that he refuses to run as a progressive on ANY issue. Rather than want to destroy Romney (who sorely needs it), his instinct is to compromise with him.

CNN fact check says if Rmoney does make the cuts in tax dodges that he says he’s going to, then the Prez is FALSE to say he’s proposing $5TN in cuts to the taxes of the rich, but that there are no actual proposals out there. But in effect CNN is saying, even though the proposed cuts RMoney has proposed to the rich will amount to exactly the $5TN the Prez has said, they’ll let the fantasy of balancing elimination of the dodges stand as if it were TRUE.

Rachel told us last night that Rmoney is saying something very like, I’m going to paint the house blue, but it won’t be blue. Nice imagery.

CNN fact check says if Rmoney does make the cuts in tax dodges that he says he’s going to, then the Prez is FALSE to say he’s proposing $5TN in cuts to the taxes of the rich, but that there are no actual proposals out there.

Yes there are. Romney dropped one the day before. Bogus? Yes, but it’s out there — and Obama should have known about it.

OTOH, we’re arguing about tax policy? Really? That’s the issue?

Obama is arguing that he can cut the deficit more than Romney? Really? With 23% unemployment? That’s the fucking insanity.

Actually, it was CNN that said there are no ‘real’ proposals out there, so evidently whatever Rmoney put out didn’t meet the smell test.

Romney said he would cap deductions. Bullshit? Yes.
But Obama could have asked “Which ones?”

If he could get jobs plans and infrastructure rebuilding through Congress, it would be a beginning. No, he did not confront Rmoney and Lehrer with those unpleasant facts.

Right. The whole premise of that opening, endless exchange about taxes really turned on the fact that BOTH of these cruds care more about the deficit than about creating jobs or programs to help people in the middle of the worst economic crisis since the Depression. Romney completely disarmed Obama by simply lying about the how the tax burden would be distributed, and the rout was on.

As if we needed more proof that Keynes is dead and the made-in-heaven bromance between Pinochet and Friedman has swallowed us completely. In the end last night, both of the candidates agreed on most things, argued over the petty details of in what degree and kind we should all suffer, and Romney won because he did it all with more passion and a somewhat surprising fluency.

My wife had terrible nightmares and woke up depressed beyond belief. I’m well pissed at both of those scoundrels.

I saw maybe 30 seconds of the “debate” before I could quickly change the channel. I really have no idea what either RMoney or DMoney said, and I really don’t care bc both are lying liars who LIE.

RMoney looked all fired up and ready to roll.

DMoney looked tired & puny & defeated and miserable.

So? What’s my take? Has the 1% decided that they’d prefer RMoney to DMoney as their hired hand??? Could be. I would have to concede defeat bc I’ve stated over & over that DMoney will “win” bc that’s what the 1% wants. Time will tell…

I cannot be bothered to waste my valuable time being lied to by a couple of greedy shitheads with a laughably called “moderator” doing fuck all to actually “moderate” the proceedings. Contemptably worthless.

PTOUI!!!!

Or suck up to him, as he’s done to all his wealthy patrons.

Evening News pointed out he said “Good job,” to Mitt after the debate.

Did he fuck up deliberately?

He’s honoring his inner Republican?