So I got an e-mail from Jo at Current TV today, with the subject line: "Will Obama Redeem Himself Tonight?"
At which point I unsubscribed from Current TV.
More beneath the Croissant of Doom.
Two weeks ago, President Barack Obama was stunned in a debate with failed Governor Mitt Romney. He was stunned because Mitt was eloquent and genial. Mitt was eloquent and genial because he was comfortable.
Mitt was comfortable because he was pretty much constantly lying.
About himself, about his record, about Obama's record, about Obama's policies, about ever-damn-thing. I'm of the school that believes Obama was stunned because he didn't expect the entire ninety minutes to be Mitt spouting bullshit.
We will see what we will see tonight. I'm a touch worried -- not that town hall is a bad thing, far from it, but the fact that the questions will be coming from "undecided voters", i.e., people who have not been paying attention to either side for years, does not encourage me.
But here's the thing, Jo at Current TV: During the first debate, Obama stuck to the truth. He wasn't anywhere near as fiery as we would have liked him to be, but he described how his policies worked, and he pointed out some of the problems of Romney's, and the only thing I can think of offhand that bugged me about his answers was the notion that he and Mitt are closer on Social Security than everyone thinks. No, they're not.
But he wasn't as aggressive about it. He was calm, placid... which everyone took to mean "timid" and "unprepared".
And that's the only damn thing all the pundits pointed out, even though the fact-checkers (which Romney ignored, of course) were going ballistic.
My point is: Obama lost the Congeniality portion of the first debate. But, as Bill Maher pointed out, we're not electing a debater-in-chief; we're electing a Commander-In-Chief. Which Obama is, and which Mitt -- even if elected -- will never be.
In other words, no matter what happens in this debate or the one to follow, I don't believe President Obama has to "redeem himself". I didn't vote for him because I thought he would do well at a made-up contest run by a hostile media; I voted for him because I hoped he would bring change. While he hasn't brought as much as either of us wanted, he damn well has brought a substantial amount, and I'm gonna be proud to vote for him and Joe Biden once more.
I actually don't expect a huge amount of agreement with me on this, but I wanted to say it before the second debate started. Now, here's hoping Obama has figured a way to make Mitt regret every burning lie.