I bet Mitt is scared shitless of the three debates!

[Logical]

He knows Obama will not be taking cheap shots, but using facts, data and mitts history to destroy him!
Mitt better plan on a first class ass kicking!

[JaneyVee]

1. I can't wait to watch Romney's face as he's getting debunked.

[Historic NY]

2. He is going to need kevlar drawers.

[Kalidurga]

3. Magic Depends...

Stock is going to shoot through the roof before the debates start.

[mnhtnbb]

65. +

[Lugnut]

4. If I was Mitt I'd be terrified.

I will definitely be watching. Poor Mitt might have a meltdown.

[Logical]

6. Hell, I would not debate Obama on any topic!

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

5. I don't think he's scared, though he ought to be.

Mittens is too arrogant to be worried - I bet he thinks he can win the debates because he's a rich white guy and therefore superior. And I hope he goes into those debates all cocky and sure of himself. His magic underwear will not save his ass from a whuppin.'

[CoffeeCat]

22. And that is precisely why...

...Mitt will not do well in the debates. He is arrogant, as you said. He has been doing debate prep for two weeks, more than a month before the first debate. He thinks that if he is well rehearsed and if his hair looks fantastic that he will blow Obama out of the water.

His lie-based sound bytes will be blown to kingdom come. Obama will be able to blast his lies with facts.

Mitt will not know how to handle having his ass handed to him.

My guess is that he will look like a complete fool and that he'll spend two days after the first debate, riding up and down in his car elevator while stress eating a bag of Taco Bell.

"Mitt! Get out of that car right this instant! And wipe those beans and taco shell crumbs off of the leather interior!"

"Me stay in car. Me likey elevator better than bad debate. Mitt finish potato ole'"

[siligut]

57. He will dissociate and rationalize and then severely abuse all the underlings

He will push buttons and manipulate those around him, so he can regain his sense of superiority. Remember the Bain employee who said Mitt could figure people out? The guy is a sociopath.

Right now that is what Mitt is focusing on, figuring out President Obama's weaknesses, his sore spots.

However, I do love your description better

[unblock]

7. on the other hand, this is his last chance. obama could seal the deal by canceling the debates.

obama has successfully defined rmoney as an out-of-touch, money-grubbing, over-privileged, uncaring outsourcer.
and rmoney has played right into that image.

the debates are his last real chance to redefine himself. he has no real chance without the debates.

frankly it doesn't matter what obama does, because a draw is as good as a win is as good as a crushing victory for obama. they all lead to obama winning in november.

the only thing that matters is whether or not rmoney can score truly impressive victories, make himself someone people can see as a likeable, effective, capable president. if he doesn't accomplish this, he's toast.

so he's got to be nervous, because so much is riding on it.
on the other hand, he's got to be looking forward to it, because it's his only remaining hope, other that praying for some colossal scandals and screw-ups on the part of the obama administration.

[Skittles]

8. I don't think he is scared at all, and that is his problem

look how far he has come being an absolute nitwit

[siligut]

58. I think the nitwit part is his Reagan impersonation

Mitt is a destroyer of lives.

[MrSlayer]

9. Expectations need to be higher for him.

I don't want it to be that if he merely shows up and does more than drool that the pundits can call him a winner. We need to push the idea that he's a masterful debater.

[thucythucy]

48. Exactly right.

I cringe when I see all this talk about how the president will be the inevitable winner of the debates, especially when we see how the media turned a decent performance by Gore and a lackluster performance by Bush into a Bush "victory."

Democrats should be RAISING expectations for Willard, not lowering them. They should be emphasizing how he won all the debates in the GOP primaries (I know, like winning at checkers against a monkey, but still) and that Mitt has spent a month rehearsing and prepping while President Obama has been busy with the nation's business.

THEN sit back and wait for the R-Money gaffs.

[veganlush]

66. you are so correct

Which is another way of saying "that's what I was thinking".

[itsrobert]

10. I hope Clinton helps out on debate prep

He can add some zingers.

