The second presidential debate: 3 stylistic tics that hurt Mitt Romney
Squabbling about the rules rarely wins points from the punditry
The second debate between President Obama and Mitt Romney was not the most civilized affair in American history, with both candidates rhetorically jabbing at each other with unusual ferocity. "At moments their town-hall-style engagement felt more like a shouting match than a presidential debate," say Karen Tumulty and Philip Rucker at The Washington Post. "The two men challenged each other on the facts, talked over each other, and stalked each other across the stage." But while Obama certainly crossed the lines of decorum on occasion, it was Romney who was singled out by conservatives and liberals alike for his less-than-gentlemanly attitude toward Obama and moderator Candy Crowley. Here, three stylistic tics that may have hurt Romney's image:
1. He argued too much about the rules
One of Romney's biggest flaws as a debater is his "tendency to argue pointlessly with the moderator and his opponents over the rules of order," says Ross Douthat at The New York Times. Both candidates bickered with Crowley "about turns and time allotments, but Romney went at it earlier and more often — sometimes justifiably, but never successfully." Romney wasted "too much time demanding another minute or the final say or a chance to go back to something from a previous answer," says Alan Schroeder at CNN. Instead of making him "look strong and in command," the tactic "reinforces a negative perception that the candidate needs to dispel: That of a plutocrat grabbing every last crumb he thinks he deserves."
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
2. He steamrolled the moderator
Romney "came on way too strong" with Crowley, says MSNBC's Joe Scarborough. "You don't run over a female moderator, you just don't. Stylistically, you don't. It's very dangerous." Indeed, Romney's "constant interruptions of the moderator… seemed rude in a way they did not when the two candidates stood together onstage" in the first debate, says Joshua Green at Bloomberg. He "even asked her to intercede by calling her name three times, 'Candy, Candy, Candy,' a recall of a much-mocked moment in a Republican primary debate when he repeatedly asked Anderson Cooper of CNN to referee a dispute," says Alessandra Stanley at The New York Times.
3. He didn't treat Obama with enough respect
A "little rudeness is to be expected" in a combative debate, but "being rude is usually bad," says Verne Gay at Newsday. Romney may have crossed that line when he interrupted the president with, "You'll get your chance in a moment. I'm still speaking." The line drew gasps from the audience. "You don't run over the president of the United States, whether that president's a Republican or whether that president is a Democrat," says Scarborough. "There are independent voters who believe that a president should be treated with deference because he is the commander-in-chief."
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Read more political coverage at The Week's 2012 Election Center.
Create an account with the same email registered to your subscription to unlock access.
-
'Musk's reliance on China draws rising scrutiny'
Today's Newspapers A roundup of the headlines from the US front pages
By The Week Staff Published
-
Biba: the story of a 'legendary emporium'
The Week Recommends Brand's 60th anniversary is being marked with retrospective celebrating the 'iconic shop's cultural importance'
By Adrienne Wyper, The Week UK Published
-
How the Russia-Ukraine conflict has spread to Africa
The Explainer Ukraine is attempting to strengthen its alliances on the continent to counter Russia's growing presence
By Richard Windsor, The Week UK Published
-
Trump, billions richer, is selling Bibles
Speed Read The former president is hawking a $60 "God Bless the USA Bible"
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
The debate about Biden's age and mental fitness
In Depth Some critics argue Biden is too old to run again. Does the argument have merit?
By Grayson Quay Published
-
How would a second Trump presidency affect Britain?
Today's Big Question Re-election of Republican frontrunner could threaten UK security, warns former head of secret service
By Harriet Marsden, The Week UK Published
-
'Rwanda plan is less a deterrent and more a bluff'
Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
By The Week UK Published
-
Henry Kissinger dies aged 100: a complicated legacy?
Talking Point Top US diplomat and Nobel Peace Prize winner remembered as both foreign policy genius and war criminal
By Harriet Marsden, The Week UK Last updated
-
Trump’s rhetoric: a shift to 'straight-up Nazi talk'
Why everyone's talking about Would-be president's sinister language is backed by an incendiary policy agenda, say commentators
By The Week UK Published
-
More covfefe: is the world ready for a second Donald Trump presidency?
Today's Big Question Republican's re-election would be a 'nightmare' scenario for Europe, Ukraine and the West
By Sorcha Bradley, The Week UK Published
-
Xi-Biden meeting: what's in it for both leaders?
Today's Big Question Two superpowers seek to stabilise relations amid global turmoil but core issues of security, trade and Taiwan remain
By Harriet Marsden, The Week UK Published