Missed Opportunities
Nov15
By Mitch Dworkin
My opinion of the Presidential debates is that they were about like watching a “Rocky 100″ reunion movie in 2046 where Sylvester Stallone and Carl Weathers have another fight when they are both 100 years old! I think both Obama and Romney missed several legitimate opportunities to make their key points stick against the other.
Obama missed these key opportunities that all he had to do was DIRECTLY QUOTE which Romney probably could not have effectively refuted in only 2 minutes per answer:
1) Romney quotes to show he is out of touch with middle America such as “corporations are people,” “I like to fire people,” Ann drives two Cadillacs, and his $10,000 bet offer with Rick Perry.
2) Quotes to show Romney is too weak to stand up to the fringe base of his party: “Romney Blasted for Silence on Voter’s Obama Treason Charges” (unlike how John McCain corrected someone in his audience who called Obama an Arab in 2008) and asking when Romney has ever once stood up to the Tea Party on any major issue since he ran for President (point being the fringe of his party would possibly take over the country if he ever became President).
3) Quote David Frum on Morning Joe and MANY other prominent Republicans to tangibly prove to the country that he was being intentionally sabotaged by the Tea Party for partisan and political purposes and then ask Romney what he thinks about those quotes. This would have embarrassed Romney, forced a response out of him that he would not want to give, and some people probably would not have fully blamed Obama for our problems.
4) Pro-Obama SuperPACs: Ask how this embarrassing but real Mormon “scripture” Romney believes about ALL other churches would affect his policies: “they were all wrong,” “their creeds were an abomination in his sight,” “those professors were all corrupt,” and more.
5) Bring up the “trust issue” to “close the deal” that Romney cannot be trusted as President: His biggest flip-flops, his offending the Mayor of London over the Olympics, Newt Gingrich calling Romney a “liar & saying “He’s not telling the American people the truth” while Rick Santorum said he lied “to the American people” (way too far to walk back), and by especially explaining how Romney stood behind his first ad against Obama where he intentionally quoted him out of context saying “If we keep talking about the economy, we’re going to lose” when the quote really was “Senator McCain’s campaign actually said, and I quote, if we keep talking about the economy, we’re going to lose.” I would then close emphasizing the trust issue by asking the audience is someone who intentionally lied (even coming from prominent Republicans), who cannot stand up to the fringes of his party, and is so out of touch with the poor & the middle class ready to be President?
Romney also missed these key opportunities that all he had to do was DIRECTLY QUOTE which Obama probably could not effectively refuted in only 2 minutes per answer:
1) Romney should have made Obama take full ownership of the economy because he got his stimulus (there was some waste in it) and his spending: He should have asked Obama about his true supporter (Velma Hart) directly saying to him I am “exhausted of defending you, defending your administration, defending the man for change I voted for, and deeply disappointed with where we are right now” and then asked Obama why he laughed at her when she started saying that! Romney should have also brought up Obama’s “one-term proposition” quote and Christina Roemer’s 8% quote.
2) Obama’s priorities: Both David Gergen and Fareed Zakaria (pragmatists) blasted Obama for having “time to tape an interview yesterday with the women of “The View,” but not talk with world leaders, especially Benjamin Netanyahu, who arrives tomorrow in New York” when “we checked and the official White House schedule shows a campaign appearance tomorrow and nothing else all week.” Romney could have also directly quoted Nicholas Kristof on CNN about Obama & Netanyahu issues and it was “unfortunate that he (Obama) basically left the heavy lifting for Hillary Clinton.”
3) Obama’s problems relating to people: Fareed Zakaria criticized Obama because “He tends not to place a lot of weight on what David (Gergen) was talking about, the person-to-person meetings, the schmoozing” and “Look, the reality is personal chemistry is very important. Also, remember most of these leaders, you are speaking through an interpreter. And as you well know, Anderson, when you’re doing it on the phone, you have an interpreter there. You’re doubly or even triply removed from the person. When you meet them in the flesh, even though there are interpreters, it’s a much more human interaction.”
4) Foreign policy inconsistencies and passing the buck: Ask Obama how Susan Rice was so sure saying “Chris, absolutely I believe that. In fact, it is the case” when Chris Wallace asked her “You don’t really believe that?” (Jay Carney saying about Benghazi “This is not a case of protests directed at the United States writ large or at U.S. policy. This is in response to a video that is offensive.”) and ask Obama who told her to say that? (make sure to directly quote Rice). I am sure Obama would not want to answer that and it would have cleared up what Romney misspoke about that in debate 2.