[LongTomH]

11. Interesting speculation: If Mitt is an early Alzheimer's patient, as many of us suspect.....

....will it show in the debates? Will he lose it, forget his talking points, maybe just start babbling, or will he pull out some line like Reagan's: "There you go again?" and just keep using instead of answering Obama?

Inquiring minds want to know!

[tavalon]

14. Dubya has early onset dementia

Mitt is just a garden variety sociopath. Not a very clever one either. But then, Dubya was exactly like him before his brain, what little there was, began to fail. You can't soak a brain in alcohol from birth and then add cocaine through one's 40s and not come out with early onset dementia, unless you have liver failure and die early.

[tavalon]

17. He will be wearing a state of the art ear bud and

will have taken a mild sedative. He won't want to, but his handlers, if they have a lick of sense, will demand both. His handlers have proven to be pretty sophomoric though, so why knows, he might bully them out of it. Bizarre. I hate seeing a sociopath having climbed to the top of the heap, again. We just barely made it through the eight years with Dubya, the silverspoon sociopath.

Do you guys remember when Dubya was talking back to the voice in his ear during the debates? That would have been hilarious if they hadn't gone on to steal the election for a second time!

[LongTomH]

19. It would be fun if we could get someone into the debate halls with a jamming device.

I assume the 'earbuds' are based on some variant of Bluetooth technology.

[tavalon]

12. Mitt is a sociopath

Scared isn't in his genes, but it ought to be. He knows not what he's getting himself into.

[Cha]

25. Agreed. So no

performance anxiety for Psycho.

[cynatnite]

13. If Obama can hold his own with Hillary, he can wipe the floor with Mitt's face...

Having said that, Mitt has held with debates. A few minor gaffs, but nothing major. Although, those minor gaffs will do him in, too.

[begin_within]

15. He's just going to repeat talking points drilled into him.

It will feel like a press conference for him. I don't expect him to enter into any actual "debate."

[former-republican]

33. That will depend on the moderator

Moderators make or break a Presidential debate.

[begin_within]

62. True, but I don't think he's even going to take questions from the moderator

I think he will listen to the moderator just long enough to realize what the topic is, and then simply give his prepared statement on that. I'd be very surprised if he enters into any actual dialogue, or even gives a direct answer to a question from the moderator or the opponent.

[Freddie]

38. Exactly what Palin did

She never really answered any question, just regurgitated the talking points she had memorized. I see Mittens doing the same thing. The President is going to wipe the floor with him.

[K8-EEE]

16. GOP debates he lied about Obama and they didn't challenge it

BUT OBAMA SURE WILL CHALLENGE IT!

[IL Lib]

20. +1

[BlueStreak]

18. I'm not sure he'll even show up.

Maybe he'll send one of his boys to stand in for him. A good businessman knows the secret to success is delegation.

[davidpdx]

37. He'll probably be in the bathroom in the fetal position screaming

"make it stop, make it stop, the voices in my head, make it stop"

[BlueStreak]

39. More likely, he'll be off with one of his tax fraud henchmen

trying to figure out haw to get the $50 million left in his campaign fund into his magic Cayman IRA.

[nc4bo]

41. Glad I'm not the only one who had this thought. nt

[davidpdx]

43. Could be....

Bonus, maybe he'd get himself put in the pen before election day.

[BlueStreak]

46. Not bloody likely. Look what Bernie Madoff had to do to get himself arrested

It is pretty tough for a rich guy to go to prison. Almost never happens.

And Madoff would still be a free man if he would have ripped off the middle class or poor people. The only reason they fingered him was that he specialized in ripping off rich people. That will not stand.

[nc4bo]

49. Here's something from Mitt Romney, 2011 about W Spann, LLC, Bain Capital, Mitt's blind trust...

Restore Our Future super PAC?

