Preparing In Colonial Williamsburg, Obama Is Looking For A Revolutionary Performance In The Second Presidential Debate

OBAMA IS TAKING TIME TO “RETOOL” IN WILLIAMSBURG, VA AFTER HIS “WIDELY PANNED” PERFORMANCE

Obama Will Spend Three Days In Williamsburg, Virginia Preparing For the Presidential Debate. “President Obama will be headed to Williamsburg, Va. for three days of debate prep, the Obama campaign confirmed. He plans to depart Washington on Sunday and return on Tuesday, the White House announced.” (Byron Tau, “Obama Plans Three Days Of Debate Prep In Virginia,”Politico, 10/11/12)

• “ Obama Is Planning A Hiatus To Virginia To ‘Retool’ After His Widely Panned Performance In The First Debate.” “As previously reported by the Chicago Sun-Times’ Lynn Sweet, Obama is planning a hiatus to Virginia to ‘retool’ after his widely panned performance in the first debate.” (Byron Tau, “Obama Plans Three Days Of Debate Prep In Virginia,” Politico, 10/11/12)

Obama Campaign Advisor Robert Gibbs: “Obviously, The President Was Disappointed In His Own Performance. He Didn’t Meet His Expectations.” “‘Obviously, the president was disappointed in his own performance. He didn’t meet his expectations,’ Obama campaign adviser Robert Gibbs told the CNN program ‘State of the Union,’ referring to the first debate.” (Vicki Allen and Will Dunham, “Obama Team Promises More Aggressive President In Second Term,” Reuters, 10/14/12)

• Obama “Acknowledged He Needs To Turn In A Stronger Performance When The Two Meet Again.” “Obama was in Ohio this week, too, but he was spending the weekend in Williamsburg, Va., preparing for the debate. The president has acknowledged he needs to turn in a stronger performance when the two meet again.” (Kasie Hunt, “Romney And Obama Focus On Debate Preparations,” The Associated Press, 10/13/12)

DEMOCRATS HAVE HIGH EXPECTATIONS FOR AN “AGGRESSIVE” OBAMA

“Nervous Democrats” Are Looking For An “Aggressive” Obama In The Second Presidential Debate. “But that’s not enough to calm nervous Democrats, even as they revel in Vice President Joe Biden’s pull-no-punches turn on the debate stage Thursday night against GOP vice presidential nominee Paul Ryan. They are looking for an equally aggressive Obama to show up for the prime-time town-hall style debate in Hempstead, N.Y.” (Charles Babington, “Tight Race, Big Debate Ahead With 3 Weeks To Go,” The Associated Press, 10/13/12)

Obama Campaign Advisors Promised A “More Aggressive And Energetic” Obama In The Second Debate. “Campaign advisers to President Barack Obama promised on Sunday he would be more aggressive and energetic on Tuesday in his second debate against Republican challenger Mitt Romney after a passive, heavily criticized performance in their first showdown.” (Vicki Allen and Will Dunham, “Obama Team Promises More Aggressive President In Second Term,” Reuters, 10/14/12)

Obama Campaign Advisor Robert Gibbs: Obama Knows That He Needs To Be “More Energetic” In Second Debate. “‘He knew when he walked off that stage and he also knew as he’s watched the tape of that debate that he’s got to be more energetic. I think you’ll see somebody who’s very passionate about the choice that our country faces – and putting that choice in front of voters,’ Gibbs added.” (Vicki Allen and Will Dunham, “Obama Team Promises More Aggressive President In Second Term,” Reuters, 10/14/12)

Democrat Mayor Of Atlanta Kasim Reed: Obama Must “Step Up” His Performance In The Next Debate. “Previewing Tuesday night’s debate between President Barack Obama and Republican rival Mitt Romney, Democratic Mayor Kasim Reed of Atlanta said on NBC’s Meet the Press Sunday that Obama must ‘step up’ in his confrontation with Romney.” (Tom Curry, “Campaign Surrogates Say Obama Has Crucial Task In Second Debate,”NBC News , 10/14/12)

