What Can a Media Coach Do For You?

What Does a Media Coach Do?


A Media Coach is person who gives feedback and instruction to someone who going to be interviewed by the media. The goal of media coaching is to improve the coaching recipient's content, branding and delivery. If the person being coached is going to be interviewed on television perhaps his or her clothing and other aspects of their physical appearance may also receive recommendation for changes and improvements by the media coach. A media coach may help a client write their "talking points" that is the main points they hope to cover in the media interview as well as help them write and rehearse answers to possible questions posed by the media interviewer. Most media coaches will create and ask the "tough questions" that a news source may ask their "coachee" so that he or she will be prepared with a good, well delivered response. With coaching someone can remarkable improve their confidence, appearance, and "messaging."

People running for elected positions such as the president of the United States may get a speech coach or media coach to help them improve the way they are perceived via various media outlets. Book authors, topic experts , corporate officers and corporate spokespersons may also hire a media coach.

That is the definition here is my personal note.
You may have wondered why certain people did not get media coaching or perhaps received poor media training. Think of the deer in the headlights look given by Tiger Woods in his famous Media interviews about his infidelity or certain presidential candidates that muffed their big media moments.

I am have learned and continue to learn so much about media interviews. If you need a media coach please contact our office. Dorothy@PattiWood.net

Patti Wood, MA, Certified Speaking Professional - The Body Language Expert. For more body language insights go to her website at www.PattiWood.net. Check out Patti's website for her new book "SNAP, Making the Most of First Impressions, Body Language and Charisma" at www.snapfirstimpressions.com. Also check out Patti's YouTube channel at http://youtube.com/user/bodylanguageexpert.
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What Does a Media Coach Do?

What Does a Media Coach Do?

I am working on a contribution for Wikipedia on the definition of the term Media Coach. Here is what I have so far to explain what a media coach can do.

Media Coach is person who gives feedback and instruction to someone who going to be interviewed by the media. The goal of media coaching is to improve the coaching recipient's content, branding and delivery. If the person being coached is going to be interviewed on television perhaps his or her clothing and other aspects of their physical appearance may also receive recommendation for changes and improvements by the media coach. A media coach may help a client write their "talking points" that is the main points they hope to cover in the media interview as well as help them write and rehearse answers to possible questions posed by the media interviewer. Most media coaches will create and ask the "tough questions" that a news source may ask their "coachee" so that he or she will be prepared with a good, well delivered response. With coaching someone can remarkable improve their confidence, appearance, and "messaging."

People running for elected positions such as the president of the United States may get a speech coach or media coach to help them improve the way they are perceived via various media outlets. Book authors, topic experts , corporate officers and corporate spokespersons may also hire a media coach.

That is the definition here is my personal note.
You may have wondered why certain people did not get media coaching or perhaps received poor media training. Think of the deer in the headlights look given by Tiger Woods in his famous Media interviews about his infidelity or certain presidential candidates that muffed their big media moments.

I am have learned and continue to learn so much about media interviews. If you need a media coach please contact our office. Dorothy@PattiWood.net

Patti Wood, MA, Certified Speaking Professional - The Body Language Expert. For more body language insights go to her website at www.PattiWood.net. Check out Patti's website for her new book "SNAP, Making the Most of First Impressions, Body Language and Charisma" at www.snapfirstimpressions.com. Also check out Patti's YouTube channel at http://youtube.com/user/bodylanguageexpert.

Tips on Using Skype to Inprove the Quality of the Your Interaction

If you are giving Job interviews, media interviews, attending business meetings or talking to friends and families over Skype you can improve the quality of the interaction and body language by changing where you sit and how the camera is placed.  It is important if you are using a camera on your laptop or desk top on the small computer screen of Skype that you sit back from the camera so people can see more of your body.  The more body windows they see such as the honest window at the palms of your hands and the more gestures they see the better they will understand your message and the more they will feel comfortable with you and like you. You don’t just want to be a big ole’ bopping head.  

I did a Skype interview with the Wall Street Journal two weeks ago about the last presidential debate. I was in a hotel room in Greensboro, North Carolina that day so I only had my laptop. I was so pleased that the producer and tech person liked that I had pushed back my chair from the desk where my lap top was sitting and that they suggested that I put the laptop on top of several books and aim the camera down to get a great full sitting body view.  The change in view is tremendously advantageous.  You now are able to give more body language cues to others and can create a richer feedback loop so there is more clarity; you know not only what people are saying with their words but also what they feel.

View My Skype Interview from Greensboro for the Wall Street Journal Below!

 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ss3oyobFQH4

Patti Wood, MA, Certified Speaking Professional - The Body Language Expert. For more body language insights go to her website at www.PattiWood.net. Check out Patti's website for her new book "SNAP, Making the Most of First Impressions, Body Language and Charisma" at www.snapfirstimpressions.com. Also check out Patti's YouTube channel at http://youtube.com/user/bodylanguageexpert.

Patti in the News (Media Interviews, TV Appearances, Radio Interviews)

Articles/videos are from the following news sources:

Huffington Post
Associated Press
NPR.org
AFP
Current.com
Meetings & Conventions Magazine
CNN Live
My Fox Atlanta with Lynn Franco
My Fox Tampa Bay
HLN Evening Express with Kyra Phillips
truTV with John Goodman
BBC News US & Canada
The Wall Street Journal  Live Lunch Break with Wendy Bounds
Americas Radio News Network
KTAR = The Voice of Arizona
KPBS.org (San Diego, CA)
Tuscaloosa News
Daily Herald
M.Knoxnews.com
Constitution Daily
Newsone.com
Nola.com (Greater New Orleans)
Examiner-Enterprise.com
Bellingham Herald (Bellingham, WA)

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/10/16/obama-debate-2012_n_1967368.html

Obama Seeks To Regain Momentum Against Mitt Romney In Presidential Debate

Posted: 10/16/2012 7:37 am Updated: 10/16/2012 9:35 am

By NANCY BENAC, ASSOCIATED PRESS

WASHINGTON — The pressure is on President Barack Obama to deliver a Goldilocks performance in the second debate: Not too cool, as he was in his first, listless encounter with Mitt Romney. And not too hot, as some critics styled Vice President Joe Biden in his faceoff with Paul Ryan.

With the race extremely tight and little time left for a breakout moment, Obama is intent on getting the porridge just right in a 90-minute, one-on-one faceoff Tuesday at Hofstra University on New York's Long Island.

The candidates will take questions on domestic and foreign policy from an audience of about 80 of the coveted uncommitted voters whom both campaigns are so furiously courting with just three weeks left until Election Day. The town hall-style format makes it especially tricky for Obama to strike the right balance in coming on strong against Romney without turning off the audience – and tens of millions of television viewers – by going too negative.

The importance attached to this year's debates is reflected in the significant chunks of time that both candidates have spent preparing. Obama, faulted for being ill-prepared for the first faceoff with Romney, largely dropped out of sight for the last three days to attend "debate camp" at a resort in Williamsburg, Va. And Romney, the clear victor in Round One, has devoted big blocks of time to rehearsals over the last several days as well.

The Campaign 2012 juggernaut has raced ahead nonetheless: Both sides have unfurled new ads, hustled at the grassroots level to lock down every possible voter, dispatched surrogates to rev up enthusiasm and kept the running mates busy raising cash and campaigning in the most hotly contested states.

Obama's campaign turned to former President Bill Clinton on Tuesday to make the case against what it says is Romney's $5 trillion tax cut. Clinton appears in a web video for the campaign, picking apart Romney's tax plan piece by piece, saying his approach "hasn't worked before and it won't work this time."

The president's campaign says Romney hid from his tax proposal during the first debate, and pledged Obama would be more aggressive in calling out his rival's shifts on that and other issues this time around. Clinton, who has been praised by Democrats for explaining Obama's economic arguments more clearly than the president himself, appeared to be laying the groundwork in the video released hours before the second faceoff.

Obama's campaign, buoyed by recent encouraging news, also released a new ad Monday in which ordinary Americans talk about signs of economic progress.

"Stick with this guy," one man urges.

Ryan played counterpoint, making the case in Ohio and Wisconsin that while Obama had inherited a tough economic situation, the president's policies had only made things worse.

In an in-your-face move, the Republicans parked their "Commit to Mitt Early Vote Express Tour Bus" in Williamsburg, where Obama was rehearsing for the debate, to encourage Virginians to cast early ballots for the GOP ticket.

Count Michelle Obama among the million-plus people around the country who've already voted – in her case, not for Romney. Mrs. Obama dropped her Illinois absentee ballot in the mail Monday to highlight the convenience of getting voting out of the way ahead of Election Day.

"Today! I voted for my husband. Yes!" she enthused before college students in Delaware, Ohio. "It felt so good."

The president plans to cast an in-person ballot in Chicago on Oct. 25 – making history as the first incumbent to vote early.

Obama issued a fundraising appeal via email Monday in which he told supporters, "Listen, this race is tied" and said the outcome would determine the country's future for decades.

"That's what I'll be fighting for up on that stage tomorrow night – but I can't do it alone," he added.

Romney's campaign released its latest fundraising report, showing the Republicans raised more than $170 million in September, slightly behind Obama's $181 million haul for the month. But Republicans have been energized by Romney's strong debate performance two weeks ago, and his top donors are holding a three-day retreat at New York's Waldorf Astoria hotel to talk strategy.

There's been no letup in the pace of activity in the nine battleground states whose electoral votes will decide the election: Colorado, Florida, Iowa, Nevada, New Hampshire, North Carolina, Ohio, Virginia and Wisconsin.

Ryan attends rallies in Virginia on Tuesday, but Biden postponed a two-day campaign swing through Nevada to attend Tuesday's funeral for former Sen. Arlen Specter in Pennsylvania. The two served together in the Senate for nearly two decades.

Michelle Obama campaigns in North Carolina on Tuesday.

Romney is hoping to keep his momentum going with another solid debate performance. Recent national polls show likely voters about evenly divided, but multiple surveys have detected increasing enthusiasm among Romney backers.

"The debate was huge and we've seen our numbers move all across the country," Ann Romney told Philadelphia radio station WPHT.

Now Obama is looking for the same kind of boost from a comeback performance.

"The president is his own harshest critic and he knows that Mitt Romney had a better debate," said campaign spokeswoman Jennifer Psaki. She described the president as "calm and energized and just looking forward to getting to New York" for the debate.

Body language expert Patti Wood said the first two debates had showed the importance of projecting a strong image to viewers.

To counter Romney's forceful debate performance, she said, Obama needs to work on projecting "alpha" non-verbal signals, conveying that "he really wants to move forward, he really wants to win, he really wants to continue to be president."

Biden, she said, overcompensated for Obama's lackluster performance and "went way over the top on volume level and aggressive interruption, rabbit-like jumping-in behavior."

Tuesday's debate audience of uncommitted voters was selected by the Gallup Organization. Moderator Candy Crowley of CNN will choose those who get to speak, after reviewing proposed questions to avoid repeats.

The final debate of the campaign will be Oct. 22 at Lynn University in Boca Raton, Fla., focusing on foreign policy.

http://www.myfoxatlanta.com/story/19835597/body-language-could-play-key-role-in-debates

Body language could play key role in debates

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Posted: Oct 16, 2012 4:10 PM EDTTuesday, October 16, 2012 4:10 PM ESTUpdated: Oct 16, 2012 5:45 PM EDTTuesday, October 16, 2012 5:45 PM EST

By Paul Yates, FOX 5 reporter - bio | email

 

·Body language could play key role in debatesMore>>

ATLANTA -

An Atlanta body language expert says the presidential debates show the importance of projecting a strong image to viewers. The candidate's image when not answering a question can be a vital ingredient.