5) Obama allowing Hillary Clinton to take the blame for the Benghazi attacks which did not even sell to the liberal Dan Rather when Ronald Reagan took full responsibility for Iran-Contra and would not allow Admiral Poindexter to take the blame saying the buck “stops with me.”
All Obama and Romney had to do was have these DIRECT QUOTES ready (they would have had them if I was preparing them for the debates).
I have never in my lifetime of 46 years seen two such bad candidates which is why I compare the debates to about watching a “Rocky 100″ reunion movie. I am only calling things how I really see them right down the middle just like how a truly honest umpire does regardless of which team or player is at bat!
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Mitch Dworkin is an Independent political consultant who lives in Dallas, Texas. He has worked on many campaigns and he specializes in research, analysis, writing, and rapid response. What makes Mitch different from some other political analysts is that he always calls things right down the middle as he honestly sees them and he will always tell people the truth as he sees it and as how he can document it even if it is not popular. Mitch is also for bipartisanship and compromise while opposing extremism in both parties.
Mitch graduated from Rhode Island College in 1988 with a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Political Science and from Bridgewater State College in 1992 with a Masters Degree in Education. You can follow him on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/mitch.dworkin, and reach him by e mail at mtdwrkn02@aol.com, or by phone at 469-556-7026. Credible documentation for all of the claims in this post is available on request. Mitch never makes any claims that he cannot tangibly prove. Please feel free to contact Mitch if you would like to receive any documentation.
The views expressed on TheFeeheryTheory.com are Mitch’s own and do not necessarily represent the views of TheFeeheryTheory.com.
I think it still looks like “Rocky 100″ for Obama even AFTER the election:
Obama in my opinion made a big mistake regarding what he said about Susan Rice in his press conference. I think this probably could have hurt him badly if he said it before the election and it could still possibly embarrass him if he tries to nominate Susan Rice as Secretary of State. Here is what I believe the contradiction is and this is what I would bring up if I was a Senator who was questioning her for confirmation:
1) Obama said answering a question about Susan Rice going on TV “But let me say specifically about Susan Rice… As I’ve said before, she made an appearance at the request of the White House in which she gave her best understanding of the intelligence that had been provided to her” which strongly implies to me that the information she had at that time was not fully clear because “she gave her best understanding of the intelligence that had been provided to her:”
http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/1211/14/se.01.html
CNN LIVE EVENT/SPECIAL
President Press Conference
Aired November 14, 2012 – 13:30 ET
OBAMA: “Jonathan Karl?
QUESTION: Thank you Mr. President. Senator John McCain, and Senator Lindsey Graham both said today that they want to have Watergate-style hearings on the attack on the U.S. consulate in Benghazi, and said that if you nominate Susan Rice to be secretary of State, they will do everything in their power to block her nomination. Senator Graham said, he simply doesn’t trust Ambassador Rice after what she said about Benghazi. I’d like your reaction to that? And — and would those threats deter you from making a nomination like that?
OBAMA: Well first of all I’m not going to comment on various nominations that I’ll put forward to fill out my cabinet for the second term. Those are things that are still being discussed. But let me say specifically about Susan Rice, she has done exemplary work. She has represented the United States and our interests in the United Nations with skill, and professionalism, and toughness, and grace. As I’ve said before, she made an appearance at the request of the White House in which she gave her best understanding of the intelligence that had been provided to her.
If Senator McCain and Senator Graham, and others want to go after somebody? They should go after me…”
2) That in my opinion clearly contradicts how VERY positive Susan Rice sounded about what she said on TV (Fox News Sunday) backing up what Jay Carney said and going into a detailed explanation about it to back up her claim which she “absolutely” believed and was clear enough for her to tell Chris Wallace “that’s just false:”
http://www.foxnews.com/on-air/fox-news-sunday/2012/09/16/amb-susan-rice-rep-mike-rogers-discuss-violence-against-americans-middle-east
Amb. Susan Rice, Rep. Mike Rogers discuss violence against Americans in the Middle East
Published September 16, 2012 | Fox News Sunday | Chris Wallace
Special Guests: Amb. Susan Rice, Rep. Mike Rogers
CHRIS WALLACE, HOST: “Joining us now our ambassador to the United Nations, Susan Rice. Ambassador, welcome back to “Fox News Sunday.”
