Stephanie Cutter, deputy campaign manager for the Obama campaign, worked to lower expectations for President Obama’s debate performance on Wednesday, arguing that challengers always generally benefit from the first debate in an appearance on MSNBC.
“As these things go, challengers normally win the first debate just by standing on the stage with the president they get a lift,” Cutter said.
Cutter also stressed that Romney is a good debate while Obama may be a little rusty.
[Romney’s] a good debater. He’s always been a good debater. He prepares, he studies, he knows what he wants oust them. And we’re realistic about it. And we have a great confidence in the president but the reality is the president hasn’t had a debate in four years, and, you know, he’s studying up on Mitt Romney’s record. We wish we had a little bit more time, but we expect to face a pretty, you know, tough challenger when we stand on the stage a week from tonight.