By all accounts, President Barack Obama needs to overcome a lackluster performance in the first debate. But he has to strike a balance. So does Mitt Romney.

The first debate between President Obama and Mitt Romney grabbed a huge audience.

Metro Atlanta voters say they'll be watching on Tuesday, especially to see if the President makes a debate comeback.

"I just thought his energy level was low and he didn't seem too exicted to be there, and I think he made a mistake," said Jane Mohler.

"I'm just looking to get a better understanding of their positions – what each candidate is really about. Given that I haven't really been watching it, this will give me an opportunity to see what they're talking about," said Angela Frazier.

The candidates will address an audience of uncommitted voters. It'll be a more personal setting than the first debate.

Body language expert Patti Wood said that the President has shown he can play off an audience's energy.

"And he actually has the ability, historically, to set that energy in motion, and be the cook and the chef and say ‘This is what it's going to be like.' I'm looking to see if he can do that," said Wood.

She says that this time, President Barack Obama should look at Romney when the former governor is speaking. She said that he can make faces to express displeasure or disagreement.

"I would prefer that than his disengagement as last time, as if it wasn't worth his time," Wood said.

While Romney won points last time for his energy and command, Wood says the Republican should avoid being seen as too aggressive in this second round.

"He, in that last debate, was using a lot of sweeping, powerful gestures that were symbolic weapons. He's going to have to pull that back in a little bit," Wood.

Since the President and Romney won't be tied to a podium or table, body language could play an even more important role in this debate as the candidates interact with the audience and each other.

 

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-19953968

Obama v Romney: Their debating styles

President Obama's poor showing in the first presidential debate was hailed as a turning point in the race for the White House. So how did he and Republican Mitt Romney fare in round two?

The president's performance in the first debate in Denver was so poor that it earned its own nickname: the Rocky Mountain Horror Show.

His habit of looking down at his notes, his often sour mien and his lacklustre demeanour were three criticisms fired in his direction. Meanwhile, Republican Mitt Romney appeared to be dynamic, energetic and relaxed.

All eyes were on the style of their performances in Tuesday night's rematch in New York. We asked the experts how they did.

Hand gestures

"Finger-pointing is not something typically I would coach," says body language expert Patti Wood.

"But all the normal rules are off because this was all-out war."

Finger-pointing is an aggressive act that is like brandishing a weapon, she says. With pointed fingers it's a gun and with each jab it's like firing a bullet.

That's not advisable in a town hall-style debate, she says, in case the finger is pointed at the audience. On a subliminal level, people respond to that very negatively, she says.

"It's a primal brain response to the prospect of danger and it could turn off some people watching, in the same way that their circling of each other like predatory animals probably did."

But a hand, palm down and swept through the air, is more like a sword, which is what Mr Romney did several times in Mr Obama's direction, says Ms Wood. While still threatening, it's less obviously so.

eye contact

Mr Obama maintained eye contact throughout - with Mr Romney, with the audience and with moderator Candy Crowley, says Carl Grecco, who has been a high school debating coach for more than 50 years.

"His head was up a lot more than the first debate. The fact that you're comfortable in your environment is in part decided by the fact you're looking at your audience."

What a difference two weeks makes

Facial expressions

"Romney was coached to smile as much as possible and to be warm," says Ms Wood. "He was smiling when he listened and appeared warmer and more likeable than Obama."

But Mr Obama was much improved from the first debate, when he was rolling his eyes, dropping his head and adopting a sour expression, she adds.

"This time he kept his face up for the most part, held his body forward, and his 'resting face' was more relaxed.

Mr Romney smiled less as the debate went on, she adds, perhaps because he felt he was losing some of the arguments. And he still has an unappealing habit of occasionally tilting his head and smirking.

Engagement with audience

The challenge of the town hall format is to be forceful with your opponent but not to the people asking the questions from the floor, says Ms Wood, author of Snap: Making the Most of First Impressions, Body Language and Charisma.

"Romney did that, either by looking behind at Obama or by gesturing behind when talking about him, as if to say 'I'm saying this about Obama'," she says.

"He is saying 'We are in on the fact that the bad guy is behind me.'

Romney brought the audience into his attacks on Obama

"Obama wasn't as good at this, because he would talk about Romney while looking out front, at the audience."

Owning the stage

"Sometimes Romney wasn't quite sure what to do when it wasn't his turn to talk," says Anthony Meindl, who runs an acting workshop in Los Angeles.

"Romney just stood there and he wasn't confident in his body gestures, which said 'What do I do?' As a viewer I was uncomfortable looking at him."

In contrast, says Mr Meindl, Mr Obama adopted a strategy early on in the debate of walking back to sit down after he had answered a question, although he got up from his stool to counter-attack when he felt Mr Romney was intruding his space.

Both men exuded authority and aggression without being disrespectful, says Mr Meindl, who thinks the contest was at times reminiscent of Roman gladiators.

"But there's an intangible quality that certain people like Obama have, which is that you connect with what they are saying on a personal level."

Voice

Obama on Libya attacks

Mr Romney seldom has a soft voice, says Mr Grecco, and that can mean that he sometimes seems to lack warmth.

Mr Obama can do both voices, he says, a soft one and a strident one, as he did when he was talking about the attacks on the consulate in Libya, which killed four Americans on 11 September.

The voice was soft when he talked about seeing the caskets coming home and meeting the grieving families, says Mr Grecco.

And it became more strident when he attacked Mr Romney as "offensive" for suggesting a cover-up.

Reporting by Tom Geoghegan

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ss3oyobFQH4

 

http://newsroom.blogs.cnn.com/2012/10/08/body-language-shaped-the-debate/

 

http://ktar.com/22/1582268/Body-language-has-impact-on-presidential-debates

Updated Oct 16, 2012 - 9:39 am

Body language has impact on presidential debates

By Aaron Granillo
Originally published: Oct 16, 2012 - 8:46 am

Aaron Granillo
News Editor

---

Contact Aaron Granillo by:
PHOENIX -- Candidates could reveal a lot not by what they say, but rather what they show.

Body language expert Patti Wood said President Obama looked submissive in Denver during the first debate against Republican challenger Mitt Romney.

"He's got to gain ground by forceful gestures," Wood said. "I'm specifically interested to see if Obama will actually engage Romney by gesturing out, away from his body towards Romney. That symbolically looks like an attack."

Wood said tonight's debate is more critical for the president, who needs a strong bounce back performance from the first presidential debate.

"Romney is a great debater and a great fighter so I'm interested to see if he can also engage the audience," Wood said. "The anger and that power he used in the first debate won't play off the same way with an audience present."

Inspiring, personal stories will likely come up during the debate. Wood said both candidates can use storytelling to their advantage.

"If Romney has the opportunity to tell stories, his voice can become much more real and sincere when he does that," Wood said.

"Obama is a great storyteller, so I'm interested to see how those two storytellers will play off each other."Both candidates will be taking questions directly from an audience of undecided voters.

  

http://www.tuscaloosanews.com/article/20121016/NEWS/121019840/1291/NEWS02?p=4&tc=pg

Obama out to seize momentum from Romney in debate

The set of Tuesday's presidential debate between Republican presidential candidate and former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney and President Barack Obama is seen, Monday at Hofstra University in Hempstead, N.Y.

The Associated Press

By Nancy Benac
The Associated Press

Published: Tuesday, October 16, 2012 at 9:44 a.m.

Last Modified: Tuesday, October 16, 2012 at 9:44 a.m.

The importance attached to this year's debates is reflected in the significant chunks of time that both candidates have spent preparing. Obama, faulted for being ill-prepared for the first faceoff with Romney, largely dropped out of sight for the last three days to attend "debate camp" at a resort in Williamsburg, Va. And Romney, the clear victor in Round One, has devoted big blocks of time to rehearsals over the last several days as well.

The Campaign 2012 juggernaut has raced ahead nonetheless: Both sides have unfurled new ads, hustled at the grassroots level to lock down every possible voter, dispatched surrogates to rev up enthusiasm and kept the running mates busy raising cash and campaigning in the most hotly contested states.

With both candidates preparing for the Tuesday night debate and Vice President Joe Biden attending former Senate colleague Arlen Specter's funeral, Ryan was the only member of either ticket out campaigning. He was taking a swing through Virginia. In an interview with Virginia's conservative radio host John Fredericks, Ryan said supporters who are working to get out the vote for the GOP ticket "have been just really doing the Lord's work all throughout the state."

"We're doing it for our country," Ryan said. "We're doing it for each other."

Romney picked up the backing of former independent presidential candidate H. Ross Perot. "We can't afford four more years in which debt mushrooms out of control, our government grows and our military is weakened," Perot wrote in an editorial announcing his endorsement Tuesday in the Des Moines Register.

Obama's campaign turned to former President Bill Clinton on Tuesday to make the case against what it says is Romney's $5 trillion tax cut. Clinton appears in a web video for the campaign, picking apart Romney's tax plan piece by piece, saying his approach "hasn't worked before and it won't work this time."

The president's campaign says Romney hid from his tax proposal during the first debate, and pledged Obama would be more aggressive in calling out his rival's shifts on that and other issues this time around. Clinton, who has been praised by Democrats for explaining Obama's economic arguments more clearly than the president himself, appeared to be laying the groundwork in the video released hours before the second faceoff.

Obama's campaign, buoyed by recent encouraging news, also released a new ad Monday in which ordinary Americans talk about signs of economic progress.

"Stick with this guy," one man urges.

Ryan played counterpoint, making the case in Ohio and Wisconsin that while Obama had inherited a tough economic situation, the president's policies had only made things worse.

In an in-your-face move, the Republicans parked their "Commit to Mitt Early Vote Express Tour Bus" in Williamsburg, where Obama was rehearsing for the debate, to encourage Virginians to cast early ballots for the GOP ticket.

The president plans to cast an in-person ballot in Chicago on Oct. 25 — making history as the first incumbent to vote early. First lady Michelle Obama dropped her Illinois absentee ballot in the mail Monday.

Obama issued a fundraising appeal via email Monday in which he told supporters, "Listen, this race is tied" and said the outcome would determine the country's future for decades."That's what I'll be fighting for up on that stage tomorrow night — but I can't do it alone," he added.

Romney's campaign released its latest fundraising report, showing the Republican raised more than $170 million in September, slightly behind Obama's $181 million haul for the month. But Republicans have been energized by Romney's strong debate performance two weeks ago, and his top donors are holding a three-day retreat at New York's Waldorf Astoria hotel to talk strategy.

There's been no letup in the pace of activity in the nine battleground states whose electoral votes will decide the election: Colorado, Florida, Iowa, Nevada, New Hampshire, North Carolina, Ohio, Virginia and Wisconsin.

Mrs. Obama campaigns in North Carolina on Tuesday before heading to New York to watch the debate. She told NBC's "Today" show in an interview aired Tuesday that she's always "primed" as she sits in the audience, in case her husband looks at her for encouragement.

"I'm perched, I'm looking at him, I'm smiling, I'm giving a thumbs up if he can see it — with the lights you just never can tell," she said. "I assume that he can so I make sure that I'm always giving him that positive love."

