The Other McCain

"One should either write ruthlessly what one believes to be the truth, or else shut up." — Arthur Koestler

It’s Morning in Vanuatu Again

Posted on | October 4, 2012 | 47 Comments

“How long, O Lord, how long? Where will it end?
“All I ever wanted out of this campaign was enough money to get out of the country and live for a year or two in peaceful squalor in a house with a big screen porch looking down on an empty white beach, with a good rich coral reef a few hundred yards out in the surf and no neighbors. . . .
“What worries me now . . . is the strong possibility that my involvement in politics has become so deep and twisted that I can no longer think rationally about that big screen porch above the beach except in terms of an appointment as Governor of American Samoa.”
– Hunter S. Thompson, Fear and Loathing: On the Campaign Trail ’72

Savor the moment. I’ve been up all night doing the Snoopy dance in the Gloat Zone. Ace says we should worry: The MSM’s already preparing the “Obama Comeback” narrative.

But I’m too grateful and happy to worry now. There is deliciousness everywhere this morning. Byron York serves it up:

Just seconds after the presidential debate ended here at the University of Denver Wednesday night, Mitt Romney’s advisers and surrogates rushed to the press room to take reporters’ questions and tout their man’s performance. They were eager, happy, and ready to talk because they believed their man scored a clear win in his first face-off with President Obama.
After a few minutes of interviews, and the arrival of still more Romney surrogates, some reporters looked around and asked: Are there any Democrats here? Where are the Obama advisers and surrogates eager to speak for the president?
It took a while for them to show up. And when they arrived, they were on the defensive from the get-go about the president’s performance. . . .

Read the whole thing. Last time I saw Byron was in Toledo, when the polls had Obama up 10 points in Ohio and everybody was on the verge of abandoning hope. This evening, I expect to see him in Fisherville, Virginia — 6 p.m., doors open at 4 p.m. — and imagine what a complete change in mood we’ll see! Imagine how everybody will be laughing about how Chris Matthews melted down:

Nobody — and I mean, nobody — expected such a one-sided ass-whupping. And let’s sober up enough to say, “Answered prayer”:

Really, when you see this kind of unanticipated miracle, it’s necessary to consider the possibility that this was not coincidental. With 33 days to go until Nov. 6, suddenly the sun is shining. My American Spectator column today:

How decisively did Mitt Romney win Wednesday night’s debate? All you had to do was watch the most pro-Obama network to see it. “I personally do not know who won this debate,” MSNBC’s Rachel Maddow said as soon as the debate ended. She was obviously the only one who didn’t know.
When Maddow brought on her colleague Ed Schultz, he moaned that President Obama “created a problem for himself tonight on Social Security. He agreed with Mitt Romney.… I thought he was off his game.” Nor did the president’s performance send a thrill up the leg of Chris Matthews. “I don’t know what he was doing out there,” Matthews complained. “He had his head down. He was enduring the debate rather than fighting it.”
If ever there were a night when conservatives wanted to watch MSNBC, this was it — an all-you-can-eat buffet of schadenfreude, as one after another of the liberal network’s personalities tried to come to grips with what was perhaps the most one-sided presidential debate since JFK beat a shifty-looking Richard Nixon in 1960. “In terms of debate tactics, Romney was on the offense most of the night,” a glum Howard Fineman acknowledged, while a shell-shocked Chuck Todd admitted that the result “automatically elevates Romney as a credible alternative” and later added, in reference to the Obama camp’s post-debate mood: “They know they lost tonight.”
Everybody knew it. . . .

Please read the whole thing — and hit the freaking tip jar!

 





 

UPDATE: “Ride right through them, they’re demoralized as hell!”

 


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Category: Barack Obama, Debates, Election 2012, Mitt Romney, Vanuatu

Comments

  • CPAguy

    Romney is a Progressive. Always was one and always will be.

    It is great that he will likely beat Obama (despite the biased polls, he has always stood a 50%+ chance).

