The big victim of Debate I: The Mysterious Cloak of Inevitability

[DrBB]

Since I've ended up making this point on a couple of threads, including one of my own, I thought it worth bringing up to the top here for a minute.

I've posted my own bits on the upside of the current situation for Rove, such as it is. The bar has been lowered for C-plus Augustus, that's something they're comfortable with, and the Media Bimbos will do their best to say Bush won a smashing victory in Debate II, as long as he doesn't actually drop trou and moon the audience.

That said, I dunno how much tinfoil you have lining your chapeau, but if you are thinking Rove somehow wanted Bush to do poorly in Debate I in order to set the stage for Debate II, as I've read or seen implied here and there, you are sore mistaken.

I am quite sure that Debate I was supposed to initiate the onset of the Mysterious Cloak of Inevitability that should have descended upon Bush in the aftermath of a successful (or at least non-disastrous) performance. As we all know, this is an absolutely cardinal piece of Roveian closing strategy. Discourages the opponents, encourages the convinced, persuades the unpersuaded, all through its mysterious suggestive powers.

If nothing else, and no matter how the Heathers and Fluffers spin it, Kerry's debate performance evaporated that cloud like the insubstantial piece of flimflammery it is. They're going to try to put it back in place, but it is an uphill struggle now and this is NOT an advantage Rove would have chosen to give up at this stage.

I suspect that's why Rove looked kind of sick to his stomach, Thursday night.

[Arugula Latte]

1. Good point.

It's amazing how one day can completely turn things around. Everybody I know has been so much more upbeat and energized since the debate.

Time's getting shorter. The conventions are history. Dems. are pumped up.

They might have to rely on their October Surprise to save their asses.