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/44027203/ns/politics-decision_2012#.Tjx6CmEdW7t

The contribution to Restore Our Future, a so-called “super PAC” formed by three former Romney political aides, drew scrutiny following an NBC News report on Thursday . The firm that gave the money, called W Spann LLC, was formed in March – with no listed officers or directors — made the contribution in April, then dissolved itself in July, according to corporate records.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/07/16/romney-super-pac-restore-our-future-june-fundraising_n_1675765.html

Wertheimer said the W Spann contribution “appears to be a straw donor transaction” because the real donor or donors were using a hastily created company to make the political contribution while hiding their identities. The argument could hinge, some campaign finance experts said, on whether W Spann LLC had any other business purpose – or was created solely for the purpose of donating the money to Restore Our Future.
Corporate records show that the person who registered the company in Delaware was Cameron Casey, an associate with the venerable Boston law firm of Ropes & Gray, who specializes in estate tax planning for “high net worth individuals.”

Looking at the Muckety Map for Edward Conard. Edward Conard founded W Spann LLC. Edward Conard is managing director of Bain Capital and a contributor to Restore Our Future.

Mitt Romney's blind trustee is none other than Ropes & Gray ( R. Bradford Malt)

http://abovethelaw.com/2012/01/nyt-smacks-around-a-biglaw-partner-while-behaving-as-if-mitt-romney-needed-tax-advice-from-stephen-hawking/

Mr. Romney was allowed to keep getting carried interest on new Bain partnerships for many years after he left the firm, and in 2010 he assigned the proceeds from a couple of partnerships to the Ann Romney trust. In the tax return for that trust, Mr. Malt signed letters electing to use Section 83(b) of the tax code in connection with Mr. Romney’s carried interest from two Bain partnerships. Such an election may or may not be legal, but it is certainly unnecessary.

The section is normally used to let executives pay taxes on profits from restricted stock grants at capital gains rates. Since carried interest is already taxed at those rates, there would seem to be no reason to file that form. Moreover, to qualify for Section 83(b) treatment, the grant must involve restrictions. Mr. Malt’s letters stated that the carried interest “is subject to forfeiture if I cease performing services for the partnership.”

Just who was that “I” is not clear. The trust performed no services, and neither did Mr. Malt. Nor do the Romneys claim to have done any work for the partnerships. Moreover, the Romney campaign says the interest is not subject to forfeiture. In other words, the letters are untrue. When asked, the campaign conceded as much, but said there was no harm in filing the false statements since the tax obligation was not affected.

It appears that Mr. Malt signed some letters he took to be boilerplate without bothering to read or understand them.

I don't think any of this is pure coincidence but lack the skills to sort it all out. I just know that something smells like an overflowing septic tank.

How far of a stretch would it be that Mitt Romney donated money to ROF using funds from his own company? (really preposterous tinfoil hat stuff) Or Mitt Romney finding a way to skim donation money off the top and dumping into one of his secret account? Just how "retired" from Bain Capital is Mitt Romney?

Disclaimer: I'm no great detective, I'm not even a detective at all just have some questions on Mitt Romney's integrity.

I don't think he has one ounce of the stuff.

[k2qb3]

21. The '08 VP debate...

was my favorite piece of political theater, they had Palin memorize a few bits of old Reagan speeches and she just tossed out whichever one seemed to fit the question. It was hilarious.

Should be fun seeing what they come up with next, I don't think Romney is very good at debate, I watched the primary debates and the only thing he seems to be good at is being bland enough not to disqualify himself outright like most of the rest of them did, but he doesn't impress.

[DLine]

31. Scary thing about that is...

Every conservative i know plus a few independents thought she did a good job. It seems people don't need to understand what a candidate is saying as long as the candidate sounds confident.

[nc4bo]

42. It worked so well that the entire ticket lost. I'll take THAT ANYday. nt

[reflection]

44. Yep. The conservatoid at work said

"Palin pushed Plugs Biden around like a grocery cart! I can't wait to see what Ryan will do to him!" After they cleaned my brain matter off the walls of my office and put my head back together at the hospital I wanted to respond, but too much time had passed.

[former-republican]

34. RUMOR HAS IT

Romney is going to wink at the camera a lot.

[Tarheel_Dem]

23. I'll be interested to see if Rmoney finds a way to back out of debates no. 2 & 3! I suspect he'll..

drop a few points after the first one.

