Why Obama lost, in 300 words:
As a Democrat, what’s infuriating isn’t that Obama lost; it’s why he lost. It’s so historical, so archetypal, that it convinces me that the universe is imploding. Obama was Kerry; he was Gore; he was Dukakis; he was the 20th-Century Democrat.
Campaigns are about narratives; Romney succeeded at telling one, and Obama failed. Not only this, but Obama let Romney unwind the “rich guy” narrative that’s been so successfully peddled against him. Obama just sat there and let him do it; Romney even accused the President of being “entitled to airplanes.” The balls!
Meanwhile, Obama—clearly tempted to go full-out Professor about the role of government, based on what we’ve read about him and his obsession with factoids—went full-out factoids. He probably could have told us the per annum salary of the average expert on the Medicare IPAB—and probably would’ve, too, if Jim Lehrer hadn’t intervened.
Obama abandoned a narrative approach to make a fact-oriented defense of government. A fact oriented defense of government? Doesn’t he know Jesus couldn’t do that? In an America where swing voters are distrustful of government and complex arrangements of facts, you have to tell a story about why government works—not a litany of facts in hopes that the facts will speak for themselves.
If you’re confused about the difference between narratives and factoids, read Westen; read Begala; read Lakoff; read Luntz; read Rove; watch the 2000 Debates between Bush and Gore on repeat. In fact, read Obama from earlier this election! After Mitt called the Ryan Budget “marvelous,” Obama was asked to respond. Think of the statistical Amazon jungle of goodies Obama could’ve whipped out about the budget and why Ryan was wrong for America. But he didn’t. He restrained himself. What does Obama say when asked about Romney’s endorsement?
“Mitt Romney called Paul Ryan’s budget plan “marvelous.” When was the last time you ever heard someone call something ‘marvelous’?”
That’s it! That’s all he said, and all he needed to say, to show Mitt Romney is a top-hat and monocled multimillionaire who’s never seen a working man until he pumps his gas under Massachusetts state law. No facts necessary; just the story.
But that Obama didn’t show up tonight.
The Obama who showed up tonight was the Obama who, after being accused of being “entitled” to airplanes by Romney–unbelievably—responded not by pointing out that Romney’s tax plan would make 500 more millionaires entitled to airplanes (and more importantly, the mendacity of Romney for having said it), but instead used his rebuttal time to revisit the Medicare Cost Board, clearly irked about some inaccuracy, for the third time all night. I have one word: asghgsdfgsdfndsh.
It wasn’t just that Obama lost; it was that his loss was so…basic? I’m struggling for a word; it’s the word that conveys, “He’s above this.” Because he doesn’t need to be “coached.” He just needs to watch himself from 2004.
Obama was on the defensive the whole debate. Much easier to attack an incumbent president when you have an ailing economy and a handful of shocking statistics to prove it. The biggest surprise was Romney's comment about oil expansion being on private land and Obama's failure to revisit the issue.
I guess people are finally realizing Obama was an empty suit to begin with.
And he did not dispel the notion that he'll turn America into Spain if reelected. The horror! The horror! Great rant.