Obama: Romney’s debate performance was like watching “Dancing with the Stars”

Towards the end of the past several weeks — actually, it might even be for months now — I’ve noticed (with annoyance) a lot of media outlets slyly slipping in a bunch of prodding little implications about how “Mitt Romney had a rough week this week,” or, “At the end of another bad week for Mitt Romney…”, blah blah blah. I’ve never been exactly sure what it is they’re all supposedly referring to (“But what about your gaffes?!”), but for some strange reason, unless I’m just missing it, I don’t feel like I’m seeing as much of that today. I wonder why that would be?

Oh, yeah — undeniable and total domination is why, an outcome of which President Obama aptly reminded us today with some petulant-sounding jabs at Mitt Romney’s debate performance. Via RCP:

Now, my opponent, he's doing a lot of, a little tap dance, at the debate the other night, trying to wiggle out of stuff he's been saying for a year. Doing like a, it was like, "Dancing with the Stars." Or, maybe it was, "Extreme Makeover: Debate Edition." But, no matter what he says, my opponent, he's a big believer of these top-down economics. He thinks that if we spend another $5 trillion on tax cuts that favor the wealthiest, we get rid of regulations on Wall Street, all of our problems are going to be solved. Jobs and prosperity will rain down from the sky. Deficits will magically disappear. We'll live happily ever after.

The fact that Team Obama is still, both implicitly and explicitly, blaming the financial crisis on Wall Street and the Bush-era tax cuts... is inexcusable.

And anyway, at least "Dancing with the Stars" has a sense of urgency, excitement, and passion about it. I'd probably compare the precision and animation of the president's debate showing to an episode of "Antiques Roadshow" in which a contestant found out his most treasured possession wasn't worth a hill of beans.

It looks like Team Obama is hoping that Vice President Biden's debate performance next week will do something to take the edge off of the president's recently dismal one, says The Hill:

Democratic strategists are eyeing the forthcoming debate between Vice President Biden and Rep. Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) with a mix of hope and nervousness in the wake of President Obama’s widely panned performance in his leadoff encounter with Mitt Romney Wednesday night.

On the plus side, some Democrats feel that a strong performance from Biden next Thursday could turn the page on the president’s near-debacle in Denver.

But they also worry that Biden’s legendary capacity to state his views in an inartful fashion could backfire. …

“Joe Biden needs to go back to the effective organizing principle of the Obama campaign, which was at some level not adhered to last night,” said Chris Lehane, a strategist who worked in the Clinton White House and on Al Gore’s 2000 presidential campaign.

Sorry, guys, but... I wouldn't hold my breath if I were you.

• Chuck Todd: The Obama administration is trying to “criminalize journalism”
• About those “doctored” Benghazi e-mails…
• White House word of the day – Irrelevant

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