Just another way to set low expectations for the debates - too busy saving the country, the world, the ratings of the View, whatever.

The president doesn't do well without his teleprompter and back stage helpers frantically feeding him the answers to questions. Expect to see a tiny wire from his ear to the little receiver in his back pocket. The giveaway will be pauses after he is asked to explain something. He has to wait for the answers to feed into the hidden ear bud.

Don't be fooled he's preparing feverishly and secretively

#3: he's also providing the questions for the moderators. Romney's going to be playing against a stacked deck. It won't even matter that it will be obvious, they're desperate and they'll do it just to help their anointed one over the finish line.

He will also cancel the debate!

I remember in the 2004 debates Kerry said "If I had been president, I would have gotten our allies to fight the Iraq war for us", or some such BS.

Bush was floored. How does a real human being respond to such absolute BS?

Get ready, Romney, to say something like "anybody can SAY anything, but your record says you couldn't do it."

Senator Kerry planned to quiz the President on the proper wind surfing attire.

Didn't I just read this same humorous article on The Onion?

Too busy governing...?

Yeah, I'm sure the Globe just copied the Onion article.

Great satire!!

#4 Exactly.

Just setting low expectations. Once again he is transparent when it comes to this kind of stuff.

Just another clue as to who wrote the questions Obama will be asked. I hope Romney tests a beta-blocker (a great aid for appearing Cool and coherent).\
That is what I believe Obama has been doping with and why he acts so unhinged when not at scheduled events.

He's probably been fighting with Moochelle long enough to get the hang of it.

Zero is the most eloquent speaker since Lucifer, himself. So, he shouldn't have no trouble at all mopping the floor with Romney. /sarcasm off

I can hardly wait.

Yeah sure. I don't believe a word of it. On the other hand, how hard will HIS questions be? They're written and asked by the Kneepad Media.

Sample Question: President Obama, how does it make you feel when Chris Matthews says Romney is a racist?

Between Obama's campaigning, fund raisers with Beyonce and the rest of Hollywood stars, and golf outings and Jon Cary's (who, by the way, served in Vietnam) windsurfing trips, driving down to Rhode Island for a yacht trip (saves those pesky taxes that the little people pay)and helping lovey soak the raisins in rum, I can see where it would be tough for the two of them to find dates both were open to have mock debates.

Bravo Sierra

It's not my fault I lost the debate! I can hear it now.

This cancellation of the rehearsal is the run-up to the cancellation of the actual debate(s) because of some sudden national emergency.

~~But the Obama team appeared Thursday to go out its way to lower expectations for the trio of one-on-one debates that the president will hold with Romney next month.~~

It's what they do.....excuses, excuses....he didn't have time to prepare...GACK!

More sample questions from the MSM moderators:

"Mr. Romney, how do you define quantum mechanics in two words?"

Mr.PRESIDENT, what is Michelle growing in her garden right now?"

"Mr. Romney, why is your foreign policy despised by all Americans?"

"Mr President, why has your economic plan and saving millions of American jobs been so successful?"

Just a small preview of what to expect...........

When a person has a "razor sharp" mind and speaks spontaneously with such (Um, duh, um) eloquence...one does not need any practice.

I hope they're checked for earbuds. I'm not concerned about Romney, can't wait for the Ryan /Biden debate...but Barak he's not one to play on a level field.

He'll find a way (other than those softball questions)to cheat.

I'm not as worried about earbuds, #21, as I am about Obama's team getting questions planted. With the MSM so firmly in his corner, I don't think it would be all that difficult to "suggest" a type of question that would be welcomed.

This accusation has been made against Obama in the 2008 debates.

Setting the stage for a handy excuse in case he tanks. Just too too busy to practice for this. He is so perfect he shouldn't need to practice so no problem. Heh heh

Well, if Obama can't make it to the debates, too busy, you know, Romney could debate an empty chair. It would do as well as N0Bama without a teleprompter.

Based on the 'nightmare' bad press from events in the Middle East I am 50-50 that Obozo cancels the debate due to 'national security'....I could be wrong

I've long had the same thought as #25 -- can't believe he'd expose himself as the total fool he is.

This doesn't add up. Either he is unconcerned about the outcome, or he is cocksure of the outcome. I really wonder sometimes whether he is conceding the election. For all his supposed competitiveness, I have never seen evidence of it. He's a frontman, the con's face...are they pocketing the leftover cash? Would anyone be surprised?

Eh ... Uh ... John ... Um ... Uhh ... Why ... xxxmmm ... ehh the ... um ... ahh long ... aghh .. ehh ... umm face.

Too busy? Come on. We can all see he hasn't even broke a sweat in four years.

I have to agree with posters thinking Øbama will cancel at the last minute. He is exhausted- his appearances have been practically non-stop. Every one of them takes a tremendous amount of energy- even for a nut-job like Øbama. He lives in a sea of personal fear, insecure about his own ability to think quickly on his feet. Without his teleprompter security blankey, he will be a nervous wreck. The reason for cancelling the meetings with Kerry tells me he has another plan. Reading the book about his and his obsessive/compulsive disorder, I just can't imagine that he will appear. I strongly suspect either a fabricated national crisis, or a sudden "1st family" health crisis will be the prime excuse for cancelling.

I got it....he will cancel because Michelle has succumbed to the diet she has imposed on all of America's school children.

I am sending Obama a case of Oral Imodium for the debate.

Revealing the shocking "new" fact that the Benghazi murders were done by AlQueda, BO will "have to" cancel all the debates to make contact with secret operatives at various golf courses.

Deputy Dawg just isn't into it anymore. Notice the Wookie is doing the real campaigning ?

Isn't he getting the questions ahead of the debate ? It's a shame real people won't be asking the hard questions.

Or he shows for the first one...but won't be able to skd the others..too busy working for the American people..just like Billy Jeff

thank you, Rob Portman, for doing an unsparing job. I hope you are trying bold lies to make sure Mitt can handle that. Lot of them. And tricky ones where if he corrects you he looks pedantic or racist or ageist or anti-Catholic or homophobic or something bad. Think up some good ones. Zippy will for sure. Providentially our guy is very very smart.

Romney can always counter with "I reject the premise of your statement/question"