Wednesday, October 17, 2012

Did Mitt Romney Lose The Second Debate?

Did Mitt Romney lose the second presidential debate with Barack Obama?

For me, Mitt Romney not so much as outright lost to Obama as that he gave away the initiative to the president and failed to come out when he should have had especially on the Libya question.

While the president was talking on the Libya question, Mitt Romney was trying to look suitably contrite. And that was a mistake.

Somehow I knew, looking at Romney's face, that he wouldn't and wasn't prepared to engage with Obama on Libya for fear of appearing unbecoming and looking like playing politics where the lives of Americans were at stake.

And so, sure enough, Romney only nit-picked on whether the president did or not say that what had happened at the Libyan embassy was a terrorist attack.

Romney should have said that first, he  commiserated with family of the Libyan envoy and the families of the other three embassy officials killed in the attack on the embassy.

That their deaths were unnecessary but for the Obama administration's failure to take the security of the Libyan embassy seriously.

That there had been a gross failure of the Obama administration to provide the additional security that had in fact been asked for, a fact that the secretary of state herself, Hilary Clinton, had later admitted.

That there must have been an intelligence lapse too for the Obama administration's failure to foresee and forestall the attack.

That the Obama administration (which much include the State Department surely?) were really in sixes and sevens and this was why it had taken some 14 days after the attack for the administration to come out with some coherent statement on it whether or not Obama himself might have had used the phrase "terrorist act" a day after to describe what had happened at the Libyan embassy.

That all of this showed the Obama administration's incompetence although of course Romney himself believed that the president had no doubt considered the security and safety of their consular staff as of paramount importance.

That the Obama administration had been too softy-softy in its eagerness to engage with the international Muslim community and that that might have had emboldened some parties.

That instead of profusely apologising for and condemning the maker of the movie that had allegedly angered and insulted Islam and the Prophet, the president should have made it very clear that his administration, and the United States, would not tolerate any party or country who would use religion as a pretext for revenge and killing innocent people whatever and however grievous the provocation. And that this applied not only to Islam but to any other religion as well.

But to me, Romney had early on lost the initiative when he turned to the president and tried to get the latter to admit that the president himself also had business investments in China, instead of straightway engaging the question that had been asked him by one of the 80 undecided voters in the audience.

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Kluang's Little Bangsar

Kluang's Little Bangsar
Click To Visit

Kamini's Indian Wedding - Click To Visit

Kamini's Indian Wedding - Click To Visit
I attended my neighbour's daughter's Indian wedding dinner at the Sentul HGH Convention Centre. Click for a peek

Yasmin Ahmad - Click To Visit

Yasmin Ahmad - Click To Visit
Yasmin Ahmad was arguably Malaysia's best story-teller, filmmaker and advertiser. She was well known for her Petronas commercials and had won numerous international awards including the Golden Lion award for the 'Tan Ming Hong In Love' commercial. Her feature film Sepet not only garnered her several international awards including for Best Asian Film but also drew multi-racial audiences that rarely happens for a local film.

Genting Highlands - Click To Visit

Genting Highlands - Click To Visit
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Batu Caves - Click To Visit

Batu Caves - Click To Visit
Malaysia's Famous Landmark. Note The Statue Of Lord Muruga And The 272 Steps To The Temple Cave In The Background

Petronas Twin Towers And KLCC Park - Click To Visit

Petronas Twin Towers And KLCC Park - Click To Visit
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Some Early Morning Views Of KL City Skyline - Click To Visit
Some early morning views of the KL city sykline I took from the 3rd floor of the KL Court with a low-pixel hand-phone camera

Kluang Town - Click To Visit

Kluang Town - Click To Visit
Kluang was a sleepy hollow, but is fast becoming a bustling town. You can't miss the bust-shaped gunung Lambak lording over the place and the town is well known for its tv brand coffee powder

Kluang RailCoffee

Kluang RailCoffee
The Kluang railway station coffee shop, now re-branded Kluang RailCoffee, is well known for its cuppa of coffee and the charcaol grilled piping hot buns oozing with butter and kaya...It used to attract standing-room only crowds. It still does, but the last time I was there it wasn't a good experience for me. The famous coffee had somewhat lost its oomph and even the buns...The shop has a long and noted history being first opened for business in 1938 and the place is now run by the 3rd generation LIm family. I hope the next time I return, the coffee would regain its oomph. Click to read more...