AMB. SUSAN RICE, U.S. AMBASSADOR TO THE UNITED NATIONS: Thank you.
WALLACE: This week, there have been anti-American protests in two dozen countries across the Islamic world. The White House says it has nothing to do with the president’s policies.
Let’s watch.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JAY CARNEY, WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY: This is not a case of protests directed at the United States writ large or at U.S. policy. This is in response to a video that is offensive.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WALLACE: You don’t really believe that?
RICE: Chris, absolutely I believe that. In fact, it is the case. We had the evolution of the Arab spring over the last many months. But what sparked the recent violence was the airing on the Internet of a very hateful very offensive video that has offended many people around the world.
Now, our strong view is that there is no excuse for violence. It is absolutely reprehensible and never justified. But, in fact, there have been those in various parts of the world who have reacted with violence. Their governments have increasingly and effectively responded and protected our facilities and condemned the violence and this outrageous response to what is an offensive video. But there is no question that what we have seen in the past, with things like satanic verses, with the cartoon of the Prophet Muhammad, there have been — such things that have sparked outrage and anger and this has been the proximate cause of what we’ve seen.
WALLACE: Now, it may have sparked it but you critics say that the outpouring of outrage against the U.S. has everything to do with the U.S. policies, that we are disengaging from that part of the world, that we pulled out of Iraq, we are pulling out of Afghanistan, that Iran is continuing on with its nuclear program. And they say, our critics, that our allies no longer trust us, and our enemies no longer fear us.
RICE: Well, Chris, that’s just false. And let’s be plain — our partners and allies have responded effectively and promptly when we have asked them to protect our facilities and our people.
WALLACE: Well, let’s — it took three days in Cairo.
RICE: Well — and what happened initially in Cairo was not sufficiently robust when President Obama picked up the phone and spoke to the President Morsi, right away things changed. And that’s an evidence of our influence and our impact.
And what happened was that the authorities in Egypt have been very robust in protecting our facilities, not just in Cairo, but elsewhere in the country. President Morsi has issued repeated condemnations of the violent response and called for calm…”
My conclusion which in my opinion seems obvious is that it is VERY unlikely (I would say virtually impossible) that Susan Rice could have just been giving “her best understanding of the intelligence that had been provided to her” as Obama said yesterday in point 1 when she was so sure of what she was saying and when she went into so much specific detail about it on TV in point 2. I just do not believe Susan Rice could credibly answer that in a Senate confirmation hearing if Obama has bad enough judgment to nominate her to succeed Hillary when she steps down as Secretary of State.
Also, even assuming that Rice was able to squeak by being confirmed, I am sure it would be a very nasty Senate battle that would cause a lot of hard feelings and cost Obama a lot of political capital which would clearly not be worth it in my opinion. I personally think Rice should have been fired as UN Ambassador ASAP over what she said on TV and I was very surprised that Romney did not make a bigger issue of this when it was truly legitimate!
I also think it still looks like “Rocky 100″ for Romney even AFTER the election:
http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/OTUS/analysis-top-republicans-reject-romneys-reasoning-election-loss/story?id=17726342
ANALYSIS: Republicans Return Romney’s Parting Gift
ANALYSIS By MICHAEL FALCONE (@michaelpfalcone) and AMY WALTER (@amyewalter)
Nov. 15, 2012
It’s been just over a week since his defeat at the hands of President Obama and already a chasm between Mitt Romney and some prominent members of the Republican Party seems to have opened up.
The failed GOP presidential hopeful’s candid assessment of why he lost the race, which he offered on conference calls with donors yesterday, instantly drew a sharp rebuke from Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal who called Romney’s take “absolutely wrong.”
Romney told top donors he came up short on Nov. 6 because “what the president’s campaign did was focus on certain members of his base coalition, give them extraordinary financial gifts from the government, and then work very aggressively to turn them out to vote, and that strategy worked.”
Read ABC’s exclusive Roundup of Romney’s call with donors.
http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/OTUS/obamas-gifts-small-campaign-bill-clintons-thoughtsromneys-parting/story?id=17727179
According to Romney some of the best “gifts,” went to Hispanic voters, a group that voted overwhelmingly for President Obama.
“One, he gave them a big gift on immigration with the DREAM Act amnesty program, which was obviously very, very popular with Hispanic voters, and then number two was Obamacare,” Romney said on a conference call, audio of which was obtained by ABC News.
