Watchin' The Defectives: Media Advances "Obama Was Bad" Meme, Preferring It To "Romney Was Great"

A very smart man -- long-winded, sure, but makes a hell of a point -- was just saying this.

Actually commenters were pushing back against my statement that Obama had been bad, rather than that Romney had been great. As I said, though, it's just easier to make jokes in a negative fashion.

But the truth of it is that Obama was not that bad -- for Obama. This is what Obama is. He is a droning, meandering, hectoring scold who has few facts or insights at his command. The pony's single trick is variations on the "fairness" theme, and it has always been such.

It's just that Romney was great. Great. Flat-out, great. As people have said-- this may have been the best presidential debate performance since Reagan, and probably since Kennedy.

But that observation has no upside for the left. If Obama was bad and off his game, he could, you see, get better.

Thus, the Obama-Was-Just-Bad is a preferable Narrative to "Romney was Masterful." Especially because the Romney Was Masterful Narrative reinforces some things that Romney has been trying to tell the country, to little success: That he tends to be highly, highly competent at whatever challenge he chooses to throw himself at.

Plus, it's not plausible that Romney is incompetent by this reading. See, a smart man may have a very bad, very dumb day, but it's unheard of for a dumb man to have a very good, very smart day. One can perform below one's capability; but one cannot really perform above one's maximum capability.

Good analysis by Althouse, excerpted by Instapundit:

Here’s why they did it. Romney was so much better than Obama. Romney was vigorous, vividly in command of the facts, principles of economics, free-market ideology. Like Obama, he had a strategy to appeal to moderates, and he jumped into the moderate ground and occupied it — stunningly — with modesty and charm. He radiated competence and readiness to work for us. There he stood, the brilliant candidate, who wants only to help us, knows how to help us, and deeply, passionately cares that we need help. Wow.

Don’t let that be the story! Don’t look at that! Look at pathetic woeful Obama. He was off his game. That’s not good for Obama — as his drop in the polls shows — but it was better than the alternative: talking about how Romney dramatically topped the President — the President, who came to the debate with all the gravitas of the presidency and all the knowledge and understanding that he has through working as the President these last 4 years.

The meme The Bad Obama was — colluding pundits decided — preferable to The Great Romney.

Apparently Rush mentioned her analysis today.

posted by Ace at 02:57 PM

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