    But, he will not turn things around. He is not a savior, simply a Progressive.

    Terrific debate from Mittens. Obama too had some good debates in 2008, however, like Romney, his record was that of a Progressive and his performance didn’t match up with his actual history of governance.

    Will another Progressive win the White House by saying things that run counter to his entire history as a public servant?

    Probably.

    But at least we can hold this one’s feet to the fire and primary him in 2016,

  • http://pulse.yahoo.com/_MJGP4QXZ5PRW2MFA5E25CV2WNU rosalie

    As soon as I saw the photo of Vanuatu I had to laugh. It was the perfect start for your your post.

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  • Adobe_Walls

    The left is already starting to regain what passes for their composure, this ain’t over by a long shot. Cutter is blaming Leher for not reigning in Romney tho her boy got 4 more minutes of speaking time. I’m afraid we’ll have to wait for that final poll on Nov 6, for that longer lasting despair. With any luck they’ll become terminally despondent.

  • JeffS

    I concur, the MSM and the Obama Campaign (but I repeat myself) will do something to get out this hole they’ve dug. As Sarah Palin notes, they won’t go down without fighting. (H/T to Bob Belvedere in an earlier post for that link.)

    With patience, perseverance, and a bit of luck, they’ll just end up digging the hole deeper. But that remains to be seen.

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  • http://evilbloggerlady.blogspot.com/ Evi L. Bloggerlady

    Agree completely with Adobe Walls. I am happy too. Don’t get me wrong…but
    Don’t get cocky! This is not over yet.

    And if Romney wins, we better watch him closely too!

  • jlwellfonder

    I loved the Vanuatu photo too, I literally laughed out loud. Agree with all…we had a great night, but the fight ain’t over. But I too am enjoying the afterglow of a kick ass debate!

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  • http://twitter.com/wjjhoge WJJ Hoge

    It’s mourning in Chicago.

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  • http://pulse.yahoo.com/_MJGP4QXZ5PRW2MFA5E25CV2WNU rosalie

    Darn good advice.

  • Finrod Felagund

    In baseball terms, Mitt may have scored 2 runs in the 6th inning to take a 1-run lead in a tight pitcher’s duel, but the game is far from over and momentum could shift multiple times between now and November 6.

    Keep calm and keep your powder dry.

  • http://twitter.com/BeccaJLower Becca Lower

    Last night, I gravitated to the boxing imagery (thanks so much for the pingback, sir!). But now I’m thinking courtroom, prosecution -vs-defendant. If last night was anything, it was America in the person of Mitt Romney bringing an indictment against the fugitive who no one would corner for years. People forget that Mr. Romney has a law degree tucked away.

  • http://twitter.com/BeccaJLower Becca Lower

    I don’t whether to hug you, or call you a buzzkill, CPAguy. Remember that the “us” holding his feet to the fire includes tea partiers in Congress and (God willing) Vice President Paul Ryan.

  • JeffS
  • JeffS

    Think of CPAguy as our very own Allahpundit.

  • http://twitter.com/richard_mcenroe richard mcenroe

    “If it ain’t over that means we get to blow them up some more, right?” –Cletus Skywalker, from the up-holler side of the family

  • Quartermaster

    It would be helpful to remember that salvation will not arrive on Air Force one. It is our responsibility to hold Mittens, and anyone else holding elective office, feet the fire.
    Mittens is a progressive, and so was everyone of his opponents in the primaries. The GOP was the first progressive party, and produced the first progressive president (Teddy Roosevelt) who was in the same left wing groove as Lincoln.

  • http://twitter.com/richard_mcenroe richard mcenroe

    And simple economic reality, which he at least seems to recognize.

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  • Wombat_socho

    Unfortunately for Obama, his bullpen sucks and his closer hasn’t had any control since Nolan Ryan was a rookie with the Mets.

