ABC to Obama regarding Romney: Was it a lie?

[GusFring]

Obama then keeps beating around the bush and refuses to call Romney a liar. If he wont fight for himself...

[Guy Whitey Corngood]

1. That fucking douchebag has already called the President a liar a thief and boy. I don't

know what it will take for this man to stand up for himself. The mealy mouthed shit needs to stop now.

[elleng]

2. He CAN'T outright call rmoney a liar.If he DID, there would be NO OTHER headline for days.

Others (like gingrich and axelrod) can do it. POTUS has to beat around the bush, and he can and did do it in a productive way.

[Cali_Democrat]

3. There would be no other headlines for days andf that's a good thing.

It would bring into focus Romney's lies.

Obama needs to fight.

[GusFring]

4. Exactly. nt

[gordianot]

6. On occasion Obama has beat the "Bush's" but I have developed a theory why Democrats do not fight.

The Republicans have committed acts that in most countries never would be tolerated. If the various acts of fraud, thuggery, insider trading, stolen elections, coercion and perhaps murder became known and accepted as fact the fragile thread of civility would be gone in America forever. When historical incidents such as the coup attempt against FDR become public it is either swept away or ridiculed. Any suspicion is quickly labeled conspiracy theorist a sure way to end an investigation. If actually known there are acts that are intolerable. We cannot handle the truth. Romney is the perfect candidate for this environment a total long term serial liar with a rather sinister hidden agenda of who knows what?

[elleng]

8. You may be right.

[gkhouston]

5. He needs to not dodge the "L" word.

If the President of the United States doesn't have the cojones to call Romney a liar, why should the media?

And he should follow-up by saying, "And that shouldn't come as a surprise to anyone who's been following his campaign. When a politician tells you that his campaign won't be dictated by fact-checkers, you should expect that he's lying to you on a regular basis."

[bluestateguy]

7. I have noticed that politicians are reluctant to use that word about each other

Maybe it is some kind of unwritten rule, but you just don't see a lot of it. Unless it was Republicans on Clinton during the peak of BlowjobGate.

[leftynyc]

14. That pig Walsh had no problem

calling the President a liar during the State of the Union.

[cthulu2016]

9. Transcript? Worthwhile paraphrase? Anything?

The OP is less than useful

[GusFring]

18. look it up. I saw the clip on tv.

[Cali_Democrat]

21. Diane Sawyer asked Obama if Romney was telling a lie

She asked if Romney was lying and Obama would not specifically call Romney a liar. He pretty much punted.

[jsmirman]

10. For fuck's sake, if this is accurate I can't take it anymore

this response for me was instantaneous - I guarantee if posed to me I would say this on the spot, "I don't want to use the word lie, but, you know, it sure as heck wasn't honest."

If he really couldn't bring himself to swat this softball over the fences, we have indeed found someone to make me long for Bill Clinton in a way I never I knew I did.

Because he would have said the exact thing I wrote up above.

[jsmirman]

12. I don't think this is quite accurate

Maddow had a clip from that interview.

The question was basically posed as "your campaign says Romney's claims about his stance on abortion is a lie - is he lying?"

Obama's answer basically said "yes, he is lying, but I'm not going to use the word lying, I'm just going to describe someone making up his position day to day."

I prefer my answer in the post above, but his answer wasn't as frustrating as I expected it to be.

[phleshdef]

11. Theres kind of an unspoken rule about not using the L word.

I don't really like that rule at all. But it is kind of part of the traditional etiquette at least in the higher level campaigns.

[LiberalAndProud]

13. What would be so wrong with, "It was untrue," as an answer?

There is a time and a place for diplomacy. Elections might not be one of them. Obama may be thinking, "I'm going to have to go back and work with these mf-ers after I win this thing, and there is nobody harder to work with than a pissed off Republican."

I don't know. Beyond that I have no explanation.

[leftynyc]

15. How about fiction vs fact?

Sounds nicer to the ear (although I think a liar should be called a liar in a perfect world).

[mattclearing]

16. If he's gonna do it, he'll do it at next week's debate when people are watching. n/t

[JI7]

17. Why doesn't ABC do their research and answer the question themselves ?

these fuckers are looking to create a story. dumb lazy ass ignorant buch of whores.

and let me tell you that Obama would not have won the first debate and maybe later debates in any way. if Obama had come off tougher or aggressive they would not have said Obama won. they would have said the President seems angry, maybe can't handle the job etc.

[City Lights]

19. Are you talking about his interview with Diane Sawyer?

I thought she was trying to make nooze by trying to get Obama to call Romney a liar. It's not Obama's problem if she's too dumb to figure out whether or not Romeny is a liar.

Low-class journalism at its finest. I'd expect nothing less from the Mickey Mouse network.

[msanthrope]

20. Your concern is noted. Please feel free to share more of your concerns, and enjoy your stay. nt