# The second presidential debate: 10/16/2012 **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Created:** [October 16, 2012, 4:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-second-presidential-debate-10-16-2012/637847 "2012-10-16T04:35:45Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 1\ **Showing post:** 14
**Author:** ![xenophon41](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/xenophon41/32/253_2.png) [@xenophon41](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/xenophon41)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2012, 12:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-second-presidential-debate-10-16-2012/637847/14 "2012-10-16T12:23:43Z")
> [@Simplicio](#): > > Its a townhall style thing, isn’t it? I don’t think that’s a very good venue to be really aggressive, at least in the sense of attacking the other guy (“this one”). > > In anycase, I don’t think lack of aggressiveness was Obama’s problem last time. He just seemed kinda checked out and not very enthusiastic. I imagine his staff will give him a few shots of expresso beforehand and hopefully he’ll perk up a bit. This. Debate format doesn’t determine content or strategy, but it does determine technique. The duelling podium setup last time requires crisp soundbites delivered authoritatively, quick rejoinders and firm rebuttals. It requires eye contact with the opponent, the moderator and the camera. Obama failed to deliver on crispness and quickness and came off as detached. The townhall format calls for mobility and direct engagement with an audience, and rewards emotional facility and empathy. It’s an interactive sales presentation where each Q&A is an opportunity to relate your product to individual biases, or to tear down competing products. I expect the president to be much more of an explainer in this debate, both in the construction and rationale of his own policies and in the dismantling of Romney/GOP ideas. He’ll be aggressive toward the RomneyLies®, but not to point out the flipping and flopping so much as to redirect our attention to the positions officially claimed, enunciated and developed by the Romney/Ryan ticket and the GOP. I’ve been pointing out this strategy since April: > [@Hey Obama, don’t screw this up](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hey-obama-don-t-screw-this-up/619256/39): > > The Obama campaign will take every opportunity to make Romney own his most radical pronouncements not to show who he is or what he stands for; he’s a businessman who’s all about business and the President will acknowledge that every time. What Obama will try and show persuadable voters is that Romney’s in _the business_ of “severe conservativism” because regardless of whatever he actually wants to do, he’s owned and operated by the Republican Party. \ > > So the question Obama wants voters asking themselves isn’t “Is Mittens a rightwing radical extremist?”, it’s “Will President Romney go along with everything his party wants him to do?” And since there’s very little evidence that Romney possesses a firm commitment to any political principle except the pursuit of executive authority, it’s hard to envision him saying no to his political base… --- _[View the full topic](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-second-presidential-debate-10-16-2012/637847)._