[Cha]

24. I'm wondering how much the debate moderators are

going to be helping mitt out? Maybe not letting Pres Obama rebutt or however they can? I know Candy Crowley is one of them. Nuff said.

I can only expect that the Obama Team will somehow take this into account in their debate preparations.

PBO will have facts and reality at his disposal..many years of them. mitt will be like he's been on the trail..full of lies and dipshit platitudes.

Will Pres Obama be saying "Not True" to mitt like he did to Joe Wilson of South Carolina when Joe yelled "You Lie" at the SOTU?

[flamingdem]

26. Ohh. I seem to remember Crowley doing that last time

We'll have to drink heavily those nights

[gkhouston]

40. +1. Anyone know what the debate rules are this year?

Is it going to be a real debate or just a joint Q&A session?

[Warpy]

27. I don't think he's smart enough to be frightened.

Undoubtedly he's arrogant enough to think it's just like steamrolling a board meeting.

He will be seen as slick, glib and totally unprepared.

[ribrepin]

28. Nah - He thinks that people will see him standing next to Obama and realize their mistake

He's rich, handsome and white.

[TomCADem]

29. Fox News Declares That Romney Wins Debates!

Why wait for the debates? We know what Fox will say, and the other cable shows will simply echo the same talking points.

[flyguyjake]

30. I sure hope so

I can't wait for these debates! I soooo hope our President makes RMoney look like the jackass he is! I sure hope these tax returns show up soon!

[hollysmom]

32. Hey we need what we can get with all that money gearing up for blatent lying ads.

Ooooh Ronnie Reagan - I was , is and will always be so pissed for you getting rid of the equal time requirements.

[DallasNE]

35. As Delusional As Romney Is

I'm thinking that he believes he will take Obama to the woodshed. I'm just waiting for the first time Romney speaks down to Obama and the comments this disrespect that will spark. See, Romney thinks he is entitled to his own set of facts, regardless of what the truth really is and he will school Obama. That is the Romney I have been seeing.

[mykpart]

36. I just wish the debates would be actual debates

instead of the joke they are now. Have you ever seen films of the Nixon-Kennedy debates?

[reflection]

45. I'm actually not looking forward to the debates.

To just be seen next to Obama gives Romney legitimacy. In a perfect world, I wish they'd never inhabit the same room. Everyone knows that when you're losing, you challenge the front-runner to a debate. All it will take is one soundbite or cleverly delivered line to change the narrative slightly for the mouthbreathing populace, and we need all the cushion we can get.

[ananda]

47. Lol. Well, as Kerry pointed out..

.. he first needs to finish the debate with himself
before he takes on Obama.

[HopeHoops]

50. He'll be fine. He can easily afford a box under his jacket - no camera shots from behind, please.

[Jackpine Radical]

51. Actually, I see Willard as far too arrogant to think he needs that kind of help.

He's a Master of the Universe, after all. I doubt he even knows that he has screwed up at all in this campaign--who would dare tell him?

[HopeHoops]

61. The people who programmed him. As far as I know, we don't have self-programming robots yet.

[Logical]

55. LOL n-t

[sofa king]

52. Unfortunately, it isn't that simple.

In the debates, Romney gets to hide behind an annoying facet of American politics which is being called the "backfire effect."

If you don't wish to read the 2000 words about it in the link above, the nutshell is this: when a conservative politician lies and a liberal refutes the lie with facts, conservative voters are more likely to believe the lie.

Yes, you read that right. Providing conservatives with the correct information actually reinforces their stupid beliefs. So the President cannot simply point at Mitt and say, "you are a liar," without encouraging conservative voters to believe Romney is telling the truth.

God damn, that pisses me off. But there it is. Anyway....

I think this means that the President will have to take a more indirect and much more difficult path to sowing doubt in the minds of conservative voters. The President will have to have an internal library of the statements and positions of other conservative authorities which contradict whatever lie Romney is telling at the time. He will have to recite that conservative authority's quote back to Romney. "Karl Rove doesn't agree with you," might be a good retort, as infuriating as that is to me personally.

