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The Spectacle Blog
The great James Taranto of the Wall Street Journal and The American Spectator long ago posited what is called the “Taranto Principle.” In short, it means that the liberal media so coddles liberal politicians that they have no idea how to cope outside that liberal media bubble.
It’s safe to say that Barack Obama tonight came face-to-face with the latest embodiment of the Taranto Principle — which is to say, Mitt Romney.
Barack Obama has been so totally coddled by the liberal media that he looked absolutely shell-shocked in this debate. Stunned, unhappy, angry, sour — and at some points genuinely incoherent.
Romney has had nowhere near that kind of treatment. He had serious opponents in the primaries — all of whom in their own way forced him to confront his ideas in a serious fashion. Conservatives were on his heels. The Obama media never let up. The man went through the political equivalent of boot camp.
Tonight, the Taranto Principle kicked in. Big time.
Outside the liberal bubble — forced to be alone on a stage with a very serious, very prepared candidate — Barack Obama was in trouble. Big Trouble.
And he has no one but himself — and his media coddlers — to blame.
View all comments (23) | Leave a comment
More Blog Posts by Jeffrey Lord
http://spectator.org/blog/2012/10/04/obama-done-in-by-taranto-princ
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soljerblue| 10.4.12 @ 1:58AM
Obama's been greased through his entire life -- last night Romney, hopefully, greased the skids to send Obama back to the obscurity he came from.
Isabella62| 10.4.12 @ 2:11AM
This is what happens when a person is all charm with no substance.
geronl| 10.4.12 @ 3:22AM
Obama will probably be bombing Syria tomorrow to change these headlines.
fmm| 10.4.12 @ 5:22AM
The few times that O---- appeared animated was when he could identify with one of his well practiced talking points. His face brightened and he stood straighter while in his comfort zone, only to fade again when required to address issues pressed by Romney. He also said I am sorry several times during the debate which is the first time I have ever seen that happen. Congratulations to Romney for maintaining a gentle pressure,
spike59| 10.4.12 @ 5:30AM
time to hand ObaMao his 'participation trophy', pat him on the head, and send him home...bless his heart
JeffP| 10.4.12 @ 5:49AM
I will be stunned...stunned... if Obama does better in the next debate. His self-regard forbids any suggestion that any lesser being (i.e., anyone else) could teach him how to overcome Romney's "lucky night".
Expect Obama to be even more arrogant in the next debate.
Obama's narcissism may well be his undoing, and the Republic's salvation.
spike59| 10.4.12 @ 6:02AM
he's likely to come out swinging...or, at least, what HE considers 'swining'...but it'll likely be more like flailing
expect HEAVY use of the "Race Card" between now and November; it's his 'go to' move
Maxwell| 10.4.12 @ 7:58AM
spike59, Barry considers swinging like he rides a girls bike
Kitty | 10.4.12 @ 6:11AM
Stunned, unhappy, angry, sour...
Arrogant, pouty, sullen, surly, snippy, petulant...
While Romney was in his element; he knew the issues inside and out.
Theolonious| 10.4.12 @ 6:47AM
AMEN, Sir. I had as yet to ,"Get a tingle down my thigh" for Mr. Romney. He mopped the floor with the Kenyan Commie. Love everything you write sir. Thank you for all the fine reading you have privileged me with.! I'm just a schmoe with 3 college degrees whose unemployed angst got a few respites watching Mr. Romney fundamentally changed Mr Obama's demeanor. WHAT A HOOT it was!!!!. However , if it is at all close these criminals will steal this election. I know I am preaching to the choir. Forgive me. BUT,,,,,,PLEASE VOTE EVERYONE,,as if our KID'S KIDS depended upon it. PEACE MAN
MikeBee| 10.4.12 @ 9:42AM
Theo,
Bravo! Absolutely enjoyed watching Romney take the O apart, providing a brief respite from the unemployment angst, as you put it. 3 college degrees and no job, thanks to the O's policies. This time, I don't even have to think about my kid's kid. I'll be voting to save my own pocketbook.