Romney is hoping to keep his momentum going with another solid debate performance. Recent national polls show likely voters about evenly divided, but multiple surveys have detected increasing enthusiasm among Romney backers.

"The debate was huge and we've seen our numbers move all across the country," Ann Romney told Philadelphia radio station WPHT.

Now Obama is looking for the same kind of boost from a comeback performance.

"The president is his own harshest critic and he knows that Mitt Romney had a better debate," said campaign spokeswoman Jennifer Psaki. She described the president as "calm and energized and just looking forward to getting to New York" for the debate.

Body language expert Patti Wood said the first presidential debate and its vice presidential counterpart showed the importance of projecting a strong image to viewers.

To counter Romney's forceful debate performance, she said, Obama needs to work on projecting "alpha" non-verbal signals, conveying that "he really wants to move forward, he really wants to win, he really wants to continue to be president."

Biden, she said, overcompensated for Obama's lackluster performance and "went way over the top on volume level and aggressive interruption, rabbit-like jumping-in behavior."

Tuesday's debate audience of uncommitted voters was selected by the Gallup Organization. Moderator Candy Crowley of CNN will choose those who get to speak, after reviewing proposed questions to avoid repeats.

The final debate of the campaign will be Oct. 22 at Lynn University in Boca Raton, Fla., focusing on foreign policy.

 

 

http://hosted2.ap.org/OREUG/topstories/Article_2012-10-16-Presidential%20Campaign/id-b3c1beaabe734629b7e6305086478837

16 Oct. 2012 9:13 AM ET
Obama out to seize momentum from Romney in debate
By NANCY BENACBy NANCY BENAC, Associated Press

A worker looks out from a cut-out in the set as stand-ins for Republican presidential candidate, former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, right, and President Barack Obama, left, run through a rehearsal ahead of Tuesday's presidential debate, Monday, Oct. 15, 2012, at Hofstra University in Hempstead, N.Y. (AP Photo/David Goldman)

orker looks out from a cut-out in the set as stand-ins for Republican presidential candidate, former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, right, and President Barack Obama, left, run through a rehearsal ahead of Tuesday's presidential debate, Monday, Oct. 15, 2012, at Hofstra University in Hempstead, N.Y. (AP Photo/David Goldman)

 

A member of the media moves equipment outside the media filing center in preparation for Tuesday's presidential debate between President Barack Obama and Republican presidential candidate, former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, Monday, Oct. 15, 2012, at Hofstra University in Hempstead, N.Y. (AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall)

Republican vice presidential candidate, Rep. Paul Ryan, R-Wis. holds up what he said was his lucky buckeye that was given to him by Sen. Rob Portman, R-Ohio, during a campaign rally, Monday, Oct. 15, 2012, at Lunken Airport in Cincinnati. (AP Photo/Al Behrman)

Williams Martinez, left, and Kirt Gallatin, right, lift a two-story high sign in preparation for the Presidential debate at Hofstra University, Monday, Oct. 15, 2012, in Hempsted, New York. President Barack Obama and Republican presidential candidate and former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney will hold their second debate Tuesday. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)

. .

WASHINGTON (AP) — The pressure is on President Barack Obama to deliver a Goldilocks performance in the second debate: Not too cool, as he was in his first, listless encounter with Mitt Romney. And not too hot, as some critics styled Vice President Joe Biden in his faceoff with Paul Ryan.

With the race extremely tight and little time left for a breakout moment, Obama is intent on getting the porridge just right in a 90-minute, one-on-one faceoff Tuesday at Hofstra University on New York's Long Island.

The candidates will take questions on domestic and foreign policy from an audience of about 80 of the coveted uncommitted voters whom both campaigns are so furiously courting with just three weeks left until Election Day. The town hall-style format makes it especially tricky for Obama to strike the right balance in coming on strong against Romney without turning off the audience — and tens of millions of television viewers — by going too negative.

The importance attached to this year's debates is reflected in the significant chunks of time that both candidates have spent preparing. Obama, faulted for being ill-prepared for the first faceoff with Romney, largely dropped out of sight for the last three days to attend "debate camp" at a resort in Williamsburg, Va. And Romney, the clear victor in Round One, has devoted big blocks of time to rehearsals over the last several days as well.

The Campaign 2012 juggernaut has raced ahead nonetheless: Both sides have unfurled new ads, hustled at the grassroots level to lock down every possible voter, dispatched surrogates to rev up enthusiasm and kept the running mates busy raising cash and campaigning in the most hotly contested states.

With both candidates preparing for the Tuesday night debate and Vice President Joe Biden attending former Senate colleague Arlen Specter's funeral, Ryan was the only member of either ticket out campaigning. He was taking a swing through Virginia. In an interview with Virginia's conservative radio host John Fredericks, Ryan said supporters who are working to get out the vote for the GOP ticket "have been just really doing the Lord's work all throughout the state."

"We're doing it for our country," Ryan said. "We're doing it for each other."

Romney picked up the backing of former independent presidential candidate H. Ross Perot. "We can't afford four more years in which debt mushrooms out of control, our government grows and our military is weakened," Perot wrote in an editorial announcing his endorsement Tuesday in the Des Moines Register.

Obama's campaign turned to former President Bill Clinton on Tuesday to make the case against what it says is Romney's $5 trillion tax cut. Clinton appears in a web video for the campaign, picking apart Romney's tax plan piece by piece, saying his approach "hasn't worked before and it won't work this time."

The president's campaign says Romney hid from his tax proposal during the first debate, and pledged Obama would be more aggressive in calling out his rival's shifts on that and other issues this time around. Clinton, who has been praised by Democrats for explaining Obama's economic arguments more clearly than the president himself, appeared to be laying the groundwork in the video released hours before the second faceoff.

Obama's campaign, buoyed by recent encouraging news, also released a new ad Monday in which ordinary Americans talk about signs of economic progress.

"Stick with this guy," one man urges.

Ryan played counterpoint, making the case in Ohio and Wisconsin that while Obama had inherited a tough economic situation, the president's policies had only made things worse.

In an in-your-face move, the Republicans parked their "Commit to Mitt Early Vote Express Tour Bus" in Williamsburg, where Obama was rehearsing for the debate, to encourage Virginians to cast early ballots for the GOP ticket.

The president plans to cast an in-person ballot in Chicago on Oct. 25 — making history as the first incumbent to vote early. First lady Michelle Obama dropped her Illinois absentee ballot in the mail Monday.

Obama issued a fundraising appeal via email Monday in which he told supporters, "Listen, this race is tied" and said the outcome would determine the country's future for decades.

"That's what I'll be fighting for up on that stage tomorrow night — but I can't do it alone," he added.

Romney's campaign released its latest fundraising report, showing the Republican raised more than $170 million in September, slightly behind Obama's $181 million haul for the month. But Republicans have been energized by Romney's strong debate performance two weeks ago, and his top donors are holding a three-day retreat at New York's Waldorf Astoria hotel to talk strategy.

There's been no letup in the pace of activity in the nine battleground states whose electoral votes will decide the election: Colorado, Florida, Iowa, Nevada, New Hampshire, North Carolina, Ohio, Virginia and Wisconsin.

Mrs. Obama campaigns in North Carolina on Tuesday before heading to New York to watch the debate. She told NBC's "Today" show in an interview aired Tuesday that she's always "primed" as she sits in the audience, in case her husband looks at her for encouragement.

"I'm perched, I'm looking at him, I'm smiling, I'm giving a thumbs up if he can see it — with the lights you just never can tell," she said. "I assume that he can so I make sure that I'm always giving him that positive love."

Romney is hoping to keep his momentum going with another solid debate performance. Recent national polls show likely voters about evenly divided, but multiple surveys have detected increasing enthusiasm among Romney backers.

"The debate was huge and we've seen our numbers move all across the country," Ann Romney told Philadelphia radio station WPHT.

Now Obama is looking for the same kind of boost from a comeback performance.

"The president is his own harshest critic and he knows that Mitt Romney had a better debate," said campaign spokeswoman Jennifer Psaki. She described the president as "calm and energized and just looking forward to getting to New York" for the debate.

Body language expert Patti Wood said the first presidential debate and its vice presidential counterpart showed the importance of projecting a strong image to viewers.

To counter Romney's forceful debate performance, she said, Obama needs to work on projecting "alpha" non-verbal signals, conveying that "he really wants to move forward, he really wants to win, he really wants to continue to be president."

Biden, she said, overcompensated for Obama's lackluster performance and "went way over the top on volume level and aggressive interruption, rabbit-like jumping-in behavior."

Tuesday's debate audience of uncommitted voters was selected by the Gallup Organization. Moderator Candy Crowley of CNN will choose those who get to speak, after reviewing proposed questions to avoid repeats.

The final debate of the campaign will be Oct. 22 at Lynn University in Boca Raton, Fla., focusing on foreign policy.

Associated Press writer Nedra Pickler in Washington and Julie Pace in Williamsburg, Va. contributed to this report.

Follow Nancy Benac on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/nbenac

Associated Press

Copyright 2012 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

 

 

 

News Topics: Government and politics, United States Presidential Election, Events, 2012 United States Presidential Election, Political debates, Campaigns, Political fundraising, Campaign contributions, Campaign advertising, Economy, Foreign policy, National elections, Elections, Campaign finance, Business, Government policy, International relations, Presidential elections

 

People, Places and Companies: Barack Obama, Mitt Romney, Joe Biden, Paul Ryan, Arlen Specter, Ross Perot, Bill Clinton, Michelle Obama, Ann Romney, Candy Crowley, United States, Virginia, Iowa, District of Columbia

 

http://www.dailyherald.com/article/20121016/news/121019889/print/

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Article updated: 10/16/2012 8:21 AM

Obama out to seize momentum from Romney in debate

By

WASHINGTON — The pressure is on President Barack Obama to deliver a Goldilocks performance in the second debate: Not too cool, as he was in his first, listless encounter with Mitt Romney. And not too hot, as some critics styled Vice President Joe Biden in his faceoff with Paul Ryan.

With the race extremely tight and little time left for a breakout moment, Obama is intent on getting the porridge just right in a 90-minute, one-on-one faceoff Tuesday at Hofstra University on New York's Long Island.

The candidates will take questions on domestic and foreign policy from an audience of about 80 of the coveted uncommitted voters whom both campaigns are so furiously courting with just three weeks left until Election Day. The town hall-style format makes it especially tricky for Obama to strike the right balance in coming on strong against Romney without turning off the audience — and tens of millions of television viewers — by going too negative.

The importance attached to this year's debates is reflected in the significant chunks of time that both candidates have spent preparing. Obama, faulted for being ill-prepared for the first faceoff with Romney, largely dropped out of sight for the last three days to attend "debate camp" at a resort in Williamsburg, Va. And Romney, the clear victor in Round One, has devoted big blocks of time to rehearsals over the last several days as well.

The Campaign 2012 juggernaut has raced ahead nonetheless: Both sides have unfurled new ads, hustled at the grassroots level to lock down every possible voter, dispatched surrogates to rev up enthusiasm and kept the running mates busy raising cash and campaigning in the most hotly contested states.

Obama's campaign turned to former President Bill Clinton on Tuesday to make the case against what it says is Romney's $5 trillion tax cut. Clinton appears in a web video for the campaign, picking apart Romney's tax plan piece by piece, saying his approach "hasn't worked before and it won't work this time."

