Why Obama lost the debate (Doug Henwood)

[Antonio the Sixth]

In the context of American politics, I generally fall into the cynical end of the spectrum. But even then, I think he's being excessively cynical here. There is some deal of truth in what he says, but that's significantly exaggerated.

For starters, there are plenty of democrats (and I think Obama is among them) who genuinely want to make things better, put an end to plutocracy and put forward a different philosophy than the consensus. It is just that they too often are afraid to speak honestly, because they think the country is fundamentally right-wing and that the only way to win is to pander to the centre-right. It is a major strategic mistake, of course, but that doesn't mean these people don't believe in what they say.

[Antonio the Sixth]

Obama lost because he spoke in longer sentences than one would like on national television.

When you chip away until you reach the foundation, Obama lost because even Cicerco could not defend this record, let alone convince people for four more years of it.

I hope you realize that Cicero would not stand a chance in a modern televised debate.