I can't help but reflect, however, that this means a real person, with his own style of speech and mannerisms can't be elected.
Apperently we need models perfected on Madison Ave.

Is the next step robot stand-ins in public appearances?

But journalism seems infected, ironically, by the same egalitarianism that conservatives constantly complain about that “teh Left” is always talking of in political debate (aka the “multiculturism”). Journalist don't DARE make value judgements of what people think/say/do, the facts need merely be passively recorded. Then, in the “Opinion” page, perspectives are “balanced,” so you get an op-ed on “Torture is evil” AND “Torture is good.” “IS Obama a Muslin/elitist/terrorist/evil/unpatriotic?” Who can say? Certainly not journalists. We just need to toss the issue out there, and “let voters make up their own minds.”

Let's say I start claiming I poofed Obama and I want millions in compensation from him. Does that warrant serious investigation? No, I would be dismissed out of hand as a crackpot. But when a political attack rumor is started, that demands legitimate inquiry just because “that's what voters think?” Most voters don't know what atoms are and think man lived with dinosaurs a la the Flintstones, for one, and two, most everyone is a “voter” in this country, but we don't pander to the views of the crucial neo-Nazi vote or read breathlessly how the Amish will vote in the coming Democratic election. So I think “that's what voters think” or “that's what people are talking about” is the worst sort of excuse to engage in mindless gossip, except on a national scale. That's why this election reads more like a National Enquirer than anything else.

In fact, I looked over the transcript again and couldn't see why people thought Obama did poorly at all. And I figured it out. It isn't that he said anything gaffe-like or wrong that can be repeated. Note that nobody is out there playing clips of something silly or wrong he said last night. No, the problem was that his body language suggestion frustration, tiredness and annoyance. He seemed to stammer at some of his answers. But he didn't actually offer anything incendiary in response. In fact, his response wasn't all that different from what Pete suggests above, albeit with a little less Clinton-bashing (except Ayers). Note that he didn't go after Clinton when she was asked about Bosnia but she tried to push the knife in whenever she could. That tells you all you need to know about character I suppose.

But it was the body language that signaled to pundits that Obama had done poorly. Debates are performance art, as this one most certainly proved. They are of no more value than Survivor. They are literally useless gauntlets. But they shouldn't be this way.

This is an excellent post, and excellent advice for Obama.

Elrod, you are right when you say “just because “some people” ask these questions doesn't mean they are legitimate questions.”

However, look at how McCain handled the NYT smear alleging adultery with a lobbyist. This was a hit piece widely denounced as illegitimate.

Yet McCain — foreshadowing Pete Abel — got out in front of it, and answered question after question from the press corps. He eventually exhausted them, concluding: “Any more questions?”

Result: That is now a “dead” issue, regardless of the NYT and Left-wing blogs.

I thought some of Pete responses were spot-on:
– The Flag pin response would have totally toasted that meme…turning it around on the moderators and HRC. Smooth.
– Do a total mea culpa on Bittergate. Not the half-hearted one.

Anyhow…I thought Pete's advice was excellent. Yes, the debate may have unfairly focused on Obama.

But seriously.

McCain was rolled over by the Bush/Rove machine in 2000 as “McCain: The Fag Candidate” and a range of other appalling racist, homophobic vicious attacks.

Half the population of the U.S. thinks HRC rides a broom, and that Holy Water catches fire in her presence.

Obama has gotten off lightly thus far. How he moves forward will be revealing of his character. He could do much worse than take Pete's advice…and move on….

And our wonderful “news” media asks our presidential candidates why they aren't wearing a flag pin. And whether a Marine Corps and Navy veteran who gave up his student deferment to volunteer to serve loves America.

The issue is that these are the questions being asked – not how well a candidate responds to them! This is what our politics has been turned in to. This *is* the problem. Instead of solving our staggering and growing problems, we're fed an endless stream of this crap.

But look over there! Nero has his fiddle out.

I doubt he's going to cave, or fold.