Gore: Altitude threw Obama off (no, really)
(CNN) - Former Vice President Al Gore's analysis of President Barack Obama's debate performance Wednesday: the Mile High City may be to blame.
Pundits and a CNN poll of those who watched the debate both found GOP presidential nominee Mitt Romney's showing to be stronger than Obama's, who some described as appearing tired and long-winded.
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"I'm going to say something controversial here," Gore began. "Obama arrived in Denver at 2 pm today, just a few hours before the debate started. Romney did his debate prep in Denver.
"When you go to five thousand feet, and you only have a few hours to adjust, I don't know," Gore said, as other panelists in the post-debate discussion chimed in.
The video of Gore on his television channel, Current TV, was posted online by several right-leaning websites, as well as media-watching websites.
Obama flew on Sunday from Washington, D.C. to Henderson, Nevada, where he held a rally that evening. Between Sunday and his Wednesday flight to Colorado, Obama and his debate team prepared for the big night in a hotel ballroom there.
Henderson reaches just shy of a half mile up from sea level, according to the Henderson Executive Airport's website, while Denver stretches a mile above sea level.
Obama campaign senior strategist David Axelrod defended his candidate on a Thursday conference call with reporters, saying he would leave evaluation of Obama's "performance" alone because he is no "theater critic."
"While Governor Romney had a very crisp performance, both candidates got points across," Axelrod said. "Both candidates got something out of the debate."
Romney, meanwhile, arrived in Denver Monday evening and also held a rally before hunkering down with advisers for his preparations.
Both candidates rewarded themselves with field trips between study sessions. Obama visited the Hoover Dam on Tuesday and stopped by a Nevada office for his campaign on Monday. Romney and Sen. Rob Portman, who was aiding in his debate preparations, stopped in at a Chipotle restaurant on Tuesday.
- CNN's Jessica Yellin and Gregory Wallace contributed to this report
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My God, Gore REALLY is as dumb as he looks
I would imagine that the 47% (freeloaders) who ride the backs of the 53% (hard workers) will believe Gore.
Maybe they are on to something, the President did not look like he felt well for the entire debate. Then again Romney was so so full of his usual lies that the president was probably dumbfounded!
Yeah, that's it – Obama's brain was short on Oxygen. Perhaps that's always been his problem...
Of course it isn't Obama's fault! Nothing ever is....not even the last 4 years
Says the guy who "invented the internet" and that global warming is real.
Nobody was thrown off. The bully bishop was just that last night. He bullied the moderator and even the President. He lied about everything and anything he has ever said.
Now the Prez and VP can go out, like Biden did today already, and call him out on the lies and that crocodile tear bs about how he cares about the 47%.
It's hard to debate somebody who doesn't know from day to day what he believes or thinks.
Ever notice that most republicans have such close set eyes, that they could actually be in the same socket?
Denver does indeed take the wind out of you and can cause queasiness the first few days. I see it all the time with visitors.
When you invent the internet you can invent any excuse you want.
@ sbul: "The president has had to govern the country".............
A pi** poor way to run the country, partying in Vegas while our Ambassador to Libya and three other U S citizens are murdered.
Seriously! 24/7 business people are landing at DIA and going straight to their sales meetings, staff meetings, board meetings, and getting things done effectively ! How pathetic.
Bush raised Denver to a mile above sea level. Obama has been trying to lower it since 2010, but the Republicans have been obstructing his efforts. Oh, and the sun was in his eyes.
Strange the 2,000 ft elevation of Las Vegas didn't seem to bother the partier-in-chief. But then neither did the murder of our ambassador to Libya and three other U S citizens.
iis it true big bird tastes like chicken?
Surprised he didn't blame global warming on Obama's dismal performance. Without a tele promptor Obama is just another democrat hack!
the emperor has no clothes
With friends like Al Gore and Joe Biden, who needs enemies. We are wittnessing the meltdown moment of the Obama campaign.
sbul. Obama is governing the country? No. He is campaigning only. He hasn't said or done anything about the killing of our embassador in Libya. Look at gas prices? $3.78 regular in south Florida. It was $1.67 when Bush left office. Please explain why they are so high?
I think Obama looked fatigued. He may have been under the weather. I'm not defending his debate performance, but I noticed it right away.
Romneys nose was getting longer by the moment--I hope somebody else seen that......
Obama/Biden 2012
So Mr. Gore is saying that the president fumbled the debate because he was "high"? Well, I think that's believable!
Come one, come all you genetically mutant liberal minds for the most recent flavor of the komrad koolaid snake oil. You KNOW you can't say no. We've got you so hooked and strung-out that there's nothing your obessive-compulsive need for your next fix can do about it.
It's hilarious watching the libs spinning themselves into butter. "Romney lied" "Romney flip flopped" "Romney morphed himself for the debate". HAHAHAHAHA. The libs just can't handle the FACT that Obama is a colossal failure.
Then I guess our current Chief Executive is a poor planner...should have arrived earlier to prepare.