The president's campaign says Romney hid from his tax proposal during the first debate, and pledged Obama would be more aggressive in calling out his rival's shifts on that and other issues this time around. Clinton, who has been praised by Democrats for explaining Obama's economic arguments more clearly than the president himself, appeared to be laying the groundwork in the video released hours before the second faceoff.

Obama's campaign, buoyed by recent encouraging news, also released a new ad Monday in which ordinary Americans talk about signs of economic progress.

"Stick with this guy," one man urges.

Ryan played counterpoint, making the case in Ohio and Wisconsin that while Obama had inherited a tough economic situation, the president's policies had only made things worse.

In an in-your-face move, the Republicans parked their "Commit to Mitt Early Vote Express Tour Bus" in Williamsburg, where Obama was rehearsing for the debate, to encourage Virginians to cast early ballots for the GOP ticket.

Count Michelle Obama among the million-plus people around the country who've already voted — in her case, not for Romney. Mrs. Obama dropped her Illinois absentee ballot in the mail Monday to highlight the convenience of getting voting out of the way ahead of Election Day.

"Today! I voted for my husband. Yes!" she enthused before college students in Delaware, Ohio. "It felt so good."

The president plans to cast an in-person ballot in Chicago on Oct. 25 — making history as the first incumbent to vote early.

Obama issued a fundraising appeal via email Monday in which he told supporters, "Listen, this race is tied" and said the outcome would determine the country's future for decades.

"That's what I'll be fighting for up on that stage tomorrow night — but I can't do it alone," he added.

Romney's campaign released its latest fundraising report, showing the Republicans raised more than $170 million in September, slightly behind Obama's $181 million haul for the month. But Republicans have been energized by Romney's strong debate performance two weeks ago, and his top donors are holding a three-day retreat at New York's Waldorf Astoria hotel to talk strategy.

There's been no letup in the pace of activity in the nine battleground states whose electoral votes will decide the election: Colorado, Florida, Iowa, Nevada, New Hampshire, North Carolina, Ohio, Virginia and Wisconsin.

Ryan attends rallies in Virginia on Tuesday, but Biden postponed a two-day campaign swing through Nevada to attend Tuesday's funeral for former Sen. Arlen Specter in Pennsylvania. The two served together in the Senate for nearly two decades.

Michelle Obama campaigns in North Carolina on Tuesday.

Romney is hoping to keep his momentum going with another solid debate performance. Recent national polls show likely voters about evenly divided, but multiple surveys have detected increasing enthusiasm among Romney backers.

"The debate was huge and we've seen our numbers move all across the country," Ann Romney told Philadelphia radio station WPHT.

Now Obama is looking for the same kind of boost from a comeback performance.

"The president is his own harshest critic and he knows that Mitt Romney had a better debate," said campaign spokeswoman Jennifer Psaki. She described the president as "calm and energized and just looking forward to getting to New York" for the debate.

Body language expert Patti Wood said the first two debates had showed the importance of projecting a strong image to viewers.

To counter Romney's forceful debate performance, she said, Obama needs to work on projecting "alpha" non-verbal signals, conveying that "he really wants to move forward, he really wants to win, he really wants to continue to be president."

Biden, she said, overcompensated for Obama's lackluster performance and "went way over the top on volume level and aggressive interruption, rabbit-like jumping-in behavior."

Tuesday's debate audience of uncommitted voters was selected by the Gallup Organization. Moderator Candy Crowley of CNN will choose those who get to speak, after reviewing proposed questions to avoid repeats.

The final debate of the campaign will be Oct. 22 at Lynn University in Boca Raton, Fla., focusing on foreign policy.

Copyright © 2012 Paddock Publications, Inc. All rights reserved.

 

 

 

http://m.knoxnews.com/news/2012/oct/16/debate-romney-has-momentum-and-obama-seeks-rebound/

 

Election News

This debate, Romney has momentum and Obama seeks rebound

By Nancy Benac, Associated Press
Published Tuesday, October 16, 2012

WASHINGTON — The pressure is on President Barack Obama to deliver a Goldilocks performance in the second debate: Not too cool, as he was in his first, listless encounter with Mitt Romney. And not too hot, as some critics styled Vice President Joe Biden in his faceoff with Paul Ryan.

With the race extremely tight and little time left for a breakout moment, Obama is intent on getting the porridge just right in a 90-minute, one-on-one faceoff Tuesday at Hofstra University on New York's Long Island.

The candidates will take questions on domestic and foreign policy from an audience of about 80 of the coveted uncommitted voters whom both campaigns are so furiously courting with just three weeks left until Election Day. The town hall-style format makes it especially tricky for Obama to strike the right balance in coming on strong against Romney without turning off the audience — and tens of millions of television viewers — by going too negative.

The importance attached to this year's debates is reflected in the significant chunks of time that both candidates have spent preparing. Obama, faulted for being ill-prepared for the first faceoff with Romney, largely dropped out of sight for the last three days to attend "debate camp" at a resort in Williamsburg, Va. And Romney, the clear victor in Round One, has devoted big blocks of time to rehearsals over the last several days as well.

The Campaign 2012 juggernaut has raced ahead nonetheless: Both sides have unfurled new ads, hustled at the grassroots level to lock down every possible voter, dispatched surrogates to rev up enthusiasm and kept the running mates busy raising cash and campaigning in the most hotly contested states.

With both candidates preparing for the Tuesday night debate and Vice President Joe Biden attending former Senate colleague Arlen Specter's funeral, Ryan was the only member of either ticket out campaigning. He was taking a swing through Virginia. In an interview with Virginia's conservative radio host John Fredericks, Ryan said supporters who are working to get out the vote for the GOP ticket "have been just really doing the Lord's work all throughout the state."

"We're doing it for our country," Ryan said. "We're doing it for each other."

Romney picked up the backing of former independent presidential candidate H. Ross Perot. "We can't afford four more years in which debt mushrooms out of control, our government grows and our military is weakened," Perot wrote in an editorial announcing his endorsement Tuesday in the Des Moines Register.

Obama's campaign turned to former President Bill Clinton on Tuesday to make the case against what it says is Romney's $5 trillion tax cut. Clinton appears in a web video for the campaign, picking apart Romney's tax plan piece by piece, saying his approach "hasn't worked before and it won't work this time."

The president's campaign says Romney hid from his tax proposal during the first debate, and pledged Obama would be more aggressive in calling out his rival's shifts on that and other issues this time around. Clinton, who has been praised by Democrats for explaining Obama's economic arguments more clearly than the president himself, appeared to be laying the groundwork in the video released hours before the second faceoff.

Obama's campaign, buoyed by recent encouraging news, also released a new ad Monday in which ordinary Americans talk about signs of economic progress.

"Stick with this guy," one man urges.

Ryan played counterpoint, making the case in Ohio and Wisconsin that while Obama had inherited a tough economic situation, the president's policies had only made things worse.

In an in-your-face move, the Republicans parked their "Commit to Mitt Early Vote Express Tour Bus" in Williamsburg, where Obama was rehearsing for the debate, to encourage Virginians to cast early ballots for the GOP ticket.

The president plans to cast an in-person ballot in Chicago on Oct. 25 — making history as the first incumbent to vote early. First lady Michelle Obama dropped her Illinois absentee ballot in the mail Monday.

Obama issued a fundraising appeal via email Monday in which he told supporters, "Listen, this race is tied" and said the outcome would determine the country's future for decades.

"That's what I'll be fighting for up on that stage tomorrow night — but I can't do it alone," he added.

Romney's campaign released its latest fundraising report, showing the Republican raised more than $170 million in September, slightly behind Obama's $181 million haul for the month. But Republicans have been energized by Romney's strong debate performance two weeks ago, and his top donors are holding a three-day retreat at New York's Waldorf Astoria hotel to talk strategy.

There's been no letup in the pace of activity in the nine battleground states whose electoral votes will decide the election: Colorado, Florida, Iowa, Nevada, New Hampshire, North Carolina, Ohio, Virginia and Wisconsin.

Mrs. Obama campaigns in North Carolina on Tuesday before heading to New York to watch the debate. She told NBC's "Today" show in an interview aired Tuesday that she's always "primed" as she sits in the audience, in case her husband looks at her for encouragement.

"I'm perched, I'm looking at him, I'm smiling, I'm giving a thumbs up if he can see it — with the lights you just never can tell," she said. "I assume that he can so I make sure that I'm always giving him that positive love."

Romney is hoping to keep his momentum going with another solid debate performance. Recent national polls show likely voters about evenly divided, but multiple surveys have detected increasing enthusiasm among Romney backers.

"The debate was huge and we've seen our numbers move all across the country," Ann Romney told Philadelphia radio station WPHT.

Now Obama is looking for the same kind of boost from a comeback performance.

"The president is his own harshest critic and he knows that Mitt Romney had a better debate," said campaign spokeswoman Jennifer Psaki. She described the president as "calm and energized and just looking forward to getting to New York" for the debate.

Body language expert Patti Wood said the first presidential debate and its vice presidential counterpart showed the importance of projecting a strong image to viewers.

To counter Romney's forceful debate performance, she said, Obama needs to work on projecting "alpha" non-verbal signals, conveying that "he really wants to move forward, he really wants to win, he really wants to continue to be president."

Biden, she said, overcompensated for Obama's lackluster performance and "went way over the top on volume level and aggressive interruption, rabbit-like jumping-in behavior."

Tuesday's debate audience of uncommitted voters was selected by the Gallup Organization. Moderator Candy Crowley of CNN will choose those who get to speak, after reviewing proposed questions to avoid repeats.

The final debate of the campaign will be Oct. 22 at Lynn University in Boca Raton, Fla., focusing on foreign policy.

Associated Press writer Nedra Pickler in Washington and Julie Pace in Williamsburg, Va. contributed to this report.

Follow Nancy Benac on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/nbenac

Story ©2012, The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FIRNP-mhX18

 

http://www.myfoxtampabay.com/story/19723396/body-language-debates

 

http://www.americasradionewsnetwork.com/body-language-expert-patti-wood-analyzes-second-presidential-debate

Body Language Expert Patti Wood Analyzes Second Presidential Debate

Patti Wood is a body language expert and author of the just released book, 'SNAP: Making the most of first impressions, body language and Charisma'. What non-verbal signals did the candidates send in last night's presidential debate?

Listen or Download Audio MP3

 

 

 http://blog.constitutioncenter.org/2012/10/body-language-signs-to-watch-during-the-debates/

Constitution Daily

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Constitution Daily is a blog edited by the National Constitution Center

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Issue: Election 2012RSSElections & VotingRSS

Body language signs to watch during the debates

Posted 18 days ago.

By NCC Staff

• Subscribe

Looking for clues about who is winning the big debate? Just watch for a few body language signs on the podium.

With critics looking at every aspect of President Barack Obama and Mitt Romney’s behavior, there were two recent stories on the web sites for CNN and Forbes that broke down the candidate’s body language.

Both stories focused on the concept of “tells,” body language signs as they are interpreted by professional poker players. The players look at body language to see if an opponent is “tipping their hand” and giving away signs of confidence.

History professor Julian Zelizer told CNN that poor body language is a frequent mistake in presidential debates.

“The mistakes the presidential candidates have made over the years are numerous. Poor body language has been a common blunder,” said Zelizer.

