List of mistakes

I am upset and angry about President Obama’s horrible performance at the first Presidential debate held last Wednesday. As a member of Toastmasters Club for many years, I used to marvel at Obama’s gift for oratory. Obviously being a good speaker does not make one a good debater. Here is the list of things he did wrong at the debate, written from my perspective:

1)      Looking like a Sears’s salesman:  I hear that one of the advices given to President Obama by his debate prep team was to act ‘presidential’. They obviously forgot to cover the part of looking like a President.  Although Obama wore a well tailored suit, he had a mismatching lifeless blue tie to go with it, which made him look like a low paid salesman. Romney conveyed power and authority by wearing a bright red tie nicely contrasting with his black suit.

2)      Weak opening and ending statements: The opening statement and ending statement of a speech or debate have to be top-notch to make them memorable. The Obama and his debate team appear to have forgotten this basic rule.  Obama started with a stammering apology to his wife promising that nobody would watch at them at their next wedding anniversary (is he expecting to lose the election?), while Romney, who is normally horrible at jokes, started with a smart quip about Obama having a romantic evening with him instead. Obama's ending statement also had the same lopsided result. In it he apologized for not being a ‘prefect’ man, giving credence to Romney’s accusations that he has not done a good job at the office.  (This was another unforced error, like his lame tie!)

3)      Not looking at the camera: For some unexplainable reason Obama looked down most of the time a taking notes while Romany hammered away at him with accusations and claims (many of them untrue). As a result, on T.V. which covered the faces of both the candidates simultaneously, Obama looked like a pouting school boy getting a good scolding from his teacher. Again, another mistake which almost every politician who has ever participated in a debate, knows to avoid.

4)      Forced smiles: Artificial smiles always look artificial. Obama had a pasted smile on his face too long in the debate, and his occasional flashes of grin came across insincere (like when he told the moderator Jim Lehrer that he is doing a good job!)

5)      Not showing passion and confidence: President Obama has accomplished a lot during his three plus years in the office (stopping a hemorrhaging economy, healthcare for all, saving the auto industry, killing Osama Bin Laden, so on). But he never showed any pride and passion about them at the exchanges in the debate. I am quite flabbergasted by this. How can he expect people to vote for a guy who has no passion and confidence? 

6)       Acknowledging agreements: In his foolish attempt to come across as a conciliator, President Obama agreed on some questionable statements by Romney (like modifying the social security).  At a debate, one should never acknowledge the opposition to be right. Even if there is a basic agreement, the debater should highlight the differences.  

7)      Not painting the opposition: The Obama campaign has spent millions and millions of dollars painting Mitt Romney as an ‘out of touch’ rich person with extreme views. However, at the debate, watched by nearly 70 million people, Obama made only feeble attempts to do that. Juicy topics like 47% freeloader statement by Romney, women’s right to choose birth control, immigration etc. which would have made Romney squirm, were not brought up at all. Looked like he was hoping that the moderator would bring them up!

8)      Complex explanations: It looked like President Obama expected every one of the millions who watched the debate, to have basic understanding of economics and finance! He assumed that everyone knew why there will be a 5 trillion dollar deficit under Romney plan. Instead of quoting a fixed number like 5 trillion which Romney brushed off saying not true, a simple math – the promised 20% tax cut for everyone including the rich, costs nearly 500 billion dollars per year which adds to 5 trillion in ten years- would have done that.

9)      Not challenging lies and exaggerations: For some unexplained reason, Obama let Romany get way with a number of the exaggerations and untruths. To me the most galling was Romney frightening the public by saying ‘unelected people in a board would decide your medical treatment under Obamcare’.  President should have corrected this in strong terms, and should have chided Romany for misleading the public. Millions of people now believe that Sarah Palin’s death panel actually exists!

10)   Refusing to accuse: Never once did Obama point out the contrast of the eight years of the Democrat Bill Clinton presidency (surplus budget, millions of new jobs) and the Republican George Bush presidency (huge deficits, financial collapse). Instead he made vague statements of the differences in 90’s and 2000’s! If he thinks that made him look presidential (by being a conciliator), he is thoroughly mistaken.  

In summary, attention to the basic norms of T.V. debates, and willingness to take some risks (instead of trying to play it safe), would have saved the day for President Obama. Thanks to this horrible debate performance, his campaign which was on its way a landslide victory, is now hoping to squeeze in a victory. What a shame. I am disgusted.