That's rich Milbank. Obama has only himself to blame. I think not. I think you have yourself to blame too.

Obama 'set himself up for Wednesday’s emperor-has-no-clothes moment'.
After wrapping Obama in cotton and dumping his past down the memory hole, someone in the mainstream media gets it right.

Old Clint Eastwood mumbled and grumped and got it spot on. Obama is empty.
Obama dare not show his real self.

Mr Milbank it isn't just the last four years, more like the last thirty odd years. O's hidden his life's record from you guys and your lack of curiosity is disgraceful. Obama has been ducking everything and everybody over that time and been given a total pass at every juncture.

"the media and other sources of dissent and skeptical inquiry"

Spare me...

The Obama campaign in 2008 bragged about how they manipulated the media by holding townhall teleconferences where no one could ask follow-up questions, and they could control the message.

They've tried that for the last 4 years knowing Obama can't be off the teleprompter since he doesn't have the gravitas for the job.

There have been plenty of opportunities for the knee-pad media to ask tough questions and they chose to shirk their responsibilities in the interest of promoting their liberal agendas. Whenever a reporter did attempt to ask a question requiring a serious answer, the media attacked him as disrespectful. In this article, Dana is still carrying his water for him. For 4 years Milbank has extolled the virtues of Obama without knowing (or caring to know) anything about the man. He and his kind are the failure here, as much as his Dear Leader. Obama has managed to destroy not only the banking system, healthcare, and the auto industry, but the American media and the democrat party as well.

It's slightly unfair to simply categorize Milbank as one of the kneepad brigade. He has looked askance at Obama from time to time.

"He has looked askance at Obama from time to time."

Translation: Periodically Milbank would take a break from servicing Obama to wipe his face.

#8..post of the year!!..thanks!

A President, who’s primary job is to keep the country safe, couldn’t be bothered to attend his security briefings.

Is it any surprise that he couldn't be bothered to do his debate homework?

Whatever his faults, Milbank is read by many. Perhaps his column will cause others to think a bit, expand their horizons a little beyond the halo they placed over the fraud's scarred scalp.

And I'd bet they feel their own scalps start to shrink as the mantle of 'super-intellectual' they placed over themselves recedes back to Reality.

He ain't all that. [snap snap!]

Still "choomin'" after all these years.
Slacking has worked for years for this guy. It must be such a shock when it didn't work this time.

The media is upset? I'll just bet they are. Obama's failure in the debate lands squarely in their laps. He's their failed hero, a phony in real life.
... THEY promoted his ignorance and called it brilliance.
... THEY applauded his ability as a speaker and shielded the fact that he could not speak without the teleprompter.
... THEY lauded his appeal, his regal aura, and treated him like a god.

DRAT! Foiled again!

WHEN will it dawn on these folks that a second debate performance like this last one, will send our "brilliant" President to the trash pile ?

They are so confident that he was "just out of practice" that they are missing the key point. What WILL they say next time ? Should be fun.

Trucker Observation: Obama will come back meaner and with more lies than ever. Be prepared for more October Surprises from the Democrat Party. They have lost voters trust. Conservative will restore the economy, will restore jobs, balance the budget and protect the American people from Muslim terrorists stocking Christrians.

Dana has it wrong. The debate showed why Obama has been ducking questions. There is no there there.

He avoids being questioned -- BECAUSE -- he doesn't think his "change" should be questioned.....

He's the king -- and don't you forget it.....

LZK

Excuses, excuses. The real problem is he is lazy, not as bright as they made him out to be, and has no record of accomplishments to tout. What could say to change that?

Mark my words. He will come to the next debate ready to re-fight the last debate. He will be so eager to get revenge that he will be unprepared to address issues or respond to a switch in tactics by Romney.

I see every stumble, every vacuity as a blow to the media. He is pounding their taste and hopes into powder to be blown away.

The next debates include foreign policy. It should be interesting to watch 0bama and Biden explain how all the wonderful things they have done has improved our relations with the middle eastern countries.

Gee Dana - putting all the blame on Obama. Where have you and your fellow presstitudes been the past 4 years? You and your colleagues spent more time on Romney's 47% comments than asking Obama of Hillary aboaut Benghazi.

This has been fascinating to watch. As Obama fails, some member of the press turn on him. Why? Because they can't blame liberalism. Obama was quite right to avoid being questioned. He has no record to defend. And why is that? He's a liberal and liberals fail every time. But Milbank can't accept that nor accept blame as a member of the press for NOT questioning Obama.

It’s amazing to me that these slimy media people who have helped create the monster can now say “he has no one to blame but himself.” They think they can step back from the muck they stirred up and remain clean as the wind-driven snow? They really think we are that stupid? Nice try Mr. Milbank. Try something else to save your sorry skin.

Get this:

In lieu of taking hard questions, Obama has opted for gauzy, soft-focus interviews...

"...opted"??? When did ANY mainstream questioner give him a "hard question" to begin with? Milbank et al threw him softballs almost every time and those who dared question the King got taken to the woodshed for it and recanted for "misspeaking".

He's never gotten tough questions from anyone. Nor has he allowed non-scripted questioning or unscreened audiences. How the heck is he supposed to get battle-hardened if nobody holds him to any standards for which he is accountable?

Answer: never. His whole life. He really is an empty chair and thank God millions got to see that on Wednesday night.

