The Obama Facade Crumbles

Back in 1980, Jimmy Carter's electoral prospects were artificially buoyed by the Iranian hostage crisis. Americans recognized his incompetence, but believed that they needed to show support for their president against the Muslim savages. 

But suddenly, in late summer of that campaign, the dean of the Washington political reporters, David Broder, wrote a column in which he gave permission for his fellow reporters to criticize Carter. The dam broke along with Carter's support.

The result was blowout for Reagan.

I believe that Obama's support was equally frail and shallow as Carter's and that people were just looking for an excuse to change their minds. Obama's stumbling and bumbling in the debate gave them that permission. This race is now Romney's to lose. But he must play prevent defense. He needs to complete the deal and give the voters no excuse to abandon him.

President Obama might think sagging polls are his biggest post-debate problem. But it's really people like Buzz Bissinger, Stacey Dash and Bill Maher showing it's now acceptable in polite society to attack The One.

In an eye-opening piece Monday on the Daily Beast, "Friday Night Lights" author and lifelong Democrat Buzz Bissinger announced he was voting for Romney.

The tipping point, he wrote, "was last week's debate in Denver," which showed Obama out of energy and out of ideas. Obama is "no longer the chosen one. He is just too cool for school in a country desperate for the infectiousness of rejuvenation."

The day before, Washington Post blogger Chris Cillizza wrote that Obama's debate performance "raised a bigger question: Is he overrated as a candidate?" Before the debate, Cillizza admits, such a question "would have been unimaginable."

Also Sunday, black actress Stacey Dash decided to tell her quarter-million Twitter followers they should "Vote for Romney. The only choice for your future."

And Bill Maher, once so enamored of Obama he wrote a $1 million check to his Super PAC, now wonders if Obama "took my million and spent it all on weed."

Read More At IBD: http://news.investors.com/ibd-editorials/100812-628597-debate-trouble-continues-for-obama.htm#ixzz28nw2pbvm