Famous examples include Richard Nixon’s stares in the 1960 debate, George H.W. Bush’s watch gazing in 1992, Al Gore’s repeated sighing during the 2000 debates, and John McCain’s floor pacing in 2008.

Interesting Debate Facts

The debate that changed the world of politics
Pop Quiz: Most famous presidential debate quotes
Body language signs to watch during the debates

The debate on Wednesday night in Denver will be on domestic policy and it will include discussions about health care and the economy.

Melissa Wade, a debate professor at Emory University, told CNN that viewers should watch the candidates’ hands for a clue.

“Romney is more aggressive, he talks with his hands more and is more animated. That’s not a good thing,” Wade said.

She also said President Obama has struggled in the town hall format, which is being used for the second debate, because he will revert to “professorial” behavior and appear to be lecturing the audience.

Another body language expert, Cara Hale Alter, tells Forbes that Obama is ahead of Romney in some key body language areas except one.

Obama gets a D from Alter for his lack of “facial fluidity,” which happens “when a leader locks his face into a set position, repressing the natural expressions that accompany his words.”

Alter says Obama will be expressionless with a poker face when he is hiding his emotions, while Romney tends to smile a lot when he’s trying to mask his emotions.

Legal legend Gerry Spence told NPR last week that the two debaters would do their best by avoiding stunts and keeping the debate as real as possible.

“Trickery has no place,” Spence told NPR. “People recognize it immediately.”

Another body language expert, Patti Wood, told NPR that Romney needs to show more emotion and use his hands in an expressive way. She said President Obama has sounded tired, and he needs to relax his voice to gain more confidence from the audience.

And if you need any more information about tells, here are some common perceptions about body language giveaways:

1. An itchy nose could be a sign that someone isn’t telling the truth. If someone is scratching their nose, there could be an issue.

2. Hands in pockets are a sign of insecurity.

3. Crossed arms don’t necessarily mean a person is angry or protective: It could just be cold in the studio where the debates are taking place!

4. Touching the neck could be a sign that someone is threatened or feels insecure.

5. Finger pointing is a sign of aggression and it can make the audience mistrust the speaker.

Another telltale sign, experts say, is frequent blinking by a speaker. It indicates a person is uncomfortable with the words they are saying.

© 2012 All Rights Reserved.

 

 http://newsone.com/2061837/presidential-debate/

Tonight’s Debate Is Crunch Time For Obama

Oct 16, 2012

11

By Associated Press

WASHINGTON — The pressure is on President Barack Obama (pictured) to deliver a Goldilocks performance in the second debate: Not too cool, as he was in his first listless encounter with Mitt Romney. And not too hot, as some critics styled Vice President Joe Biden in his face-off with Paul Ryan.

RELATED: POTUS Weighs In On Mariah, Nicki Beef

With the race extremely tight and little time left for a breakout moment, Obama is intent on getting the porridge just right in a 90-minute, one-on-one face-off Tuesday at Hofstra University on New York’s Long Island.

The candidates will take questions on domestic and foreign policy from an audience of about 80 of the coveted uncommitted voters whom both campaigns are so furiously courting with just three weeks left until Election Day. The town hall-style format makes it especially tricky for Obama to strike the right balance in coming on strong against Romney without turning off the audience – and tens of millions of television viewers – by going too negative.

The importance attached to this year’s debates is reflected in the significant chunks of time that both candidates have spent preparing. Obama, faulted for being ill-prepared for the first face-off with Romney, largely dropped out of sight for the last three days to attend “debate camp” at a resort in Williamsburg, Va. And Romney, the clear victor in Round One, has devoted big blocks of time to rehearsals over the last several days as well.

The Campaign 2012 juggernaut has raced ahead nonetheless: Both sides have unfurled new ads, hustled at the grassroots level to lock down every possible voter, dispatched surrogates to rev up enthusiasm, and kept the running mates busy raising cash and campaigning in the most hotly contested states.

With both candidates preparing for the Tuesday night debate and Vice President Joe Biden attending former Senate colleague Arlen Specter‘s funeral, Ryan was the only member of either ticket out campaigning. He was taking a swing through Virginia. In an interview with Virginia’s conservative radio host John Fredericks, Ryan said supporters who are working to get out the vote for the GOP ticket “have been just really doing the Lord’s work all throughout the state.”

“We’re doing it for our country,” Ryan said. “We’re doing it for each other.”

Romney picked up the backing of former independent presidential candidate H. Ross Perot. “We can’t afford four more years in which debt mushrooms out of control, our government grows, and our military is weakened,” Perot wrote in an editorial announcing his endorsement Tuesday in the Des Moines Register.

Obama’s campaign turned to former President Bill Clinton on Tuesday to make the case against what it says is Romney’s $5 trillion tax cut. Clinton appears in a web video for the campaign, picking apart Romney’s tax plan piece by piece, saying his approach “hasn’t worked before and it won’t work this time.”

Watch the ad here:

The president’s campaign says Romney hid from his tax proposal during the first debate and pledged Obama would be more aggressive in calling out his rival’s shifts on that and other issues this time around. Clinton, who has been praised by Democrats for explaining Obama’s economic arguments more clearly than the president himself, appeared to be laying the groundwork in the video released hours before the second face-off.

Obama’s campaign, buoyed by recent encouraging news, also released a new ad Monday in which ordinary Americans talk about signs of economic progress.

“Stick with this guy,” one man urges.

Watch the ad here:

Ryan played counterpoint, making the case in Ohio and Wisconsin that while Obama had inherited a tough economic situation, the president’s policies had only made things worse.

In an in-your-face move, the Republicans parked their “Commit to Mitt Early Vote Express Tour Bus” in Williamsburg, where Obama was rehearsing for the debate, to encourage Virginians to cast early ballots for the GOP ticket.

The president plans to cast an in-person ballot in Chicago on Oct. 25 – making history as the first incumbent to vote early. First lady Michelle Obama dropped her Illinois absentee ballot in the mail Monday.

Obama issued a fund-raising appeal via e-mail Monday in which he told supporters, “Listen, this race is tied” and said the outcome would determine the country’s future for decades.

“That’s what I’ll be fighting for up on that stage tomorrow night – but I can’t do it alone,” he added.

Romney’s campaign released its latest fund-raising report, showing the Republican raised more than $170 million in September, slightly behind Obama’s $181 million haul for the month. But Republicans have been energized by Romney’s strong debate performance two weeks ago, and his top donors are holding a three-day retreat at New York’s Waldorf Astoria hotel to talk strategy.

There’s been no letup in the pace of activity in the nine battleground states whose electoral votes will decide the election: Colorado, Florida, Iowa, Nevada, New Hampshire, North Carolina, Ohio, Virginia, and Wisconsin.

Mrs. Obama campaigns in North Carolina on Tuesday before heading to New York to watch the debate. She told NBC’s “Today” show in an interview aired Tuesday that she’s always “primed” as she sits in the audience, in case her husband looks at her for encouragement.

“I’m perched, I’m looking at him, I’m smiling, I’m giving a thumbs up if he can see it – with the lights you just never can tell,” she said. “I assume that he can so I make sure that I’m always giving him that positive love.”

Romney is hoping to keep his momentum going with another solid debate performance. Recent national polls show likely voters about evenly divided, but multiple surveys have detected increasing enthusiasm among Romney backers.

“The debate was huge and we’ve seen our numbers move all across the country,” Ann Romney told Philadelphia radio station WPHT.

Now Obama is looking for the same kind of boost from a comeback performance.

“The president is his own harshest critic and he knows that Mitt Romney had a better debate,” said campaign spokeswoman Jennifer Psaki. She described the president as “calm and energized and just looking forward to getting to New York” for the debate.

Body language expert Patti Wood said the first presidential debate and its vice presidential counterpart showed the importance of projecting a strong image to viewers.

To counter Romney’s forceful debate performance, she said, Obama needs to work on projecting “alpha” non-verbal signals, conveying that “he really wants to move forward, he really wants to win, he really wants to continue to be president.”

Biden, she said, overcompensated for Obama’s lackluster performance and “went way over the top on volume level and aggressive interruption, rabbit-like jumping-in behavior.”

Tuesday’s debate audience of uncommitted voters was selected by the Gallup Organization. Moderator Candy Crowley of CNN will choose those who get to speak, after reviewing proposed questions to avoid repeats.

The final debate of the campaign will be Oct. 22 at Lynn University in Boca Raton, Fla., focusing on foreign policy.

 

http://www.nola.com/politics/index.ssf/2012/10/president_obama_faces_pressure.html

President Obama faces pressure in second debate with Mitt Romney

By The Associated PressThe Times-Picayune
on October 16, 2012 at 8:36 AM, updated October 16, 2012 at 9:48 AM

 

Brought to you by

 

WASHINGTON -- The pressure is on President Barack Obama to deliver a Goldilocks performance in the second debate: Not too cool, as he was in his first, listless encounter with Mitt Romney. And not too hot, as some critics styled Vice President Joe Biden in his faceoff with Paul Ryan. With the race extremely tight and little time left for a breakout moment, Obama is intent on getting the porridge just right in a 90-minute, one-on-one encounter Tuesday at Hofstra University on New York's Long Island.

A member of the media moves equipment outside the media filing center in preparation for Tuesday's presidential debate between President Barack Obama and Republican presidential candidate, former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, Monday, Oct. 15, 2012, at Hofstra University in Hempstead, N.Y. The Associated Press

The candidates will take questions on domestic and foreign policy from an audience of about 80 of the coveted uncommitted voters whom both campaigns are so furiously courting with just three weeks left until Election Day. The town hall-style format makes it especially tricky for Obama to strike the right balance in coming on strong against Romney without turning off the audience -- and tens of millions of television viewers -- by going too negative.

The importance attached to this year's debates is reflected in the significant chunks of time that both candidates have spent preparing. Obama, faulted for being ill-prepared for the first faceoff with Romney, largely dropped out of sight for the last three days to attend "debate camp" at a resort in Williamsburg, Va. And Romney, the clear victor in Round One, has devoted big blocks of time to rehearsals over the last several days as well.

The Campaign 2012 juggernaut has raced ahead nonetheless: Both sides have unfurled new ads, hustled at the grassroots level to lock down every possible voter, dispatched surrogates to rev up enthusiasm and kept the running mates busy raising cash and campaigning in the most hotly contested states.

With both candidates preparing for the Tuesday night debate and Vice President Joe Biden attending former Senate colleague Arlen Specter's funeral, Ryan was the only member of either ticket out campaigning. He was taking a swing through Virginia. In an interview with Virginia's conservative radio host John Fredericks, Ryan said supporters who are working to get out the vote for the GOP ticket "have been just really doing the Lord's work all throughout the state."

"We're doing it for our country," Ryan said. "We're doing it for each other."

Romney picked up the backing of former independent presidential candidate H. Ross Perot. "We can't afford four more years in which debt mushrooms out of control, our government grows and our military is weakened," Perot wrote in an editorial announcing his endorsement Tuesday in the Des Moines Register.

Obama's campaign turned to former President Bill Clinton on Tuesday to make the case against what it says is Romney's $5 trillion tax cut. Clinton appears in a web video for the campaign, picking apart Romney's tax plan piece by piece, saying his approach "hasn't worked before and it won't work this time."

The president's campaign says Romney hid from his tax proposal during the first debate, and pledged Obama would be more aggressive in calling out his rival's shifts on that and other issues this time around. Clinton, who has been praised by Democrats for explaining Obama's economic arguments more clearly than the president himself, appeared to be laying the groundwork in the video released hours before the second faceoff.