I'm not sure if the President can use Romney's own previous lies against him--but that's something the President definitely needs to run by the psychologists (I hope someone on his debate staff is reading this!).

Unfortunately, it is going to make viewing of the debates difficult for the lot of us, because we are all going to be shouting at the television for President Obama to call Romney out directly when that is exactly what he should not do in most cases. But we are in the bag for the Democrats and the objective is to lead conservatives to some semblance of the truth (which will depress their turnout and may even convert a few of the wiser ones), or at least doubt about their own unworkable positions.

Those of you who doubt me may wish to revisit the DU threads on the Cheney-Edwards debate of 2004. Cheney lied his ass off, and Edwards perhaps wisely let many of those lies go, but mistakenly went after him on some of the big ones. Then in November, a good proportion of stupid conservatives shambled into the booth still believing that Saddam Hussein was behind the 9/11 attacks, in part because Edwards dared to refute that stupid belief before a large number of conservative viewers.

The backfire effect is the primary way that a cabal of very evil people have suborned the Republican Party and shackled it to the whims of the ultra-wealthy. But President Obama is a master of taking the advantages of his opponents and turning those advantages against them, so we can expect him to have a thoughtful, if not obvious, response.

[Zorra]

53. He should be. President Obama is going to expose and embarrass him in front of the whole world.

And all the Prez has to do is speak the truth.

I don't have a TV, but I am going to watch these debates with a friend. It's gonna be great classic comedy.

Can't wait.

[Bluerthanblue]

54. watching his performance on MTP

he ought to be.

He gets defensive, and befuddled pretty easily.

[etherealtruth]

56. I truly doubt he is

I get the feeling he believes these things are just "trifling" things one must do to appease the peasants.

He is entitled to this (the presidency) and not even the great unwashed masses can stand in his way

[qb]

59. NPR was just saying how Romney is much more prepared to debate than Obama.

WTF? They based this on Romney's recent debates in the primaries and hours of training for the debates, while they claim Obama hasn't debated in four years and is a notorious procrastinator.

For the record, I only caught this because it happened to be on the radio at my cousin's house. I don't listen to that crap since the RWers took over NPR.

[begin_within]

63. Well, he needs much more preparation

I suspect Obama could do the debate off the top of his head. Needs little preparation except to be armed with the latest facts and figures.

[fugop]

67. Shhh! Let them say that all they want!

I'm all about building expectations for Mitt to be marvelous!! Let them push that train of thought every day until the debates! (Not that anyone with any sense believes it, but I'm good with the press saying it!)

[sendero]

69. Typical Mara Liasson...

.. bullshit. I could "prepare" for the Olympics for months but that is not going to make me run like Bolt. Obama doesn't have to prepare, he is a natural at this.

I have no doubt whatsoever that to informed people Obama will mop the floor with Romney. All Romney has is platitudes. He cannot drill down to specifics because he doesn't know any.

[The Second Stone]

60. It's probably going to be a lot easier on him than the primary debates

where the Republicans ganged up on him. He will be more at ease doing the same two step knowing that Obama is only one debater and will only use the truth.

That said, Obama will wipe the floor with him in front of a much larger audience, but he will be much more classy about it and Romney will be far less stressed than during the Republican debates.

[polly7]

64. I bet he is too!

His mask is going to slip, I almost guarantee it. He's not used to having to answer what he doesn't feel comfortable with ... his anger, imo, always seems just baaaarely beneath the surface. I hope he blows.

[0rganism]

68. the power of money and purchased advertising trumps the debates

Mitt will simply endure the debates, whatever happens, and then pour on the ad buys to lie about what was said.

Only the relatively few who bother to watch the source will even have the potential of knowing the truth.

The republicans are planning to win by $$$$ and shenanigans. That's all they have to work with. But don't count them out -- together, those two are some powerful juju.

[NYC_SKP]

71. Die, Troll......

You're one of the sad little people, I see.

[Hassin Bin Sober]

72. .