The Third Debate

Some saw tonight's debate as a draw, but I think Obama slaughtered Romney, who looked smug, uncomfortable and made some surprising policy changes that Obama highlighted on the spot. Among the most important was making himself sound like Obama on many issues, rather than the hawk he portrayed himself as throughout the campaign to date. This was slinky at it again, but he seemed to get caught off guard by Obama being ready to call him out on his constantly changing positions. In composite, most agreed that Obama won. A CBS Snap poll of undecided voters showed Obama winning 53% to 23%. A CNN poll had him up by 8 among registered voters and a third saw him win by 11 points. What was weird was Romney supporting an exact date for ending the war in Afghanistan, after critiquing Obama on this point for over a year, trying to attack Obama for cuts to the military and falling into a rhetorical trap Obama laid out wonderfully (counting ships is like counting bayonets, to paraphrase). Romney's argument on China seemed to contradict itself from the beginning to the end of the question and overall I just found his argument less than compelling.

The key point he keeps making is that unemployment remains high (true) and that his policies will "put Americans back to work." But he then argues that government doesn't create jobs, when that is clearly untrue. It was the government that got us out of the Great Depression, the government that helped create the biggest middle class the world had ever seen, the government that got us through many recessions and the government that saved the global economy four years ago. It is a lie that resonates with the American public but one that must be challenged if we are to get this country "working" again. And Obama seems ready to finally make this argument again. Let's hope he actually pushes for these policies if reelected. If Romney wins this election, it is largely based on his chameleon-like ability to appeal to divergent voter interests at once (by pandering to all of them almost simultaneously), by lying consistently about Obama's record and his own vision, by diverting us from his plan to restart the work of Bush (with budget cuts) and by tricking Americans into once again believing they must support the super rich to have a shot at getting rich themselves. Four years ago, the American public asked Obama to get government again working for their interests. But four years of relentless attack and obstructionism by conservatives inside and outside the government has undermined his ability to enact that will, while blaming him for being stuck with their policies of tax cuts and little else. Two weeks til D-day. Let's hope for sanity in the face of the spectacle!