  • Wombat_socho

    Our resident Eeyore, yes.

  • JeffS

    Same difference.

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  • http://twitter.com/ThatChristyChic Christy Waters

    The Chris Matthews conniption fit was the most entertaining part of the whole night. I watched it 3 times and laughed so hard my stomach got a great workout! #winning

  • http://pulse.yahoo.com/_MJGP4QXZ5PRW2MFA5E25CV2WNU rosalie

    The problem for O this time around is that he now has his own record, which he can’t avoid.

  • Adobe_Walls
  • http://wizbangblog.com/ Adjoran

    Yeah, watching that sputtering moron was palatable, for once. Maybe I’ll check him again on election night if it’s a Big Red Wave.

    “Obama should watch MSNBC!” What a bunch of idiots.

  • Mortimer Snerd

    That video of the MSDNC boys (Chrissy and Special Ed) melting down was the greatest thing I’ve seen in months! Personally, I will be voting against BO, not for Mitt. But, after watching that, I finally felt motivated to slip Romney a modest contribution. The video alone was well worth it!

  • http://boogieforward.us/ K-Bob

    As long as the anti-Romney right stays the hell out of our way, we’ll have a chance to restore Liberty.

    Yes, it is that. freaking. simple.

  • http://boogieforward.us/ K-Bob

    Allah is more squishy, semi-liberal, less hardcore right. CPAguy doesn’t go to the squish side, as far as I can remember.

    But until November 7, I have zero tolerance for this “Romney isn’t our guy” crap. I was there, and I’ll be there after Nov. 7. Until then, Romney is our only chance.

  • http://boogieforward.us/ K-Bob

    When I go to get my email, I have to contend with the stupid “portal” page that Yahoo or Comcast puts up, and they always have some AP or MSNBC article up trying their best to damage Romney.

    Today’s article is a real hoot:

    Obama challenges Romney’s candor post-debate

    Looking for a quick recovery from a disappointing debate, President Barack Obama questioned the identity of the “real” Mitt Romney on Thursday, suggesting his Republican rival had not been candid about his policy positions while on stage. “Gov. Romney may dance around his positions but if you want to be president, you owe the American people the truth,” Obama said at a post-debate rally.
    .
    .
    .
    Obama said that when he reached the debate stage “I met this very spirited fellow who claimed to be Mitt Romney. But it couldn’t have been Mitt Romney,” Obama said, adding that the “real Mitt Romney has been running around the country for the last year promising $5 trillion in tax cuts that favor the wealthy. The fellow on stage last night said he didn’t know anything about that.” The president also accused Romney of misrepresenting past statements on education and outsourcing. In tough comments, the president said Romney “does not want to be held accountable … because he knows full well that we don’t want what he’s selling.”

    Hey Barack, you are definitely entitled to your opinion. Sorry that the facts won’t play along with it.

  • Quartermaster

    You’ll have to get the RINO left out our way before that goal will be reached. The RINOs are on a parallel track to the Moonbat left. The RINOs simply don’t have the throttle wide open like the moonbats.

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  • http://boogieforward.us/ K-Bob

    Indeed. They are trying to prop up Obama, like they used to do with Andropov during those rooftop photo ops in old Soviet Union.

    There’s a whole crew of Henson Associates puppeteers working the virtual Obama in the news today.

    “Obama hadn’t adjusted to the altitude”
    “Romney was rude and mean to Lehrer”
    “Romney lied”
    “Romney wants to kill Big Bird”
    “Obama held back”

    So this will still be a tough hill to climb. But on the other side, landslide all the way.

  • http://twitter.com/RangerSG Shawn Gillogly

    Look. LET MSNBC and the Left blame Lehrer. The facts show Obama spoke LONGER than Romney–or rather, had more mic time. It’s not Mitt’s fault Obama stuttered and stammered half his allotted time away. Obama is a S*OAMF. We knew that already. But let the Left think the Emperor is wearing clothes.

