Couchside chat from America's Living Room

I wanted to jot down my thoughts about the debates last night before the next debate arrives (VP) soon.  I have to say I was surprised at Mitt's performance.  I thought for sure he would hold back his punches, go middle of the road so as to not come across as racist or a bully.  I watched them from my home office computer through C-SPAN.  I found that the format was priceless as it provided a split screen that gave the viewer the "real time" reaction of the President and Romney as the other were speaking.  This provided great insite into the body language, facial expressions and other "non-verbal" communicators.  Everytime that Romney spoke, Obama figeted and scowled (which I have only seen reserved for the likes of Netayahu) and looked at his feet.  When Obama spoke you could see that Romney was eager, ready to respond to the lies spewing from Obama's mouth.  Romney looked like a prize fighter that was ushered into his corner after knocking down his opponent who was saved by the bell at the count of five just to have to wait out until the next round to come out swinging to finish him off.

At first, Mitt didn't disappoint that thought as he did exactly that, or so it seemed.  Then out of the blue he pounced, but did so in such a nuanced way that in and of itself was, powerful.  For instance, during the opening tit-for-tat about the economy Romney made the seemless comment -- “Under the President’s policies, middle-income Americans have been buried,” Romney said. “The question is, how do you get them going again?”

Rewind -- Two days before the debate

Biden "slamming Republican tax policies which Democrats claim would cut taxes for the rich and hike them for the middle class.

"This is deadly earnest," Biden said. "How they can justify -- how they can justify raising taxes on the middle class that's been buried the last four years. How in the lord's name can they justify raising their taxes with these tax cuts?"

This nuanced, non-aggressiveness was obvious a strategy and Mitt used it to perfection.  At one point Mitt, in rapid succession, delived blow after blow, point on point against Obama that left him dazed.

The point that I jumped up and cheered like a sport fan revelling in a last second "hail mary" score to win was when Obama counter pointed the "tax subsidies for oil companies" were $2.8 billion per year.

"Obama called for an end to government subsidies for oil and gas companies, saying, “”The oil industry gets $4 billion a year in corporate welfare. Basically, they get deductions that those small businesses that Governor Romney refers to, they don’t get.  Now, does anybody think that ExxonMobil needs some extra money, when they’re making money every time you go to the pump? Why wouldn’t we want to eliminate that?” asked Obama

Romney responded, “First of all, the Department of Energy has said the tax break for oil companies is $2.8 billion a year. And it’s actually an accounting treatment, as you know, that’s been in place for a hundred years. Now…” 

Obama broke in, saying, “It’s time to end it

“And in one year, you provided $90 billion in breaks to the green energy world"  Now, I like green energy as well, but that’s about 50 years’ worth of what oil and gas receives,” Romney said. “And you say Exxon and Mobil. Actually, this $2.8 billion goes largely to small companies, to drilling operators and so forth." -- Environmental news service.

Body blow, body blow

Well, I won't bore you with any more of the gratuitous gore witnessed last night, but, will leave you with the tantilizing prospect of the Ryan Biden bout looming.  This should provide much entertainment.

Obama lost big, lied throughout and was visably shaken without his teleprompter and his piped responses were from his talking point list we have heard since he entered the White House.

Once liar, always a liar as Obama hit the campaign trail today and again espoused the same 5 trillion lie he tried to peddle with Romney in the room.  Tsk, Tsk!