Obama's campaign, buoyed by recent encouraging news, also released a new ad Monday in which ordinary Americans talk about signs of economic progress.

"Stick with this guy," one man urges.

Ryan played counterpoint, making the case in Ohio and Wisconsin that while Obama had inherited a tough economic situation, the president's policies had only made things worse.

In an in-your-face move, the Republicans parked their "Commit to Mitt Early Vote Express Tour Bus" in Williamsburg, where Obama was rehearsing for the debate, to encourage Virginians to cast early ballots for the GOP ticket.

The president plans to cast an in-person ballot in Chicago on Oct. 25 -- making history as the first incumbent to vote early. First lady Michelle Obama dropped her Illinois absentee ballot in the mail Monday.

Obama issued a fundraising appeal via email Monday in which he told supporters, "Listen, this race is tied" and said the outcome would determine the country's future for decades.

"That's what I'll be fighting for up on that stage tomorrow night -- but I can't do it alone," he added.

Romney's campaign released its latest fundraising report, showing the Republican raised more than $170 million in September, slightly behind Obama's $181 million haul for the month. But Republicans have been energized by Romney's strong debate performance two weeks ago, and his top donors are holding a three-day retreat at New York's Waldorf Astoria hotel to talk strategy.

There's been no letup in the pace of activity in the nine battleground states whose electoral votes will decide the election: Colorado, Florida, Iowa, Nevada, New Hampshire, North Carolina, Ohio, Virginia and Wisconsin.

Mrs. Obama campaigns in North Carolina on Tuesday before heading to New York to watch the debate. She told NBC's "Today" show in an interview aired Tuesday that she's always "primed" as she sits in the audience, in case her husband looks at her for encouragement.

"I'm perched, I'm looking at him, I'm smiling, I'm giving a thumbs up if he can see it -- with the lights you just never can tell," she said. "I assume that he can so I make sure that I'm always giving him that positive love."

Romney is hoping to keep his momentum going with another solid debate performance. Recent national polls show likely voters about evenly divided, but multiple surveys have detected increasing enthusiasm among Romney backers.

"The debate was huge and we've seen our numbers move all across the country," Ann Romney told Philadelphia radio station WPHT.

Now Obama is looking for the same kind of boost from a comeback performance.

"The president is his own harshest critic and he knows that Mitt Romney had a better debate," said campaign spokeswoman Jennifer Psaki. She described the president as "calm and energized and just looking forward to getting to New York" for the debate.

Body language expert Patti Wood said the first presidential debate and its vice presidential counterpart showed the importance of projecting a strong image to viewers.

To counter Romney's forceful debate performance, she said, Obama needs to work on projecting "alpha" non-verbal signals, conveying that "he really wants to move forward, he really wants to win, he really wants to continue to be president."

Biden, she said, overcompensated for Obama's lackluster performance and "went way over the top on volume level and aggressive interruption, rabbit-like jumping-in behavior."

Tuesday's debate audience of uncommitted voters was selected by the Gallup Organization. Moderator Candy Crowley of CNN will choose those who get to speak, after reviewing proposed questions to avoid repeats.

The final debate of the campaign will be Oct. 22 at Lynn University in Boca Raton, Fla., focusing on foreign policy.

 

 

 

http://www.kpbs.org/news/2012/oct/16/obama-out-seize-momentum-romney-debate/

Obama Out To Seize Momentum From Romney In Debate

Photo by Joe Raedle / Getty Images

Above: U.S. President Barack Obama speaks during a campaign rally at the BankUnited Center at the University of Miami on October 11, 2012 in Miami, Florida.

Tuesday, October 16, 2012

By Associated Press

The pressure is on President Barack Obama to deliver a Goldilocks performance in the second debate: Not too cool, as he was in his first, listless encounter with Mitt Romney. And not too hot, as some critics styled Vice President Joe Biden in his faceoff with Paul Ryan.

Election 2012 Voter Guide

With the race extremely tight and little time left for a breakout moment, Obama is intent on getting the porridge just right in a 90-minute, one-on-one faceoff Tuesday at Hofstra University on New York's Long Island.

The candidates will take questions on domestic and foreign policy from an audience of about 80 of the coveted uncommitted voters whom both campaigns are so furiously courting with just three weeks left until Election Day. The town hall-style format makes it especially tricky for Obama to strike the right balance in coming on strong against Romney without turning off the audience — and tens of millions of television viewers — by going too negative.

The importance attached to this year's debates is reflected in the significant chunks of time that both candidates have spent preparing. Obama, faulted for being ill-prepared for the first faceoff with Romney, largely dropped out of sight for the last three days to attend "debate camp" at a resort in Williamsburg, Va. And Romney, the clear victor in Round One, has devoted big blocks of time to rehearsals over the last several days as well.

Electoral Calculator

The Campaign 2012 juggernaut has raced ahead nonetheless: Both sides have unfurled new ads, hustled at the grassroots level to lock down every possible voter, dispatched surrogates to rev up enthusiasm and kept the running mates busy raising cash and campaigning in the most hotly contested states.

With both candidates preparing for the Tuesday night debate and Vice President Joe Biden attending former Senate colleague Arlen Specter's funeral, Ryan was the only member of either ticket out campaigning. He was taking a swing through Virginia. In an interview with Virginia's conservative radio host John Fredericks, Ryan said supporters who are working to get out the vote for the GOP ticket "have been just really doing the Lord's work all throughout the state."

"We're doing it for our country," Ryan said. "We're doing it for each other."

Romney picked up the backing of former independent presidential candidate H. Ross Perot. "We can't afford four more years in which debt mushrooms out of control, our government grows and our military is weakened," Perot wrote in an editorial announcing his endorsement Tuesday in the Des Moines Register.

Obama's campaign turned to former President Bill Clinton on Tuesday to make the case against what it says is Romney's $5 trillion tax cut. Clinton appears in a web video for the campaign, picking apart Romney's tax plan piece by piece, saying his approach "hasn't worked before and it won't work this time."

The president's campaign says Romney hid from his tax proposal during the first debate, and pledged Obama would be more aggressive in calling out his rival's shifts on that and other issues this time around. Clinton, who has been praised by Democrats for explaining Obama's economic arguments more clearly than the president himself, appeared to be laying the groundwork in the video released hours before the second faceoff.

Obama's campaign, buoyed by recent encouraging news, also released a new ad Monday in which ordinary Americans talk about signs of economic progress.

"Stick with this guy," one man urges.

Ryan played counterpoint, making the case in Ohio and Wisconsin that while Obama had inherited a tough economic situation, the president's policies had only made things worse.

In an in-your-face move, the Republicans parked their "Commit to Mitt Early Vote Express Tour Bus" in Williamsburg, where Obama was rehearsing for the debate, to encourage Virginians to cast early ballots for the GOP ticket.

The president plans to cast an in-person ballot in Chicago on Oct. 25 — making history as the first incumbent to vote early. First lady Michelle Obama dropped her Illinois absentee ballot in the mail Monday.

Obama issued a fundraising appeal via email Monday in which he told supporters, "Listen, this race is tied" and said the outcome would determine the country's future for decades.

"That's what I'll be fighting for up on that stage tomorrow night — but I can't do it alone," he added.

Romney's campaign released its latest fundraising report, showing the Republican raised more than $170 million in September, slightly behind Obama's $181 million haul for the month. But Republicans have been energized by Romney's strong debate performance two weeks ago, and his top donors are holding a three-day retreat at New York's Waldorf Astoria hotel to talk strategy.

There's been no letup in the pace of activity in the nine battleground states whose electoral votes will decide the election: Colorado, Florida, Iowa, Nevada, New Hampshire, North Carolina, Ohio, Virginia and Wisconsin.

Mrs. Obama campaigns in North Carolina on Tuesday before heading to New York to watch the debate. She told NBC's "Today" show in an interview aired Tuesday that she's always "primed" as she sits in the audience, in case her husband looks at her for encouragement.

"I'm perched, I'm looking at him, I'm smiling, I'm giving a thumbs up if he can see it — with the lights you just never can tell," she said. "I assume that he can so I make sure that I'm always giving him that positive love."

Romney is hoping to keep his momentum going with another solid debate performance. Recent national polls show likely voters about evenly divided, but multiple surveys have detected increasing enthusiasm among Romney backers.

"The debate was huge and we've seen our numbers move all across the country," Ann Romney told Philadelphia radio station WPHT.

Now Obama is looking for the same kind of boost from a comeback performance.

"The president is his own harshest critic and he knows that Mitt Romney had a better debate," said campaign spokeswoman Jennifer Psaki. She described the president as "calm and energized and just looking forward to getting to New York" for the debate.

Body language expert Patti Wood said the first presidential debate and its vice presidential counterpart showed the importance of projecting a strong image to viewers.

To counter Romney's forceful debate performance, she said, Obama needs to work on projecting "alpha" non-verbal signals, conveying that "he really wants to move forward, he really wants to win, he really wants to continue to be president."

Biden, she said, overcompensated for Obama's lackluster performance and "went way over the top on volume level and aggressive interruption, rabbit-like jumping-in behavior."

Tuesday's debate audience of uncommitted voters was selected by the Gallup Organization. Moderator Candy Crowley of CNN will choose those who get to speak, after reviewing proposed questions to avoid repeats.

The final debate of the campaign will be Oct. 22 at Lynn University in Boca Raton, Fla., focusing on foreign policy.

 

http://examiner-enterprise.com/sections/news/nation/obama-out-seize-momentum-romney-2nd-debate.html

Obama out to seize momentum from Romney in 2nd debate

In this Sept. 30 file photo, President Barack Obama waves to supporters as he arrives at McCarran International Airport in Las Vegas. The pressure is on Obama to deliver a Goldilocks performance in the second presidential debate: Not too cool, as he was in his first, listless encounter with Mitt Romney. And not too hot, as some critics styled Vice President Joe Biden in his faceoff with Paul Ryan.

AP Photo/Isaac Brekken, File

1

By Nancy Benac

Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) — The pressure is on President Barack Obama to deliver a Goldilocks performance in the second debate: Not too cool, as he was in his first, listless encounter with Mitt Romney. And not too hot, as some critics styled Vice President Joe Biden in his faceoff with Paul Ryan.

With the race extremely tight and little time left for a breakout moment, Obama is intent on getting the porridge just right in a 90-minute, one-on-one faceoff Tuesday at Hofstra University on New York’s Long Island.

The candidates will take questions on domestic and foreign policy from an audience of about 80 of the coveted uncommitted voters whom both campaigns are so furiously courting with just three weeks left until Election Day. The town hall-style format makes it especially tricky for Obama to strike the right balance in coming on strong against Romney without turning off the audience — and tens of millions of television viewers — by going too negative.

The importance attached to this year’s debates is reflected in the significant chunks of time that both candidates have spent preparing. Obama, faulted for being ill-prepared for the first faceoff with Romney, largely dropped out of sight for the last three days to attend “debate camp” at a resort in Williamsburg, Va. And Romney, the clear victor in Round One, has devoted big blocks of time to rehearsals over the last several days as well.

The Campaign 2012 juggernaut has raced ahead nonetheless: Both sides have unfurled new ads, hustled at the grassroots level to lock down every possible voter, dispatched surrogates to rev up enthusiasm and kept the running mates busy raising cash and campaigning in the most hotly contested states.

