2012 Presidential Debates

[BoMac]

I caught the last half of the debate, and thought Romney did rather well. Wish I knew Obama's BBM code so I could have sent him a message to look interested and, you know, show some enthusiasm. He seemed to be looking at his Blackberry quite a bit. Oh, and I would have told him to at least mention Romney's 47% comment at least once.

 

[deep]

For all this talk of the famed middle, it is worth nothing that there are very, very few people who are undecided at this point. So few in fact, that an election won't turn on them, so unless Romney can start picking off some of the decideds who have broken for Obama, it won't get him far.

in these handful of battle ground states, the numbers have moved a lot in the last 30 days, I think there may be a good number of soft decideds that could swing again.

It is an uphill battle, but I am sure over the next week, numbers will trend Romney's way, and with how the votes are counted, and if some votes are counted in a few key states is the most important thing.

 

[deep]

this election is up for grabs? or is it?

"Billionaires & Ballot Bandits: How to Steal an Election in 9 Easy Steps."

Greg Palast on How the GOP Is Planning to Steal the 2012 Election

 

[Jeannieco]

Ya that debate was a snoozefest last night. I actually turned it off half way through, couldn't take it anymore, it was just boring. Plus O could have definitely stepped it up. He was playing nice and it didn't work.
Did you guys notice too that the way the camera angles worked, Romney appeared to be looking down on Pres.O? It was pathetic to watch and then O stands there with his head down. Come on man!! Fight back!! I don't think this has any meaning in the long run.. not at all. Chris Matthews on MSNBC was hilarious! Calm down man before you have a heart attack! That was over the top. I also think Obama is in a sticky place where he has to be really careful about fighting back too hard and becoming the proverbial "angry black man". He can't win for losing.

 

[mikal]

Thanks, I know you are no fan of his at all.
I have never planned on voting for him in November.

By the very nature of these debates, they are a contest or competition.
It is possible to have a draw. Like him or hate him, Romney clearly had a decisivie win last night.

I still don't understand how you can define a "win" in a debate. Is there a scroecard anywhere?

The only way it's a "win" is if you can prove that he actually picked up votes last night.

 

[BonosSaint]

The win in a political debate is the perception of win. No objectivity needed. And I think that public perception has ceded the win to Romney handily.

 

[mikal]

The win in a political debate is the perception of win. No objectivity needed. And I think that public perception has ceded the win to Romney handily.

ah....ok. So what was the perceived score?

 

[deep]

tko

 

[MrsSpringsteen]

Anyone who would be concerned about Pres Obama being an angry black man is probably not going to vote for him anyway. I know it's reality but it still disgusts me that he has to worry about that at all.

I did appreciate how respectful Romney was of the President. He criticized him plenty, but he did it with class and dignity. I give credit when credit is due.

 

[LemonMelon]

He interrupted him mid-sentence like half a dozen times though.

 

[Moonlit_Angel]

And not mentioning the 47%, what the hell?

He definitely should've mentioned that. His campaign's been running a commercial with a clip from that infamous speech of Romney's nonstop, so I can't imagine he'd be afraid to bring that up. For all of Romney's talk about how he cared about the working people and everything, that would've been something to see him try and squirm away from explaining.

I will agree with MrsS on the respectful tone between the two, that was nice. But I also think they could remain respectful and still make pointed remarks and arguments when needed.

 

[deep]

He interrupted him mid-sentence like half a dozen times though.

and still Obama got more time

Obama used 42 minutes and 40 seconds of airtime;
Romney 38 minutes and 14 seconds.
that's a difference of 4 minutes and 26 seconds.

 

[deep]

He definitely should've mentioned that. His campaign's been running a commercial with a clip from that infamous speech of Romney's nonstop, so I can't imagine he'd be afraid to bring that up. For all of Romney's talk about how he cared about the working people and everything, that would've been something to see him try and squirm away from explaining.

I will agree with MrsS on the respectful tone between the two, that was nice. But I also think they could remain respectful and still make pointed remarks and arguments when needed.

you don't think Romney was ready for that, the 47% thing
and you don't think Obama and his team gave it some thought


Obama should stay with the commercials in the battle ground states,

If Obama brings it up in the next debate Romney will be able to kill it, and Obama commercial's won't have any currency

 

[LemonMelon]

and still Obama got more time

Obama used 42 minutes and 40 seconds of airtime;
Romney 38 minutes and 14 seconds.
that's a difference of 4 minutes and 26 seconds.

That's because Obama spent at least 5 minutes explaining in painstaking detail every thought that popped into his head, only some of which pertained to the topic.

It was bad.

 

[deep]

Meanwhile, various counters pointed out that the faster-talking Romney used more words: 7,891 to Obama's 7,350.

 

[MrsSpringsteen]

He interrupted him mid-sentence like half a dozen times though.

He did do that, but he also interrupted the moderator constantly too. That's why some people are saying Mitt thought Mitt was the moderator.

At least he wasn't sighing like Al Gore, or eye rolling, etc. Smirking, yes. And he did make a point of wishing the Obamas a happy anniversary. He actually seemed like a kinder, gentler Mitt than you see on the campaign trail. I don't think the VP debate will be kind and gentle.

