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Original poster

Did Obama deliberately throw the debate?

27 replies

APMF · 04/10/2012 22:12

In the lead up to the US presidential debate the pundits (NY Times and friends) told us that debates rarely influence voters to a significant degree. Certainly not enough to overcome the lead Obama had in the polls. Same pundits then told us that if Romney's backers think he is going to lose then they will shift the money to the Senate and House races.

Fast forward to the morning debate. Commentators were questioning why Obama failed to wheel out his powerful campaign talking points like the 47% video among others. Others went on about Obama's lackluster performance. Not surprisingly, Romney was widely touted as the debate winner.

I'm guessing that the re-energised Team Romney will be keeping their donors. I can't help but think that this what Obama intended. Am I giving Obama too much credit?

OP posts:
Original poster
APMF · 04/10/2012 22:31

Obama is ahead by 5 to 10 points in some of the swing states. He wins one and he is home and dry. Maybe he agrees with the pundits who say that unless a candidate falls off the stage drunk or curses Jesus on air then the debate with have little impact on the poll numbers. If I was in his position I could lose a debate, keep the GOP money from being diverted to the toss up House and Senate races, crush Romney in debates 2 and 3 and then gently jog past the finish line in November.

All I know is that if this was the boxing heavy weight championship of the world and the 'champ' gave such a pitiful effort I would suspect a fix was in place.

he debate will mean that Romney gains by 2 0

OP posts:
Reallynotsureaboutthis · 04/10/2012 22:21

I stayed up to watch it and I was wincing listening to Obama. Ended up going to bed after 20 mins, couldn't listen anymore. It was an awful performance by him, and I couldn't understand the shift. Can't really see how he'll gain from it though. All that 'double bluff' stuff doesn't make any sense if he's managed to give his opponent the boost he needed to get back in the race. Confused