However, it's my guess that the second debate will show a lesson-learned tougher Obama who will spout facts and figures that don't compute. Romney has to be ready to challenge every premise, every statistic such as this one today that the unemployment rate fell below 8%. We all know that's a lie.

Rush will slice and dice this poll today on air. Hope someone gets the info to Romney.

Every once in a blue moon when his inner-mensch emerges, nobody can write things you already know, better than flip-flopper Dana Milbank. Praising BHO to the skies is Dana’s day job. However, Dana also likes to occasionally keep his readers on their toes, mixed metaphor-wise, by taking BHO to task. Y’never know what Dana will write next, that loveable pixie. Perhaps he does it to bolster his journalistic bona fides and street creds and such. Yeah, maybe that’s it.

Dana, it’s high time you decide who you want to be. Once you’ve done that, be that! Being a critical lap dog just doesn’t fly.

Milbank applauds O's comeback the day after with his nonsense lines abut Romney's $5 trillion tax cut. Had O said that on stage -- rather in front of his preferred audience of 19 year-old college students -- all Romney had to say would have been, 'there he goes again.' And roll his eyes.

O goes from a serious conversation (debate) where he's utterly inadequate to silly talk where he can say aything to an audience of teenagers who don't know any better.

Here's another thought, the Media wants their "Boy" back in because if not stations like MSNBC, CNN, etc. and the Chris Matthews of the world will become irrelevant. They in effect will be out of a job. They will become old news.

Dana Milbank is a liar who shouldn't be welcomed in any journalistic endeavor.

That said, yes, it's Obama's fault, but #1 has it absolutely right. The media set the pattern of never challenging Obama so why shouldn't he have continued on with those expectations? It's the media's fault for being lap dogs.

There may be some cracks in Obama's gauzy-eyed ranks. After Obama ranted and raved yesterday about Romney, some of his followers were demanding to know why Obama did not raise those issues in the face-to-face meeting. Of course We know why - he couldn't handle such an exchange. And the WaPO and others continue to merrily report Obama's transcript without daring to question anything he spews.

It's really quite simple. Obama came out on the short end Wednesday night because he has never been seriously challenged in his entire like. Who challenged him during his previous election campaigns? He and his cronies made sure that he had NO challengers. Must be really hard to run a campaign like that. So when he finally met someone who IS intelligent, has all his ducks in a row, has not skeletons in his closet, then Obozo was at a loss as to what to do. It wasn't a case of being out of practice, it's a case of not knowing how to handle a true debate. Simple.

If they want to blame the real cause then blame liberalism and its unconstitutional affirmative action policies. Obama’s performance is exactly as expected. It hasn’t been 4 years, its been 50 years that he has ducked any accounting or truths. Sure the media is to blame for hiding the fact from the country that this guy is nothing but an empty chair but they didn't cause it.

Even DM acknowledges that he lost. Toast time.

Keeping in mind we know that the media receive daily tweets,and other forms of communications from the WH's Jay Carney and other spokespersons, I question Milbank's article.

His press buddies talked of possible "lowering expectations" days before the debate and he may have forgotten just how to do that.

Today,the jobs #s are lower and already he is winning the day{per NBC} Now, the media can re-start his comeback and people like Milbank will lead the narrative.

If it ducks like a quack, maybe it is a quack.

So what is Dana Milbank's life like, Who greased the skids for him? Whare his folks and where are his records? where did he go to schools, what did he study and where are his transcripts.
Lets start checking these people out. Start with Milbanks' health and his college days and how he got into schools etc...

Re: 25 - Remember the Bret Baier interview of Obama and how Brett got excoriated in the PRESS for being disrespectful of the president because he interrupted Obama to try and get Obama to answer the questions?

No big surprise. We just witnessed the ultimate result of affirmative action. Once the crutches are kicked out and the training wheels are removed, you see - barack obama, small, alone and helpless. He never belonged there in the first place.

Good reminder about Brett Baier.

If Dana Milbank and his buddies at the WaPo were really journalists, they might be writing about Obama's connections to hard-core socialists from Chicago's Midwest Academy and the Democrat Socialists of America (DSA). Part of the reason Obama is so tentative in his answers is that he has to be so careful not to disclose his socialists leanings. Romney feels very free to disclose his core beliefs in capitalism and the American system, so he's got an easier task in the debates.

Of course Obama was unprepared. He lives in a world where the number of unemployment claims was significantly higher than the number of new jobs created in September, but the "official" unemployment rate dropped from 8.1% to 7.8%.

Does anyone doubt that when September's rate is revised (shortly after election day) it will be over 8% - again?

Good try, Milbank. But your guy Obama isn't going to take your advice. He has a tin ear & a god complex. Brace yourself for a GOP landslide.

Millbank is still upset that 0bama beat Hillary. He is a hardcore lefty, but belongs to the New York / DC Axis, and doesn't want the Chicago Thugocracy taking over his ivory towers.

The media elites will never earn the credibility they used to have. Not in 100 years. They are sinking and they brought it on themselves.

Let's put #8 on retainer.

Following my comment in one of the other threads, Romney's other goal last tuesday was to moon Obie's backside for him while forcing the msm to acknowledge defeat against the administration's "protect the president at all costs" narrative....all within a two-hour conversation. Who says the spoken word by a hungry presidential challenger isn't King, no?

And ok #8, you made me laugh over my scotch. Good one bro.

OK team, I laughed at #8 too. However, references to knee pad media, "servicing", and such, I thing are below the standards of class that I feel we represent here.