    LET them raise expectations for Joe Biden (giggles cannot be helped) and Obama for Oct 16. LET them try to claim the President was simply being defensive, and a little more fight will fix everything.

    The FACT is, Obama is outclassed. And for the 1st time, people saw that last night, clear and stark, w/o a media filter. And they’re going to see it twice more. Mitt doesn’t have to win those as decisively as he did this one. He merely needs to keep showing up willing, ready, and with facts on hand.

    Though to be honest, if he does that, he’ll win those as handily as he did last night. Obama needs his binkie to be effective. Obama needs a strawman to win. Now he’s running around saying, “You didn’t accept my ‘facts’ so you must have lied.” Umm. No. And you don’t look very Presidential with sore-loser egg on your face either.

  • http://thecampofthesaints.org Bob Belvedere

    I try not to hold that against him.

  • http://twitter.com/richard_mcenroe richard mcenroe

    If we accept the statements of Plouffe, Axelrod and Obama, Romney’s got them by the ass. TheObama campaign either can’t or won’t admit they have a problem with both message and messenger, and are obsessing with blaming Romney rather than fixing their admittedly fundamental problems.

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  • http://wizbangblog.com/ Adjoran

    You have to beat the Democrats and clean up the crisis of our fiscal state before you can worry about the RINOs. Without them, we never win an election. Hard to change anything from the outside in the snow, looking in.

  • http://wizbangblog.com/ Adjoran

    The facts don’t match it, and Obama doesn’t have the guts to say it to Romney’s face, the lying little weasel starts bad-mouthing him again when he has a stage to himself.

    They made Obama hold back because he comes off like an arrogant jackass when he gets snarky. He got a pass on it with Hillary, McCain didn’t challenge him, but now it will just look unpresidential – and I think Romney can bait him into a meltdown while Mitt keeps his own cool. So turn the punk loose. Bring it on, Jughead!

  • http://www.facebook.com/people/Michael-Kelley/100000040604974 Michael Kelley

    Here are some great Iowahawk tweets on the debate, etc:

    David Burge ?@iowahawkblog Maybe Axlerod can get the Chicago Tribune to unseal Romney’s divorce records.David Burge ?@iowahawkblog Obama traditionally struggles when debating people not made of straw.David Burge ?@iowahawkblog Good news: Obama t-shirts increasingly worn by hipsters. Bad news: This time, ironically.David Burge ?@iowahawkblog If they watch network newscasts, I imagine most viewers were genuinely surprised Romney didn’t eat a baby during the debate.David Burge ?@iowahawkblog Somewhere, a 2nd-tier Midwestern cow college is missing an Assistant Vice Provost for Diversity and Inclusion.David Burge ?@iowahawkblog”Maybe I’ll make it up in the swimsuit competition” – Inside Obama’s head—David Burge ?@iowahawkblog I hope the candidates aren’t overcome by the smell of Jim Lehrer’s formaldehyde.David Burge ?@iowahawkblog As president, Obama’s closest analog is Harding. Tonya Harding.David Burge ?@iowahawkblogJoe Biden is what happens when you comb your hair with a taser.David Burge ?@iowahawkblog Breaking: Syria, Turkey exchange missile fire; Obama convenes emergency meeting with Valerie Jarrett to decide who to apologize to.

  • http://wizbangblog.com/ Adjoran

    The Washington Examiner is touting a story a major news outlet & website will break soon on Obama & Democratic donation problems. Supposedly to publish either Friday or Monday, over the objections of the Regime.

  • http://boogieforward.us/ K-Bob

    Saw it again a bunch today. (Beck’s channel.) I loved the last bit about “There’s a huge debate going on in this country, and it’s going on right here!!!!!”

    That is so full of irony, every time they turn on the supercollider, MSNBC studios is pulled closer to Europe.

    (They better hope Hope Obama lowers the oceans soon. A lot.)

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