As Unprepared as the Day He Became President

President Obama's lack of preparation for the debate mirrors his lack of preparation for the presidency and the result was the same: failure.  But also painfully obvious was his inability to face criticism of his policies and his anger at being called on the lies that he and his minions have propagated over the last 4 years and during the campaign.  The maddening slavishness of the Main Stream Media's love affair with Obama, which failed to criticize him, his policies or his appointees over the last 4 years contributed directly to his downfall and his abject failure in the debate.  Obama has not had to face direct criticism before thus he has failed to develop the natural mental toughness that comes when one must directly confront such opposition.  Could his narcissism and character (or lack of) have contributed?  Obviously.  But regardless of why, it remains that he went into the debate psychologically unprepared for any criticism of his positions resulting in a palpable, barely concealed anger that clouded his ability to react.  He was unable to mentally focus on the questions at hand and to nimbly and logically defend his positions and statements.  His statements, which previously were always taken at face value, were challenged directly and to his face and he didn’t know how to react. 

Obama arguably did better in his debate against Clint Eastwood at the RNC.

Logic and the ability to clearly and succinctly state one’s position are key. Debates are truly won and lost not on personality or cool but on clearly stated logic and last night—as over the last 4 years—the logic to clearly and truthfully explain his positions was no where to be found. Instead, he was put in the position of not having a press that would run interference; and, of not being at a podium with the power of the presidency to use to shut up the occasional dissenter from the White House Press Pool. Obama's lack of mental toughness was never more evident than in those instances when Romney was looking him in the eye and calling him on inaccuracies. Obama’s response was to studiously and with tightened lips look down at the podium and refuse to make and keep eye contact with his challenger. He could not mentally handle being contradicted and called a liar. The most he could do, four years later, was pitifully blame Bush and try to divert attention from his economic failures of the last four years. One thing was abundantly clear to the American people last night—something that has been clear to America's enemies for some time—Obama is a house of cards, lacking substance and when called on the lack of substance, one who petulantly retreats and avoids the confrontation rather than lead.

This is not to say that Obama is not dangerous. He is supremely dangerous politically as only one who is ultimately weak can be. (One might say militarily as well but that doesn’t apply domestically as his options of using a drone within the United States are non-existent.) Rather than Machiavelli we can expect Saul Alinsky with a vengeance for the weak never attack to your face. I would expect that over the next few weeks leading to November 6, the Obama surrogates will be sniping at Romney and Ryan hoping to do damage and inflict wounds. Are Romney and Ryan perfect? The answer is no. But are they flawed to the point that the wounds will be fatal? Again, the answer is no.

The wild card in all this is, of course, the Main Stream Media. They are seeing their creation, their idolized hero, crash in flames and that has to make them nauseous. CBS, ABC, NBC and MSNBC are used to controlling the direction of political discourse and, like Obama, are unable to fathom why people don't automatically go in the direction they favor. Like the petty tyrants of history who smelled the aroma of power and clung to it with all their might, it can be expected that they will either circle the wagons and assist in the coming witch hunts that will surely be encouraged by the Obama camp; or, they will turn on him like hungry wolves angered by the failure of their champion to fulfill the promise that they alone created, and devour him.

A few minutes ago I heard a TV pundit pontificate that like John Kennedy’s loss to Nixon in the first 1960 debate, Obama would do better later. I could only shake my head in disbelief. Had Obama won last night, the debate might have been partly comparable to that first-ever televised debate, except that Obama is, in many ways much more like Nixon than JFK. The exception being, of course, that Nixon was very well prepared for the presidency (as was Kennedy).

Today, besides Mitt Romney, the other politician in the United States that is smiling broadly is former President Jimmy Carter who can finally envision there being a modern President with a worse record than his. 

 Now on to the Vice Presidential debate! The big question here is, what will be Joe Biden’s gaff this time? It should be interesting, instructive and entertaining seeing the performance of the man—a clown without makeup—who is a heartbeat from the presidency as he faces-off against an articulate opponent in Paul Ryan. I am looking forward to that debate and hope you’ll all watch.

May God bless you.