Obama Executes Romney

Like the hero of a spaghetti western so dear to Clint Eastwood, and to Republicans, Barack Obama came to settle his debt with Mitt Romney on David Letterman’s stage on Tuesday evening. During the course of the CBS show, he returned to the remarks of the Republican candidate where, in a recently revealed video, he stigmatized 47 percent of Americans as victims on welfare without the slightest sense of responsibility — of course, Obama’s electorate! Romney triggered an uproar across the country and considerable embarrassment in a great number of Republicans. Romney was “writing off a big chunk of the country.” A very grave mistake. So then, Mr. President never errs?

Cleverly, the 44th president acknowledged commission of the blunder, brought up by Letterman, during the 2008 campaign in Pennsylvania — a criticism of the state residents’ ability to hide behind their weapons and their religion. But he mended his ways immediately, mitigating the split on the hill.

All the while, Mitt Romney tried to play it down, then to justify himself by saying that this allowed a clarification of things — the horror. Especially as Obama drove the point home in affirming that he had always tried to reassure the 47 percent of John McCain supporters after 2008.

And then, as he moved on to serious things, thus marginalizing Romney once and for all, he spoke on economics, the attack on American personnel in Libya… To end with a final joke and to be humorous on Clint Eastwood’s empty chair, Letterman asked Obama if he had something to say to the empty chair? Big laugh. From the future victor? In any case, this all looks more and more collapsed, irrespective of what the Washington Post — which would like the suspense to last a bit longer — says.