 

[LemonMelon]

I'm ecstatic for the VP debate. Not because I like or support Biden and certainly not that misogynistic psychopath Ryan, but because of the guaranteed bloodshed. It's going to be at least 20 times more interesting than what we saw last night.

Speaking of, here's Biden's take on what happened:

“I thought the president did well,” Biden said. “He was presidential. I think that you just never know what game, what position Gov. Romney’s going to come with. I mean, you know, the centerpiece of their economic policy so far has been their tax cut, and last night we found out he doesn’t have a $5 trillion tax cut, and I guess he outsourced that to China or something. I don’t know if that’s offshored. … But it’s hard to figure out what Gov. Romney’s position is on a number of issues.

“But I think as time goes on, meaning days, it’s going to become pretty clear that Gov. Romney has either changed a number of his positions or didn’t remember some of his positions,” Biden said. “And I think at the end of the day, we have two more debates coming up, the president does, and I feel really good about it.”

lol Biden is such an asshole.

 

[Moonlit_Angel]

you don't think Romney was ready for that, the 47% thing
and you don't think Obama and his team gave it some thought


Obama should stay with the commercials in the battle ground states,

If Obama brings it up in the next debate Romney will be able to kill it, and Obama commercial's won't have any currency

I dunno, he might've been, or he might have stammered again like he did many times, too. I agree ultimately the commercials are pretty powerful on their own, but it still would've been interesting to see Romney try to explain or defend away those statements in the debate regardless.

I'm ecstatic for the VP debate. Not because I like or support Biden and certainly not that misogynistic psychopath Ryan, but because of the guaranteed bloodshed. It's going to be at least 20 times more interesting than what we saw last night.

Agreed on that, definitely. I want to hear Ryan try and talk about "complicated math" again.

 

[deep]

I dunno, he might've been, or he might have stammered again like he did many times, too. I agree ultimately the commercials are pretty powerful on their own, but it still would've been interesting to see Romney try to explain or defend away those statements in the debate regardless.


.

Ok, I'll start with the question from the moderator, you, or anyone else, answer for Obama and I''ll answer for Romney

Question to you Mr President: "What do you think is the role of the President in helping Americans that may have fallen on hard times?"

 

[Dfit00]

Question to you Mr President: "What do you think is the role of the President in helping Americans that may have fallen on hard times?"

Those who dare not to be intelligent become politicians.

 

[Headache in a Suitcase]

For all this talk of the famed middle, it is worth nothing that there are very, very few people who are undecided at this point. So few in fact, that an election won't turn on them, so unless Romney can start picking off some of the decideds who have broken for Obama, it won't get him far.

I don't buy that for one second.

There are a LOT of average schmos out there, especially in my parents generation and beyond, who still think debates matter.

They also vote. A lot.

And in the states that will decide this election, all it takes is a 3-5% swing in one direction or the other to decide who wins.

 

[anitram]

 

[cobl04]

 

[INDY500]

Schooled !!

 

[deep]

Ok, I'll start with the question from the moderator, you, or anyone else, answer for Obama and I''ll answer for Romney

Question to you Mr President: "What do you think is the role of the President in helping Americans that may have fallen on hard times?"

he really wanted to do this with a t v audience of 65 million people last night

Romney on 47% comments: I was ‘completely wrong’ – CNN Political Ticker - CNN.com Blogs

Obama was smart enough not to give him the platform.

 

[LemonMelon]

Nice handwriting, Cobbs.

 

[deep]

in these handful of battle ground states, the numbers have moved a lot in the last 30 days, I think there may be a good number of soft decideds that could swing again.

It is an uphill battle, but I am sure over the next week,

numbers will trend Romney's way,

and with how the votes are counted, and if some votes are counted in a few key states is the most important thing.

Polls show Romney making headway in swing states - The Hill's Ballot Box

 

[mikal]

Polls show Romney making headway in swing states - The Hill's Ballot Box

Show me something other than Rasmussen, and I'll believe that Romney is making big gains.

 

[dazzledbylight]

Speaking of, here's Biden's take on what happened:
"........"

lol Biden is such an asshole.

Biden may fuck up at times, but he also has genuine heart, and connects with mddle & working class people.

Go YT an event this year Bidden & ? ithnk First Lady Michele were speakers at it was a salute to Gold Star families and see what i mean.

 

[dazzledbylight]

I was somewhat diappointed that Pres Obama didn't use the 47% line, mention that the 718 million from medicare that Romney keeps lying about was related to damn i'm tired and can't remember it completely...it's tied up with waste & fraud he elimated plus something to do with Medicare Advantage which was a way to snooker people into yet another insurance money pocket-lining program.

At least I heard him say how people had gotten checks back from insurance companies who spent more than ?20% on overhead or something....the idea there being that Medicare has a lower overhead costs...and companies should get closer to tsat.


as for 2 other topics people have mentioned here...

1) This Weds morning I heardon my local Public Radio's local programming... ..where in a lot of people called up to say why they were still undecideded!

2)This evening abunch of peole called up on a more liberalish radio talker's show and many of them felt Pres Obama acted dignified as a Pres should, let Romney spout off (maybe with enough lies to "hang" himself with) and use -as someone mentioned here- ads & surroagets speak for him.

His campaign adviser (? David Axelrod) also said "changes would be made" . And the next day Obama painted Romney as "who was that man showing up and pretending to" be Romney..... because of all the 180° turns he made.