Body Language

It is striking that both Obama and Biden opted to use body language as their strategy for winning their respective debates. Not surprisingly, both lost. But there are several points worth making in this regard:

1. This demonstrates that they are both unserious men. It is one thing to employ body language as a tactic when appropriate. It is an altogether different matter to employ it as a strategy. The first can be shrewd and wise. The second is foolish and betrays the shallowness of those who employ it. Romney and Ryan had substance as their strategy. Obama and Biden had style (and extremely lame style at that) as their strategy. This defect has characterized the entire presidency (and, in fact, career) of Obama.

2. It is striking that, having opted to use body language as their strategy, both Obama and Biden were so horrifically bad at even that. Presumably, Obama was attempting to appear calm and presidential. Instead, he came across as apathetic and out of touch. Who can say for sure what was going through Biden's mind (apart from the usual: "Oh, look! Something shiny!")? But we can only assume that at least his handlers were hoping that he would come across as the wise, dignified statesman schooling the foolish, naive child. Instead, he came across as a stooge, giggling at a nuclear Iran and 23 million Americans unemployed. If you're going to be a one-trick pony, you should at least learn the trick.

3. Part of what caused them to fail so miserably is that ham-fisted overuse of their chosen strategies. One of the reasons body language doesn't work as a strategy is because you only get a few uses out of it before it becomes gratingly repetitive. To attempt to use the same lame little trick one hundred times in an hour and a half is a mistake normal people wouldn't even expect children to make. To base your strategy on style instead of substance is bad enough. But to base it on style when you're so bad at it, is inexplicable.

4. Finally ... TWICE?! Really?! After this strategy led Obama to the most humiliating defeat in the history of presidential debates, how clueless does the Obama brain trust have to be to say, "Here's a good idea... let's try it again!" No wonder these clowns have failed so miserably at everything they've put their hand to for the last four years.

Debate prep?

So, Joe "the brain" Biden is taking six days off of campaigning in order to prep for his debate with Paul Ryan. Really? Can one of the dumbest guys in politics get ready to debate one of the smartest guys in politics in six days? I mean, look what Romney did to Obama in debate and, given that Biden is even dumber than Obama and Ryan is even smarter than Romney, how can six days help?

To use math, if Romney's 50-point IQ advantage over Obama led to the devastation we saw last Wednesday, what will Ryan's 100-point IQ advantage over Biden lead to?

No, although Joe is almost certainly dumb enough to think he can take on Ryan, you have to think that after last Wednesday, even Joe's handlers (and believe me, he has handlers ... we all know what happens when the adults let Joe out on his own) can smell the coming apocalypse.

Which leads me to the real reason for the six days off: any excuse Obama, Axelrod, etc. can find to keep Joe away from a microphone for six days is good enough for them. They're probably trying to convince Joe to stay in his special room prepping right up until the super-secret second VP debate on November 7.