The Washington Post’s Bob Woodward: Obama “Can’t Come On, In The Next Debate, And All Of A Sudden Be A Different Person. In A Radical Way People Are Going To Say, Wait A Minute, Is It Showmanship?” FOX NEWS’ CHRIS WALLACE: “Bob, what do you think is the top priority for the President in the debate? And given it is a town hall how does he get more aggressive with Romney when he has to respond to the questions of real people about their real problems and he’s not just getting questions from reporters?” THE WASHINGTON POST’S BOB WOODWARD: “Well, to answer your broad question, I mean the race is volatile it can go either direction, I think. And, what, what’s really important for Obama, he can’t come on, in the next debate, and all of a sudden be a different person. In a radical way people are going to say, wait a minute, is it showmanship?” (Fox News’ “Fox News Sunday,” 10/14/12)

DEMOCRATS WEREN’T HAPPY WITH OBAMA’S LAST DEBATE PERFORMANCE

CNN’s John King: “You Have A Lot Of The President’s Supporters Say He Got Spanked Tonight.” (CNN, 10/3/12)

CNN’s Gloria Borger: “But It Also Means To Me That The Obama Campaign Can’t Press The Delete Button Fast Enough On This Debate And They Will Go Out There And They Will Erase It.” (CNN, 10/3/12)

MSNBC’s Chuck Todd: “They Know They Lost, And You Can Hear It In David Plouffe’s Voice.” MSNBC’s CHUCK TODD: “They’re trying to sugar coat it a little publicly. What do you expect them to do? That’s what a spin room is for, but they know they lost tonight, and you can even hear it in David Plouffe’s voice.” (MSNBC’s “Presidential Debate 2012,” 10/3/12)

ABC’s Jake Tapper: “I’m Not Really Hearing Any Gushing Phone Calls Or Texts Talking About How The President Won. No, I’m Not.” ABC’s GEORGE STEPHANOPOULOS: “And Jake Tapper, are the Obama aides trying to argue that the president won tonight?” ABC’s JAKE TAPPER: “Some of them are, some of the lower to mid-level staffers are. I think they feel good on the policy front and I think that they do feel as Austin pointed out, that the president arguing that Romney was making a lot of promises but not really getting into any specifics, that that was strong and as I mentioned earlier, when president Obama spoke directly to camera, that was strong, as well. But no, I’m not really hearing any gushing phone calls or texts talking about how the president won. No, I’m not.” (ABC’s “Your Voice: 2012 Presidential Debates,” 10/3/12)

CBS’s Nancy Cordes: “And Most Tellingly, Scott: I Haven’t Gotten A Single E-mail From The Obama Campaign Yet, Contending That The President Was The Winner Tonight.” (CBS, 10/3/12)

MSNBC’s Ed Schultz: “Stunned” By Obama’s Poor Performance. ED SCHULTZ: “I think the president created a big problem for him tonight, for himself. I don’t think he explained himself very well on the economy. I thought he was off his game. I was absolutely stunned tonight. Rachel, you just mentioned about time, the president needs to get in and fight for that time. There’s people that expect him to fight for that time.” (MSNBC’s ” Presidential Debate 2012,” 10/3/12)

NBC’s Savannah Guthrie: David Axelrod Can’t Say He Is Thrilled With The President’s Performance. NBC’s BRIAN WILLIAMS: “Savannah Guthrie, if we were courtroom lawyers, among the two of us, you’re the lawyer, after all, we’d come off of a brief conversation there with David Axelrod, turn to the judge and say your honor, we have no choice but to assume that they are happy with the president’s performance tonight. what you also are is a former white house correspondent. What’s really going to go on? NBC’s SAVANNAH GUTHRIE: “As a lawyer I might say that answer is non-responsive. He didn’t come right out and say we’re thrilled with the president’s performance. Of course he can’t say that.” (NBC, 10/3/12)

Democrat Strategist Donna Brazile: “Mitt Romney Did Himself A Lot Of Good. He Came To Play.” DONNA BRAZILE: “No, I think the tie will go to the president, because he is the incumbent. I do believe Mitt Romney did himself a lot of good. He came to play. He came to change the script in this campaign and he was able to do that tonight by talking about the things that he’s done in a bipartisan fashion, but I think the president had to lay out what he will do in the future. He was able to do that, but tonight, Mitt Romney was a little bit more aggressive than the president.” (ABC News’ “Your Voice, Your Vote,” 10/3/12)

Bill Maher: “I Can’t Believe I’m Saying This, But Obama Looks Like He DOES Need A Teleprompter” (Bill Maher, Twitter Account, 10/3/12)