With both candidates preparing for the Tuesday night debate and Vice President Joe Biden attending former Senate colleague Arlen Specter’s funeral, Ryan was the only member of either ticket out campaigning. He was taking a swing through Virginia. In an interview with Virginia’s conservative radio host John Fredericks, Ryan said supporters who are working to get out the vote for the GOP ticket “have been just really doing the Lord’s work all throughout the state.”

“We’re doing it for our country,” Ryan said. “We’re doing it for each other.”

Romney picked up the backing of former independent presidential candidate H. Ross Perot. “We can’t afford four more years in which debt mushrooms out of control, our government grows and our military is weakened,” Perot wrote in an editorial announcing his endorsement Tuesday in the Des Moines Register.

Obama’s campaign turned to former President Bill Clinton on Tuesday to make the case against what it says is Romney’s $5 trillion tax cut. Clinton appears in a web video for the campaign, picking apart Romney’s tax plan piece by piece, saying his approach “hasn’t worked before and it won’t work this time.”

The president’s campaign says Romney hid from his tax proposal during the first debate, and pledged Obama would be more aggressive in calling out his rival’s shifts on that and other issues this time around. Clinton, who has been praised by Democrats for explaining Obama’s economic arguments more clearly than the president himself, appeared to be laying the groundwork in the video released hours before the second faceoff.

Obama’s campaign, buoyed by recent encouraging news, also released a new ad Monday in which ordinary Americans talk about signs of economic progress.

“Stick with this guy,” one man urges.

Ryan played counterpoint, making the case in Ohio and Wisconsin that while Obama had inherited a tough economic situation, the president’s policies had only made things worse.

In an in-your-face move, the Republicans parked their “Commit to Mitt Early Vote Express Tour Bus” in Williamsburg, where Obama was rehearsing for the debate, to encourage Virginians to cast early ballots for the GOP ticket.

The president plans to cast an in-person ballot in Chicago on Oct. 25 — making history as the first incumbent to vote early. First lady Michelle Obama dropped her Illinois absentee ballot in the mail Monday.

Obama issued a fundraising appeal via email Monday in which he told supporters, “Listen, this race is tied” and said the outcome would determine the country’s future for decades.

“That’s what I’ll be fighting for up on that stage tomorrow night — but I can’t do it alone,” he added.

Romney’s campaign released its latest fundraising report, showing the Republican raised more than $170 million in September, slightly behind Obama’s $181 million haul for the month. But Republicans have been energized by Romney’s strong debate performance two weeks ago, and his top donors are holding a three-day retreat at New York’s Waldorf Astoria hotel to talk strategy.

There’s been no letup in the pace of activity in the nine battleground states whose electoral votes will decide the election: Colorado, Florida, Iowa, Nevada, New Hampshire, North Carolina, Ohio, Virginia and Wisconsin.

Mrs. Obama campaigns in North Carolina on Tuesday before heading to New York to watch the debate. She told NBC’s “Today” show in an interview aired Tuesday that she’s always “primed” as she sits in the audience, in case her husband looks at her for encouragement.

“I’m perched, I’m looking at him, I’m smiling, I’m giving a thumbs up if he can see it — with the lights you just never can tell,” she said. “I assume that he can so I make sure that I’m always giving him that positive love.”

Romney is hoping to keep his momentum going with another solid debate performance. Recent national polls show likely voters about evenly divided, but multiple surveys have detected increasing enthusiasm among Romney backers.

“The debate was huge and we’ve seen our numbers move all across the country,” Ann Romney told Philadelphia radio station WPHT.

Now Obama is looking for the same kind of boost from a comeback performance.

“The president is his own harshest critic and he knows that Mitt Romney had a better debate,” said campaign spokeswoman Jennifer Psaki. She described the president as “calm and energized and just looking forward to getting to New York” for the debate.

Body language expert Patti Wood said the first presidential debate and its vice presidential counterpart showed the importance of projecting a strong image to viewers.

To counter Romney’s forceful debate performance, she said, Obama needs to work on projecting “alpha” non-verbal signals, conveying that “he really wants to move forward, he really wants to win, he really wants to continue to be president.”

Biden, she said, overcompensated for Obama’s lackluster performance and “went way over the top on volume level and aggressive interruption, rabbit-like jumping-in behavior.”

Tuesday’s debate audience of uncommitted voters was selected by the Gallup Organization. Moderator Candy Crowley of CNN will choose those who get to speak, after reviewing proposed questions to avoid repeats.

The final debate of the campaign will be Oct. 22 at Lynn University in Boca Raton, Fla., focusing on foreign policy.

———

Associated Press writer Nedra Pickler in Washington and Julie Pace in Williamsburg, Va. contributed to this report.

 

http://www.bellinghamherald.com/2012/10/15/2729594/obama-embraces-economic-record.html

 

 

The Bellingham Herald

Obama out to seize momentum from Romney in debate

 Published: October 15, 2012 

By NANCY BENAC — Associated Press

WASHINGTON — The pressure is on President Barack Obama to deliver a Goldilocks performance in the second debate: Not too cool, as he was in his first, listless encounter with Mitt Romney. And not too hot, as some critics styled Vice President Joe Biden in his faceoff with Paul Ryan.

With the race extremely tight and little time left for a breakout moment, Obama is intent on getting the porridge just right in a 90-minute, one-on-one faceoff Tuesday at Hofstra University on New York's Long Island.

The candidates will take questions on domestic and foreign policy from an audience of about 80 of the coveted uncommitted voters whom both campaigns are so furiously courting with just three weeks left until Election Day. The town hall-style format makes it especially tricky for Obama to strike the right balance in coming on strong against Romney without turning off the audience - and tens of millions of television viewers - by going too negative.

The importance attached to this year's debates is reflected in the significant chunks of time that both candidates have spent preparing. Obama, faulted for being ill-prepared for the first faceoff with Romney, largely dropped out of sight for the last three days to attend "debate camp" at a resort in Williamsburg, Va. And Romney, the clear victor in Round One, has devoted big blocks of time to rehearsals over the last several days as well.

The Campaign 2012 juggernaut has raced ahead nonetheless: Both sides have unfurled new ads, hustled at the grassroots level to lock down every possible voter, dispatched surrogates to rev up enthusiasm and kept the running mates busy raising cash and campaigning in the most hotly contested states.

With both candidates preparing for the Tuesday night debate and Vice President Joe Biden attending former Senate colleague Arlen Specter's funeral, Ryan was the only member of either ticket out campaigning. He was taking a swing through Virginia. In an interview with Virginia's conservative radio host John Fredericks, Ryan said supporters who are working to get out the vote for the GOP ticket "have been just really doing the Lord's work all throughout the state."

"We're doing it for our country," Ryan said. "We're doing it for each other."

Romney picked up the backing of former independent presidential candidate H. Ross Perot. "We can't afford four more years in which debt mushrooms out of control, our government grows and our military is weakened," Perot wrote in an editorial announcing his endorsement Tuesday in the Des Moines Register.

Obama's campaign turned to former President Bill Clinton on Tuesday to make the case against what it says is Romney's $5 trillion tax cut. Clinton appears in a web video for the campaign, picking apart Romney's tax plan piece by piece, saying his approach "hasn't worked before and it won't work this time."

The president's campaign says Romney hid from his tax proposal during the first debate, and pledged Obama would be more aggressive in calling out his rival's shifts on that and other issues this time around. Clinton, who has been praised by Democrats for explaining Obama's economic arguments more clearly than the president himself, appeared to be laying the groundwork in the video released hours before the second faceoff.

Obama's campaign, buoyed by recent encouraging news, also released a new ad Monday in which ordinary Americans talk about signs of economic progress.

"Stick with this guy," one man urges.

Ryan played counterpoint, making the case in Ohio and Wisconsin that while Obama had inherited a tough economic situation, the president's policies had only made things worse.

In an in-your-face move, the Republicans parked their "Commit to Mitt Early Vote Express Tour Bus" in Williamsburg, where Obama was rehearsing for the debate, to encourage Virginians to cast early ballots for the GOP ticket.

The president plans to cast an in-person ballot in Chicago on Oct. 25 - making history as the first incumbent to vote early. First lady Michelle Obama dropped her Illinois absentee ballot in the mail Monday.

Obama issued a fundraising appeal via email Monday in which he told supporters, "Listen, this race is tied" and said the outcome would determine the country's future for decades.

That's what I'll be fighting for up on that stage tomorrow night - but I can't do it alone," he added.

 Romney's campaign released its latest fundraising report, showing the Republican raised more than $170 million in September, slightly behind Obama's $181 million haul for the month. But Republicans have been energized by Romney's strong debate performance two weeks ago, and his top donors are holding a three-day retreat at New York's Waldorf Astoria hotel to talk strategy.

There's been no letup in the pace of activity in the nine battleground states whose electoral votes will decide the election: Colorado, Florida, Iowa, Nevada, New Hampshire, North Carolina, Ohio, Virginia and Wisconsin.

Mrs. Obama campaigns in North Carolina on Tuesday before heading to New York to watch the debate. She told NBC's "Today" show in an interview aired Tuesday that she's always "primed" as she sits in the audience, in case her husband looks at her for encouragement.

"I'm perched, I'm looking at him, I'm smiling, I'm giving a thumbs up if he can see it - with the lights you just never can tell," she said. "I assume that he can so I make sure that I'm always giving him that positive love."

Romney is hoping to keep his momentum going with another solid debate performance. Recent national polls show likely voters about evenly divided, but multiple surveys have detected increasing enthusiasm among Romney backers.

The debate was huge and we've seen our numbers move all across the country," Ann Romney told Philadelphia radio station WPHT.

 Now Obama is looking for the same kind of boost from a comeback performance.

"The president is his own harshest critic and he knows that Mitt Romney had a better debate," said campaign spokeswoman Jennifer Psaki. She described the president as "calm and energized and just looking forward to getting to New York" for the debate.

Body language expert Patti Wood said the first presidential debate and its vice presidential counterpart showed the importance of projecting a strong image to viewers.

To counter Romney's forceful debate performance, she said, Obama needs to work on projecting "alpha" non-verbal signals, conveying that "he really wants to move forward, he really wants to win, he really wants to continue to be president."

Biden, she said, overcompensated for Obama's lackluster performance and "went way over the top on volume level and aggressive interruption, rabbit-like jumping-in behavior."

Tuesday's debate audience of uncommitted voters was selected by the Gallup Organization. Moderator Candy Crowley of CNN will choose those who get to speak, after reviewing proposed questions to avoid repeats.

The final debate of the campaign will be Oct. 22 at Lynn University in Boca Raton, Fla., focusing on foreign policy.

Follow Nancy Benac on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/nbenac. Associated Press writer Nedra Pickler in Washington and Julie Pace in Williamsburg, Va. contributed to this report.

 Read more here: http://www.bellinghamherald.com/2012/10/15/2729594/obama-embraces-economic-record.html#storylink=cpy

 

http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5iyQVVmdsU-9aFzasgbPuhh828lPQ?docId=CNG.b0e79c75f853b977da3d7930d061fa5b.1b1

Romney bests Obama in US debate body language

By Robert MacPherson (AFP)–2 days ago

WASHINGTON — Body language experts agreed Thursday that Mitt Romney bested Barack Obama in the US presidential debate when it came to wooing voters with gestures as well as words.

