Wanting to attend an important county meeting the night of the presidential debate, I recorded the program. When I viewed it later that evening, I was disturbed by the president’s uncharacteristically dispirited performance in the face of some blatantly untrue statements made by an energized, constantly smiling Mitt Romney.
After viewing it another time, I recognized President Obama’s performance for what it was: despair in the face of a man who proposes to lead our great but troubled country, who cheerfully and persistently repeated assertions disproved more than once by the evidence, who made promises that were unachievable, who contradicted every stand he asserted previously and often—except for his determination to repeal the Affordable Care Act and de-fund public television and radio. How does a man of reserve and grace call such a man—before his wife, children, grandchildren sitting in the audience and 70 million viewers—a liar, assertively and repeatedly? He doesn’t. He looks downcast.
Until the 1980s, every network was required to provide a certain amount of time to actual news, not loudly stated opinions, as the price of their access to the public airwaves. That came to an end under Reagan, and we now have “info-tainment.” These journalists/entertainers declared the spirited smiler “winner” without mentioning the fact he was deceiving the audience, loudly and often. Sad.
To get specifics of the 27 misrepresentations and actual untruths Romney told in his 38 minutes before the camera, go to thinkprogress.org/politics/2012/10/04/958801/at-last-nights-debate-romney-told-27-myths-in-38-minutes, as it takes more than the 300 words allowed for letters to the editor.
Then, think! Is this the man you want running our country?