Romney added, “It’s a proven political strategy, which is, give a bunch of money to a group and, guess what, they’ll vote for you.”
But speaking at a Republican Governors Association meeting in Las Vegas, Gov. Jindal dismissed Romney’s explanation during a press conference yesterday.
“I don’t think that represents where we are as a party and where we’re going as a party,” Jindal, a potential 2016 GOP presidential contender, said. “If we’re going to continue to be a competitive party and win elections on the national stage and continue to fight for our conservative principles, we need two messages to get out loudly and clearly: One, we are fighting for 100 percent of the votes, and secondly, our policies benefit every American who wants to pursue the American dream.”
And Romney’s appraisal even sounds discordant when compared to the words of his own campaign spokesman, Kevin Madden, who spoke on a panel at the Atlantic’s Washington Ideas Forum yesterday.
“I don’t think the Obama campaign gets enough credit for actually changing the electorate,” Madden said. “I think their turnout model is extraordinary. They did very well, and they made sure they had the exact model of the electorate that they needed to win.”
Back at the gathering of governors in Las Vegas, former Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour didn’t mince words, calling for a “brutally honest assessment of what we did,” and recommending a “a very serious proctology exam” for the GOP.
While his Republican counterparts were recommending the political equivalent of a colonoscopy for their party, Romney ended the conference call with donors yesterday on a wistful note.
“We’re still having a hard time, just contemplating what could have been versus what is, and it just doesn’t seem real, we’re still in the stage of denial at my house,” Romney said chuckling. “We still think the campaign is going on.”
Related Topics: Obama Press Conference, Bobby Jindal, Barack Obama, Haley Barbour, Mitt Romney, Las Vegas, Hispanic Voters, Republican Presidential Candidates, Republican Party, The Dream Act
Also:
http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/OTUS/obamas-gifts-small-campaign-bill-clintons-thoughtsromneys-parting/story?id=17727179
Everything Romney Said to Explain Away Loss
By JOHN SANTUCCI, CHRIS GOOD (@c_good) , and SHUSHANNAH WALSHE (@shushwalshe)
Nov. 15, 2012
“Why did Mitt Romney lose the election? If you ask him–as some donors did–it’s because President Obama gave “extraordinary financial gifts” to Hispanic voters and other demographic blocs in his voting coalition.
This week Romney explained his election loss to high-level donors on at least two private conference calls, and ABC News obtained a recording of one of them Wednesday. Among the many news tidbits are Romney’s repeated comments about “gifts” to demographic groups by Obama (particularly Hispanics), a call from Bill Clinton, Romney’s frustration with the GOP primary system, his pollster’s case that Hurricane Sandy played a big role, and the campaign’s almost awestruck acknowledgement of the minority turnout that did them in.
Below are some highlights from the call, which also featured Campaign Manager Matt Rhoades, Finance Chairman Spencer Zwick, and campaign pollster Neil Newhouse, as they and the former candidate answered questions from donors about what went wrong:
Listen to portions of the call as aired on ABC’s World News Nov. 14th.
http://abcnews.go.com/WNT/video/mitt-romney-comments-president-obamas-win-2012-election-17722041
Some conservatives have distanced themselves from Romney’s explanation. Read about that HERE…”
http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/politics/2012/11/republicans-return-romneys-parting-gift-the-note/
Finally:
http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/celebrity-mitt-romney-supporters-rant-online-president-obama/story?id=17665392
Celebrity Mitt Romney Supporters Rant Online Over President Obama Victory
By KEVIN DOLAK (@kdolak)
Nov. 7, 2012
“While millions of voters across the country are celebrating and congratulating President Obama on his re-election, there are an outspoken few that are decidedly, and vocally, unhappy with it.
The tight 2012 race saw endorsements from some of the entertainment world’s major players on both sides of the aisle, with actresses Eva Longoria and Scarlett Johansson, for example, throwing their support behind Obama, to reality TV star Donald Trump and rocker Kid Rock throwing their weight behind Romney.
RELATED: Celebrity Political Rants
http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/OTUS/tina-fey-rants-legitimate-rape-controversy/story?id=17572861#.UJqvn2_A_Sg
As the results came in Tuesday night and the election was eventually called for Obama, some famous Romney fans took to their social media accounts to express frustration and vent their rage. Here’s a look…”