Where the Democratic incumbent perhaps came across as weary and off-balance, his Republican challenger had clearly upped his game for the first televised clash of the alpha dogs in the run-up to the November 6 vote.

"He was so dramatically different... He was authentically passionate and thrilled at the battle," said Patti Wood, author of "Snap: Making the Most of First Impressions, Body Language and Charisma."

Typically, she told AFP in a telephone interview, Romney in public has tended to say something, and then give a delayed supporting gesture -- something humans are hard-wired to interpret as a sign of lack of authenticity.

"But last night was just a total change," with far more gestures in much better sync with his words, said Wood, who wondered if the candidate had downed "a quadruple espresso at Starbucks" prior to the debate.

Janine Driver, author of the just-published "You Can't Lie to Me" and a consultant to law enforcement agencies on body language, agreed that Romney made "really good use" of hand gestures.

"When people use hand gestures, it's more memorable," Driver added.

Traci Brown, who lectures across the United States on the power of non-verbal persuasion, said Romney's "body language was the result of his conviction and his preparation."

"He was very eloquent. He didn't say one 'umm.' He didn't stutter any, whereas Obama did.

"Romney showed personality. He showed the guy that Republicans had hoped he would be."

It wasn't a perfect 10 for Romney, however. Wood said he blinked often, indicating his stress level was high, and Driver noticed his "permasmile throughout the whole entire debate."

"That comes across as phony," she said.

But that was still better than Obama, who Wood said may have given the wrong impression by bowing his head whenever Romney spoke, even if it might only have been to jot some notes on his podium.

"Unfortunately, when he says something and then he brings his head down, that can look like he looks defeated or not powerful," she said. "Repeating this behavior can be read incorrectly, as it was in this case."

Brown, speaking from Colorado, noted that Obama pursed his lips a lot.

"That's a sign of holding back and going into anger," she said.

The Republican National Committee sought Thursday to capitalize on Obama's downward gaze in a carefully edited, one minute and 40 second Internet video excerpt of the debate that it titled "Smirk."

The Obama campaign, on the other hand, had by mid-day Thursday yet to post any video from the debate on the homepage of its official website.

Driver remarked how, in terms of posture, Romney "had a good head on his shoulders -- by that I mean, literally, his head was in between his shoulders: straight."

On the other hand, Obama, who usually holds his head the same way, as well as holding his chin up -- a sign of confidence, if not arrogance -- did not do so as much on Wednesday.

"He had his head tilted almost the entire time," Driver said. "It was a softer approach right out of the gate (and) it may have hurt."

Brown was meanwhile intrigued when Romney, who made a fortune in private equity before going into politics, said he was running for president because "people are really hurting" -- while at the same time shaking his head.

"That is the furthest reason in the world why he is in this race, and his body language shows it," she said.

 

 

http://current.com/groups/news-blog/93919134_based-on-body-language-denver-debate-is-a-draw.htm

Based on body language, Denver debate is a draw

 

By Jo Piazza / current.com / @jopiazza

In the court of public opinion, debates are won and lost on things having little to do with how they will govern. One thing we judge the nominees on — no matter how subconsciously — is how they carry themselves and gestures they make on stage.

Body language has the ability to convey ease, stress, excitement and anger — perhaps better than words.

To that end, we enlisted two body language experts — Patti Wood and Vincent Harris — who disagreed on whose gestures and stature won the evening. Wood, the author of "Easy Speaking Dynamic Delivery," took to Team Romney while Harris, author of "The Productivity Epiphany," believed Obama did what he does best, behave presidentially.

"Did you see the big smile on Romney's face as the debates ended?" Wood asked, rhetorically. "He felt he won. He was last to leave the podium and the stage. He knows how to look powerful."

"Obama didn't look at the camera directly in his closing statement," Wood added. "His head came down. He looked defeated."

Romney appeared energized throughout the debate, to the extent that Wood went so far as to wonder whether the Mormon GOP candidate partook of some caffeine prior to taking the stage.

"Romney was highly energetic. He gave more gestures and more animation than I have ever seen," Wood said. "He seemed charged, highly caffeinated with his rapid and rushed speaking."

The president's gestures were more subdued.

"Obama's gestures were small, restrained and close to his heart," Wood said. "I would like his gestures to be smoother and larger and sweep upward so he would appear more confident."

But Harris was more bullish on Obama's body language, explaining that the slight gestures showed the control evocative of a true leader.

"The nonverbal battle was won by President Obama," Harris said. "Obama was steady and calm, with a rather expressionless face, and then, boom, he would flash a well-timed smile that served to undercut and diminish the power of a particular statement that was being made by Romney."

Harris added that Romney held a fairly static expression of a tight-lipped smile, with raised eyebrows and wrinkled forehead that screamed, "I'm not comfortable."

As the debate went on, Romney's nonverbal cues became stronger, Harris said.

"His facial expressions communicated a more assertive and assured message," Harris said. "Interestingly, even as these improvements occurred while he spoke, when it was his time to listen, again he went right back into his default mode, which appeared very unsure and weak."

Does the media make too much of minor moments?

Though she thought he was the night's big winner, Wood conceded that Romney showed clear signs of stress throughout the debate.

"Romney rubbed his eye when Obama called him on that fact that his health care statement was just restating the law as it is now," Wood said. "Romney also blinked rapidly, showing his stress level was high."

It was Romney's tendency to interrupt the president that likely caused the most visceral response from those watching the debate at home.

"Romney was interrupting and continuing to talk past his time," Wood said. "His 'overtalking' will appeal to the emotional viewer and seem rude and overbearing to the logical viewer."

 

 

http://www.meetings-conventions.com/articles/the-art-of-reading-body-language/b50960.aspx

Short Cuts

The Art of Reading Body Language

Hotel chain takes a whole new approach to guest relations

by Allen J. Sheinman
PHOTOGRAPH: ©iStockphoto.com/ASISEEIT
October 1, 2012

Last summer, when the boutique Affinia hotel chain decided to up the ante on its care and treatment of guests as part of its Tender Loving Comfort (TLC) program, management reached out to an expert to train staff on the signs, obvious and subtle, that people communicate via the way they walk, talk and just twiddle their thumbs.

Patti Wood, CSP, is the expert, and since 1982 she has conducted workshops and delivered keynote speeches on body language (visit pattiwood.net for details). Her newest book is Snap -- Making the Most of First Impressions, Body Language and Charisma (New World Library). As Wood showed the staffs at Affinia's properties (in New York City, Miami and Washington, D.C.), people fall into four categories in the way they express themselves physically.

Drivers. "These are people who walk very quickly, head down, always in a rush," says Wood. "They want to be served right away and with no nonsense. I advise staff to match their pace, speak up and get the job done."

Influencers. "They are very upbeat, smiling, like to get close physically, are engaging and want to be engaged. Hotel staff should smile back, stand close, keep eye contact and be ready to laugh at an amusing story."

Critiquers. "These are very analytical people, puzzle solvers. They tend to be quiet, want to do the right thing and expect everyone else to, as well. They know all about coupons and discounts, so you should, too. You likely need to ask specific questions to meet their needs."

Supporters. "They want to feel loved, are shy and take things slower than others. Be extra polite and empathetic, and present a warm aura that says 'welcome home.'"

Wood also notes different physical approaches to take with the sexes. "I point out to front-desk personnel that to assist a male guest, it helps to come out from behind the counter and stand beside him to figure out a solution as a teammate; with women, it's more effective to stay put, go face-to-face and, if need be, say, ‚'Let me look at my screen here for the answer,' which in effect asks for permission to disengage for a moment."

 

 

 

http://www.npr.org/2012/09/26/161809423/secrets-of-winning-the-presidential-debates

Secrets Of Winning The Presidential Debates

by Linton Weeks

EnlargeAlex Brandon/AP

Then-Sen. Barack Obama gets makeup applied at a presidential candidate forum in Lake Forest, Calif., on Aug. 16, 2008.

 

Alex Brandon/AP

Then-Sen. Barack Obama gets makeup applied at a presidential candidate forum in Lake Forest, Calif., on Aug. 16, 2008.

text size AAA

September 28, 2012

TO: President Obama and Mitt Romney

FROM: NPR News

RE: Prepping (and primping) for debates

With the first 2012 presidential debate slated for Wednesday night, we thought it might be helpful to pass along a few suggestions — some more substantive than others — to the participants.

We were inspired by a memo recently issued by Third Way, a Democratic advisory group — as reported by The Wall Street Journal. The memo offers a slew of helpful hints, including:

The author of the memo is Ron Klain, who served as chief of staff to Vice Presidents Al Gore and Joe Biden. Klain has also prepped several Democrats, including then-Gov. Bill Clinton in 1992 and Sen. John Kerry in 2004, for presidential debates.

Because Klain is helping Obama prepare this time around, the memo takes on additional import. But does it go far enough?

As a public service, we offer even more friendly, unsolicited advice to the candidates, from specialists in various fields.

For The Win

The secret to winning a debate? "When one defends," trial lawyer Gerry Spence tells NPR, "one is losing."

Any specific advice for Romney and Obama? "Be real," Spence says. "Be vulnerable."

Are there tricks or gimmicks a debater might use to gain the upper hand on an opponent?

"Trickery has no place" in a presidential debate, Spence says. "People recognize it immediately."

Alex Dukalskis, executive director of the International Debate Education Association in New York, adds: "The ethics of persuading viewers by misleading them through tricks are suspect. Debaters, presidential and otherwise, always want to win, but they have a responsibility to do so ethically."

Dressing For Success

When it comes to matters sartorial, Obama and Romney "should basically keep doing what they're doing," says fashion critic Robin Givhan of The Daily Beast and Newsweek. "Wearing proper business suits and not wearing their casual-earnest talk-regular guy ensembles of rolled-up shirt-sleeves and khakis or jeans."

President Obama often dons a gray striped tie on formal or sober occasions, Givhan points out, which "is a nice way of evoking power without resorting to the usual red or blue. Perhaps it's a little too East Coast for a debate with such a broad audience, but I think it would be refreshing and elegant."

Mitt Romney, she says, "wears a suit well, but he needs to be cautious so that he doesn't come across looking slick and mechanical. He's got the perfect hair with just the right hint of gray at the sideburns. ... A little imperfection in appearance would be helpful to him. Perhaps let his hair be ever so slightly tousled?"

The Voice

During the debates, Romney needs to "show genuine warm emotion in his voice and body language," says voice and body language guru Patti Wood. "A credible candidate's movement, gestures and expressions are in sync with what he is saying."

To underscore a sense of sincerity, Wood says, Romney should use more movement to illustrate what he is saying.

Obama, on the other hand, "is sounding and looking tired and strained. He needs to relax his voice so he can use it to make us feel confident in him."

The president's voice "used to be very rhythmical, powerful and charismatic, and he spoke with ease — very loudly without any vocal strain," Wood says. "Deep, low voices are perceived, according to research, as more authoritative, believable and trustworthy."

 

http://www.thedailyshow.com/watch/wed-october-17-2012/experts-critique-the-presidential-debate

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WEbVDw9LhDk

Patti Wood, MA, Certified Speaking Professional - The Body Language Expert. For more body language insights go to her website at www.PattiWood.net. Check out Patti's website for her new book "SNAP, Making the Most of First Impressions, Body Language and Charisma" at www.snapfirstimpressions.com. Also check out Patti's YouTube channel at http://youtube.com/user/bodylanguageexpert.