According to a news report, President Barack Obama is bored with the entire debate process. He allegedly told a political volunteer: “They’re making me do my homework. They’re keeping me indoors all the time… It’s a drag.”
Of course he’s bored. Compare what he’s doing this week to what he’s been doing for countless weeks prior to this week. This week, he’s preparing to debate the nation’s current top Republican Mitt Romney regarding economic, job, and deficit facts and figures that he better be able to recall instantly – because the “fact checking” analysts are taking notes to report on as soon as the words leave Obama’s mouth. In recent past weeks, when he could have been leading the country and improving the dismal facts and figures he must now defend, he has been having one hell of a great time. He’s been flying in Air Force One from one end of the country to the other while partying-hard with the likes of Beyonce and Jay-Z in Manhattan.
This week, there is no music, no celebrity cult, no fawning fans chanting “four more years” throughout the venue. Instead, he will be face-to-face with a stern-faced, detailed, and fact-challenging Mitt Romney who is ready to show the nation what President Barack Obama is really made of. He’s more than ready to show the world what President Barack Obama looks like without Beyonce, Jay-Z, or even Michelle Obama at his side.
If Obama could fast forward to November 6, 2012, he certainly would. The next five weeks are going to be agonizing for him – more agonizing than most incumbent presidents have had to endure just before their reelection date. President Obama has a near-indefensible record to defend on jobs and the economy, and now a horrendous challenge of putting a good face on his present-day foreign affairs. As the world shifts its formerly-positive impressions of the United States to an extremely negative impression, primarily due to the Obama economy, discussing current foreign affairs is going to be very difficult for the president.
Unbelievably, the polls say that Obama will win the debate. That simply means that people have already made up their minds that they will say “Obama won” when the debate is over. It’s obviously an anti-Romney stance instead of a pro-Obama stance.
However, Americans aren’t that stupid. They are actually going to hear and see the president “spin” his way through the debates because it’s the only way he’s going to be able to “save any face at all” in light of his record. How can he possibly defend his doubled-deficit and his unemployment rate being over 8.0% for three years? He can’t “honestly” do it.
Preparing for this debate has got to be the most depressing thing Obama has ever done. He must be staring at facts and figures that he can hardly believe – and then realize he has to defend them come Wednesday night – with his biggest critic, Mitt Romney – and the nation – staring at him. It’s going to be terrible for Obama.
Yet, he says he’s bored. Ashamed of the record he is preparing defend is more like it.
About Scott Paulson
Scott Paulson writes political commentary for Examiner.com and teaches English at a community college in the Chicago area. The views and opinions expressed in this post are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of CBS Local.
