By Tribune-Review

Published: Wednesday, October 17, 2012, 3:14 p.m.
Updated: Tuesday, February 19, 2013

Yes, CNN's Candy Crowley was in the tank for President Barack Obama during Tuesday night's second debate. Did anyone expect anything less?

And, yes, the president affirmed his weak grasp on foreign policy with his flaccid defense of the Benghazi mess (with an unbecoming “save” from Ms. Crowley). Expect that flaccidity to reach new limpness in Monday night's third and final debate concentrating on foreign affairs.

Oh, and Mr. Obama, when directly asked, twice, could not articulate with any cogency why the electorate should give him four more years in office.

Thus, the biggest takeaway from this week's debate is that this president continues to be clueless. And it was a cluelessness most graphically exemplified with his resolve to continue pursuing a national industrial policy.

Obama touted the saving of General Motors. But GM is in such growing trouble that more than a few analysts predict it will be forced to return to bankruptcy next year.

And he also promised to triple down on “green” energy projects — the very same policy that has predictably failed. Think of Solyndra and, just this week, another government-approved and -backed enterprise that went belly-up — electric car battery maker A123 Systems Inc.

There's not enough rhetoric (or debate moderators' assists) to save Obama's presidency. The polls are reflecting that. And the electorate will affirm those polls on Nov. 6.

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