How big a risk did Obama take today in addressing the repubs on camera? Or was there no risk to him?

[Stinky The Clown]

I think it was quite a risk, really. I think he took it and I think he won. But it could easily have gone another way.

[ezgoingrl]

1. It was a very calculated risk.

He knew what kind of questions they'd ask and he knew the manner in which they would ask them, he simply gave the Repubs enough rope to hang themselves and they did exactly that.

[roguevalley]

38. my guess is given that he's probably done a lot of debate at the ivy league level

that this was something about which he was truly comfortable.

[OffWithTheirHeads]

2. Obama smart. Repukes stupid. No contest

I mean, how smart do you have to be to outsmart people who still think the world is 6,000 years old?

[Iris]

16. I concur

[ezgoingrl]

20. THAT is an excellent point!

n/t

[Nay]

23. Agreed. A lot of us just wondered when he was gonna finally let his

brain and mouth out for a run. We've been waiting for him to do the smackdown, and here it is. But he has to keep it up! Just once won't be enough!

[BolivarianHero]

40. I dunno...

It's not that easy to win Ben Stein's money.

[Mayberry Machiavelli]

41. Well Gore was smarter than GWB also, but he didn't know how to play that shit.

[sharesunited]

3. He gambled, he won, and they will not ask him back.

[Stinky The Clown]

5. How can they not ask him back? What story/spin would they have to apply to make it not seem petty?

[sharesunited]

9. The only way to highlight that would be for Obama to invite THEM somewhere and see who shows up.

Otherwise, how does a "non-event" get anyone's attention? It just never happens and people forget that it was ever supposed to.

[mopinko]

33. yeah, come on over to my house,

see what i got cooked up for you....

[gratuitous]

15. They all have to wash their hair

Every one of them, even the ones with no hair of their own anymore.

[tularetom]

22. Like this guy?

[zbdent]

24. does he send that out for cleaning?

I mean, come on ... Trump's looks more natural ...

I hear Limbaugh's cleaning lady has had to retire from running errands to and from the drugstore ...

[Quantess]

27. It looks like a fur hat!

[gratuitous]

30. Holy smokes, that's a group effort there

That'll keep the entire caucus busy for a month of Sundays. So sorry, Mr. President. Rep. Fortenberry's hair needs to be washed.

[HughBeaumont]

37. That thing looks like a freaking Shtreimel.

Who's he trying to kid?

[Cetacea]

31. At least not with the cameras rolling!

[frustrated_lefty]

4. Not a big risk.

He had both facts and numbers on his side, he even asked for independent fact checks.

We need more of this. Debate or discussion on the air, not the rhetoric of commercials.

[cry baby]

6. very risky, but showed much political courage and confidence nt

[scheming daemons]

7. When you KNOW you are twice as intelligent as any one in that room, the risk is small

[ddeclue]

8. No risk at all..

If the Repubs are dumb enough to debate us with no ground rules they are going to lose every time. The Presidential debates are SO contrived - they are just joint press conferences.

[FreakinDJ]

10. Obama is calling out the "Party of NO"

and doing it on live TV no less

[11 Bravo]

11. He displayed the balls of a riverboat gambler. And he won. Big.

[ShortnFiery]

13. CNN is already spinning his meeting with the GOP positive ... for the republicans.

You always LOSE when you attempt to REASON with half-wit bullies.

Obama needs to MAKE the republicans filibuster in the Senate and get them on record as obstructionists.

It's a NO WIN situation ... he needs to show STRENGTH FIRST.

Time for reasoning with the GOP is OVER ... beyond OVER. :(

Mark my words - come Sunday, FOX will make this meeting into a BIG VICTORY for the Republicans. They will - they have the propaganda machine to do it.

[NYC_SKP]

17. Not surprised. CNN is Full of Suck. n/t

[bertman]

36. ShortnFiery, you are 1000% correct. He's wasting valuable time. But it was fun to watch.

[HuckleB]

12. I think he knows that caliber of the GOP, and he knew he'd come out on top.

[glinda]

14. Big risk but this should be done more. "Sunshine on everything for all to see!"

[immoderate]

18. Not much. He was the judge!

Not that he didn't do well, but he got to set the rules, then he got to rule on the questions, and no follow ups! He was absolutely in command of every part of that forum. When it came on, I couldn't believe the Republicans were doing this. How could they be so stupid? Oh...wait a sec.

This was built for Obama. He couldn't have asked for a setup more accommodating to his talents. It went:
*Talking point.* *Debunk* Over and over. He got to bat last in every inning, and they couldn't take the field.

There's always a risk in going live, and there have been presidents who could not have done as well. But this couldn't have been tailored better for Obama.

Best tactic: taunting the Republicans that they had dug themselves into such a hole, that they cold not allow themselves to negotiate in good faith. In effect, he was saying "you guys are a joke." And they could not rebut it. Not only because they had no rational response in a situation which favored reason, but because the rules didn't allow for it. Amazing, it was their event, they set it up, they invited him -- to come in there and kick their asses! :rofl:

--imm

[EFerrari]

19. How could it have gone any other way?

Maybe I don't get it.

[Ikonoklast]

21. I don't care who you are, when the President Of The United States

calls you out on your bullshit, and you have no basis in fact to support your arguments, the risk taken was all on your part, not his.

President Obama went to this meeting expecting a battle of wits, but his opponents arrived unarmed.

[MadMaddie]

25. Oh Stinky it was a huge risk! But as observed someone

(President Obama) did his homework and he knew the facts and details of each of those guys asking the questions.

Thinks about if he did not accept the invitation! The Repugs would have played that he was a coward and he didn't want to face their real questions. You know the spiel.....

It was a beutiful thing!!

[Old and In the Way]

26. He should have invited Pence, Boehner, or Pence the same opportunity

To address the Democratic caucus at their next retreat. You know, just to return the favor. Actually, I'd prefer to see Sarah Palin do it, but we know that would never happen.

[sad sally]

32. Can you image the last president trying to pull this off?

'bout fell out of my chair just thinking about George facing a room full of Democrats without being given questions in advance and in order...heh, heh...

[doc03]

28. It wasn't a fair fight they were out numbered he had a brain

and collectively they had half a brain stuck up their ass.

[NOLALady]

29. No risk at all.

He enjoyed evry minute of it.

[The Midway Rebel]

34. Big Risks Every time He Opens His Mouth

The RW MSM will spin this to their favor somehow. It is what they do, it is all they have, they are the best reactionaries.

I admire his courage. We all need to take the risks and stand up to the big money party.

[JoeyT]

35. I don't think there was any risk at all.

Even the people that hate him admit he's about the best talker in politics.
So inviting him to an event (With cameras! And without creative editing!) and matching a bunch of people that probably had to take five runs at their oath of office against him was just outright stupidity on their part.

[freeplessinseattle]

39. Repugs are pretty predictable n/t

[Lesleymo]

42. I agree, it was a risk

But oh my gosh, he mopped the floor with them. They came at him with the same old tired talking points as if they'd just discovered something new and amazing - "well how about this, huh? whaddya say to that?" - and he turned it right around, every time. Boo ya.