a word about Barack Obama's debate last night. . .

For the better part of at least a week, the Obama campaign has been "talking up" Gov. Romney's debate skills.  Even the President himself said some kind words about Romney's competence on a debate stage.

Which makes last night's performance by the President all the more damning.

Either he never believed that Romney was a good debater--in which case he's peddling lies in order to lower the expectations of his own performance.  This from a man who once promised to cause the tides to recede and to heal the planet. . .talk about diminishing returns!  So what, exactly, IS he offering us for the next four years that we can believe?

OR he believed every word he said about Romney. . .and when push came to shove and the President had to do the heavy lifting, he failed.  Badly.