The Day After the Debate

by Ruth A. Sheets

Nearly 24 hours after the “Big Debate” last night and I am thinking of Snake Oil salesmen.  All the pundits say that Romney won the debate and I suppose if you look at points made, he did.  He talked so fast that it was hard to follow what he was saying and claiming.  That is saying a lot since I read things at least twice the speed of what most people do.

The snake oil guy misdirects, and has a patter that makes you think you heard something critically important when the claims he is making are either untrue or impossible.  One can get so caught up in the excitement of the moment that a credible response is unlikely. 

President Obama got caught in the patter last night.  How does someone, even an intelligent knowledgeable person, pick which of the multitude of claims to respond to?  It is even more difficult when the salesman changes his entire pitch.

The positions Romney stated as his own last night were not those he has held throughout the rest of the campaign.  He has changed his position on taxes and whose will be raised, how the deficit will be closed, how much or little the wealthiest among us will be asked to pay.

On health care, Romney practically claimed Obamacare while saying he would repeal it.  How can one hold both positions?  He said we need regulation, but wants to repeal Dodd-Frank, the law passed to help stop crashes like we experienced in 2008, but not all of it, just the things he doesn’t like.  Of course, one should not get specific.  Peoplemight hold you to it.

I could not see either candidate, but heard Obama being mostly straightforward and sounding serious, although he did not take many ascertive opportunities to challenge Mr. Romney.  Mr. Romney was, what I call “snarky.”  His voice sounded condescending and had a triumphant note to it.  He made me tired just listening to him.  That is what the snake oil salesman does.  He wants you to buy his useless product by making you feel that you are so ill that you need it.  The lies go with the territory.  That is an American tradition.  If one challenges the lies, one will be accused of lying and making up one’s own facts, a misdirect.  Hmmm!

Where do we go from here?  Mr. Obama must get tough.  I know what it will look like when he goes directly at Mr. Romney and challenges him on at least some of his hogwash.  Being Black, he has to be so careful that he doesn’t look like he is targeting Mr. Romney.  Mr. Romney, meanwhile, can say nearly anything and will be seen as strong and a man of character, when in reality, he’s a snake oil salesman who is only interested in his sale.