Grzmlyk| 10.4.12 @ 9:08AM
If we could tear down the phony incubator that all liberals live in – the towering, hermetically-sealed, Alice-in-Wonderland biosphere confected by the NY Times, NPR, the Chicago Tribune, the L.A. Times, USA Today, ABC, CBS, CNN, MSNBC, NBC, our political-education complex, every single local news program, every single local public radio program, the Daily Kos, Media Matters, the Huffington Post, 99% of Hollywood, 99% of the magazines that are published, the myriad crony capitalists seeking cynical Faustian bargains with whomever is in power, the army of lawyers who have hollowed out the very essence of the individual responsibility that once fueled American Exceptionalism, corrupt agribusiness, the U.N., many formerly sane organizations like the AARP, the AMA, the Girl Scouts and, yes, professional sports, the secularized churches and synagogues and 100% of government employees - whew! – if we could tear down that Potemkin village - whose brick and mortar are vanity-spun gossamer and greed masquerading as compassion - the freight train of reality that hit Obama squarely between the eyes last night might do likewise to the fools who voted for this clown and wake them up from their smug, self-satisfied, liberal Utopian dreams that bear no resemblance whatsoever to the real world.
Grzmlyk| 10.4.12 @ 9:12AM
The problem is that most Americans - even nominal conservatives - now buy into the statist construct to an alarming degree.
Our fiscal ship is sinking and our next president is going to have to throw many sacred cows over the side if we are to avoid slipping beneath the waves.
I'm not sure even Romney realizes how dire the situation is. The reality: Lifestyles for virtually all Americans have got to become much, much more spartan and meager; he has to cut to the bone, and, unfortunately, unless he has mettle in him I haven't seen, that ain't gonna happen.
I hope I'm wrong, but I believe that statism has nothing to fear from a Romney administration.
Grzmlyk| 10.4.12 @ 9:15AM
BTW, that is not to say I don't think Romney is a good businessman, a competent manager, a decent human being, much more intelligent than people give him credit for (and off-the-charts smarter than Obama), knowledgeable and adaptable.
I just don't think he's a conservative.
Zeppo| 10.4.12 @ 12:22PM
Excellent points, Grz. I have to wonder at the commenters who apparently think that the whole problem is 0bama, and that if we can just get rid of him, all will be rosy. Turfing the Kenyan is necessary, but far from sufficient.
Al Adab| 10.5.12 @ 3:21PM
Good stuff GRZ:
Obie one finally had to stop campaigning against Bush and start campaigning against himself. His Narcisism makes that impossible and we saw the results. The frightening prospect is what someone with his mental disorder might do should he lose. A "They don't deserve my greatness" type reaction could cause him to burn down the barn.
Mike G| 10.4.12 @ 9:35AM
Good to see that Romney came out swinging. It's about time. Now he needs to keep up the attack, put Big O on the ropes. Set him up for the knock out punch in November.
Occam's Tool| 10.5.12 @ 11:07AM
Or, to use a more popular fighting sport analogy, Romney will do this to Obama in the foreign policy debate:
http://www.cagepotato.com/knoc.....-mastered/
buckeyeman| 10.4.12 @ 10:56AM
The implication of the article is that a more skillful debater could have defended Obama's miserable record of failure. I'm not so sure about that. To channel Bill Clinton, "No one, not even ME, could have done a better job".
Romney was good, but still reserved and actually very liberal sounding. The "I can do socialism better that you can" mantra is wearing thin. Still, light years better that O'nuthin'.
BcdErick| 10.4.12 @ 11:05AM
A very good essay!
Mike Daly | 10.4.12 @ 11:14AM
It can only get worse for Obama when they debate foreign policy and Obama's near-deliberate sacrifice of American embassies in favor of campaigning and coddling Islamo-Arab imperialism.