Obama's performance in third debate described as 'rude and unpresidential'

By Catholic Online (NEWS CONSORTIUM)
10/23/2012
Catholic Online (www.catholic.org)

U.S. historian Tim Stanley says president looked 'like a lawyer' in the third debate

According to U.S. historian Tim Stanley, Mitt Romney won the third presidential debate. Stanley says that while Romney looked like a proper head of state, Obama's antics made him "look like a lawyer," at the third and final debate in Boca Raton, Florida, last night.

Historian Tim Stanley points out that both Romney and Obama basically agreed on all the essentials. 'Romney refused to tackle Obama directly on Libya (I shouted at the TV that he should, but he just wouldn't listen) and Fast and Furious seems to have been forgotten by the GOP.'

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LOS ANGELES, CA (Catholic Online) - Stanley says the debate was encapsulated in a single exchange. When Romney says that the U.S. Navy now has fewer ships than it did in 1916, Obama glibly retorted, "I think Governor Romney maybe hasn't spent enough time looking at how our military works.

"You mentioned the navy, for example, and that we have fewer ships than we did in 1916. Well, governor, we also have fewer horses and bayonets because the nature of our military's changed." Audience response was favorable, as everyone laughed.

However - as Stanley points out, the Internet lit up with examples on how the U.S. military still uses horses and bayonets. As a most recent example, horses were used during the invasion of Afghanistan.

Stanley is especially scathing in describing Obama's overall debate performance. "This was one example of many in which the President insulted, patronized and mocked his opponent rather than put across a constructive argument. His performance was rude and unpresidential.

"Obama seemed to have a touch of the Bidens, wriggling about in his chair, waving his hands dismissively and always - always - smirking in Romney's direction. By contrast, Romney sucked up the abuse and retained a rigid poker face all night. He looked like a Commander in Chief; Obama looked like a lawyer. Who would you rather vote for?"

Stanley later describes the debate as uneventful, "essentially a debate without incident. Part of the fault was the format. It's interesting to note that Romney won the first debate while standing up and Obama did better in the second when walking around. But when both men were forced to sit for 90 minutes, the energy was inevitably reduced and neither broke through the fourth wall convincingly.

"Romney had a slight edge because he didn't use his hands so much: Obama blew his closing statements by developing ultra-energetic conjurer's hands ."

Stanley points out that both Romney and Obama basically agreed on all the essentials. "Romney refused to tackle Obama directly on Libya (I shouted at the TV that he should, but he just wouldn't listen) and Fast and Furious seems to have been forgotten by the GOP.

"In everything else, Obama has become so homicidally neoconservative and Romney so desperately peaceful that they've met in the middle on most issues. Both would defend Israel in the event of an attack, both want out of Afghanistan in 2014 and neither would let Iran get the bomb. If you want a real debate on foreign policy, you're just going to have to wait until Rand Paul gets the nomination in 2020. At times this felt almost as boring as that Gingrich v Huntsman debate that I and about 4 other people watched during the primaries."

Stanley says that the former Massachusetts governor clearly won last night's debate. "Romney now looks like the President and Obama looks like the challenger."

� 2012, Catholic Online. Distributed by NEWS CONSORTIUM.

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Pope Benedict XVI's Prayer Intentions for January 2013
General Intention: The Faith of Christians. That in this Year of Faith Christians may deepen their knowledge of the mystery of Christ and witness joyfully to the gift of faith in him.
Missionary Intention: Middle Eastern Christians. That the Christian communities of the Middle East, often discriminated against, may receive from the Holy Spirit the strength of fidelity and perseverance.

Keywords: Mitt Romney, Barack Obama, debate, performance, glib, sarcasm

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1 - 8 of 8 Comments

je suis affamé
6 months ago
How is Romney's plan different from President Bush Jr. ?

If it is generally agreed that the primary hot spot in the world today is the Middle East, would it not logically follow that we (USA) need to work with those countries? We need a Muslim or at least someone who has study Islam as President. We need to put our best foot forward and talk with these Middle Eastern countries. It seems to be the general conscious that the Middle East is where our main security threat comes from.

If we want questions to be asked of the Presidential nominees than why has no one asked them the difference between the two largest sects of Islam Sunni and Shia? If they are going to be our leading diplomat for the USA. We need that diplomat to be highly skilled in dealing with Muslims, and Highly knowledgeable about such Islamic culture(s).

I ask those who read this comment,
how much do you think Romney knows about Islam?
How much do you think President Obama knows about Islam?
Why should this bar of how much a candidate knows about Islam be a bar that which to measure these candidates?
What is your bar that with you measure the Presidency?
Why do you use that standard?
abey
6 months ago
Not surprising to see Obama joining his VP in the rudeness, to say they use the Caricature of talk shows, to more of acting & less of politics.. Typical of turning a political debate to a talk show & that's entertainment but let not Catholics be fooled by such entertainments in the choice between life & death.
Stephen Graff
6 months ago
Mr. Stanley is clearly a partisan pundit, not an impartial observer as evidenced by his right-wing fox news inspired comments (fast and furious, shouting at the tv about Libya). If he's a "historian" then I'm a wealthy jet setter.
Terri K
6 months ago
I was watching last night and thought Obama resorted to petty insults at this point (video). I thought it damaged his credibility. I agree that he seemed more like a (corrupt, unscrupulous) lawyer than a president.
chicago2012
6 months ago
Yes, I found President Obama's comments to Governor Romney to be rude, sarcastic and un-presidential. It makes one wonder if he would talk with leaders of other countries in this manner if they are more our foes than friends....it was so distasteful watching the debate last night. I believe Gov. Romney summed it up best by looking Obama in the eye and saying that arguing with him is not putting forth his vision or foreign policy plans for the next four years. The country has a right to know the details of Obama's plan and doesn't care to hear his rhetoric....in my opinion Obama sounded just like any lawyer.
Rob
6 months ago
Give me a break. Had to really dig for this one. Can't we just agree that Romney cleaned Obama's clock in the first...draw in the second and Obama won the third. Debate PERFORMANCE aside, I think the bigger story is the fact that Romney basically laid out a new foreign policy position last night and basically agreed with Obama on most points. Why no discussion or story about that?
kan
6 months ago
nonsense, assertiveness is presidential and lawyers have got such. Why should Romney agreed in all Obama policies? He should go and get differing policies. Well everyone is entitle to his/her own opinions.
Stephanie
6 months ago
Interesting that Obama acted crazy when he and Romney disagreed on something ("my way or the highway" mentality) and then he also seemed annoyed when they did agree on something. Like he's copying his answers on a test or something. What the heck? Shouldn't he be happy that Romney agrees with him on some of the most important foreign policy issues? I guess not, because Obama wants Romney to appear insane so people won't vote for Romney. Just like the media painted Sarah Palin as crazy in the last election, and with McCain's health issues, people didn't want her that close to the presidency.

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