Looks like 800,000 people suddenly decided to go out and seek part time work or start home businesses to help move the rate down a few points and make Obama’s anemic job record look a little better. Still only 114,000 new jobs, leaving 23 Million in part time or no jobs.

Those numbers will be revised, or course, but after the election. Duh.
Axelrod and his band of Chicago Thugs have no shame; there is no depth to which they will not sink.

I have faith that the American people are smarter than to fall for this constant drum beat of lies, deceptions and snake oil.

We won’t have too long to wait to find out, will we?

BTW, Rasmusson has Ohio 50% Obama and 49% Romney this morning. That’s about what we all figured, I think.

So going into last night, they expected to see this bumbling fool get dashed by the POTUS like a knife cutting through hot butter. Instead, they saw the Mitt who became Governor of Massachusetts, the Mitt who was a very successful businessman, etc. And as Newt Gingrich would tell you from his experience in Florida, this Mitt is no fool. So to see him best Obama, and best him easily, was a complete shock to the majority of the 60 million viewers that night. Hence, the 67-25 instant CNN debate poll and the like. And so now, it’s a whole new ballgame.

I think now, voters are saying to themselves… wait, maybe this isn’t a choice between a mediocre President and a bumbling buffoon? Maybe the alternative could be better… a lot better. That Mitt up there did not look like the Mitt that has been described to me for the past several months. That Mitt looked like he could be a better president than Obama. And in my mind, he sure as heck looked more presidential than Obama that night.

Anyways, just my two cents. I must admit though, I think the jobs report this morning will do some to blunt the damage, as the media can shift the narrative a bit away from Mitt’s momentum. But I think this still was a gamechanger nonetheless. This is a horse race to the finish line now.

Amazingly, I am almost in total agreement with your analysis. Yes, the numbers were closing before the debate, and there is no question that Obama looked like the proverbial deer caught in the headlights. The question is why?

My theory is that he has way too long been sheltered and fed his own kool-aid, and frankly thought he could go in and win by showing his cool and having a memorized closing. He did not expect the Romney that showed up.

There are things that a President knows that we don’t, that’s a given. Perhaps there is something big, but more likely, it could be a brewing scandal – - there’s a rumor about untraceable donations on credit cards bought for cash in huge numbers, also the new job numbers look like they’ve been jiggered and he would know those numbers early. Could be any of a number of distractions. Certainly isn’t Al Gore’s explanation that he had altitude sickness.

But, my theory is that he just doesn’t have any record upon which to run, so he is stuck with criticizing what Romney puts up. Because he is woefully unfamiliar with economics, it is hard for him to do it easily. He predictably blew it. This theory is bolstered by the Chicago thugs crying “Liar, Liar” all over the Internet and talk shows immediately in the morning. Pure David Axelrod.

Do you know the old Law School adage – “If the facts are against you, argue the law; if the law is against you, argue the facts; and if the law and facts are against you, call the other lawyer an ********.”?

The next debate is not the Town Hall – you ignore the Vice president debate on October 11. Is there a bigger wonk on the Hill than Paul Ryan? Perhaps it will not draw the same amount, but there will be sound and picture bytes galore. It will be on Domestic and Foreign Policy. I suspect it will take on more importance that most (including you) are attaching to it.

My take is that this race is all tied up right now. Romney has a slight edge, just enough that he has to win one of the two remaining debates left with Obama. Ryan may change that to only needing two draws, but that remains to be seen.

I hope you find time to blog the Ryan-Biden funfest.

I agree that Romney won the debate. I still don’t buy the idea that all campaigns are equally effective and cancel out.

Seems like debate performances, economy, jobs reports, campaigns all add up over time.

So how do you think Obama counters the new “Massachusetts Mitt” in the next debate?