Presidential Debate

[LazaHorse]

Yeah yeah no politics, SHUT UP!

 

For those who watched the debate, how did you feel about what was/wasn't said? Who do you think won (Romney won, if you say Obama you didn't watch)? Do you think Obama should have pushed more on some things (the 47% issue), or could Romney have challenged Obama's four years more? In the end, what do you think?

 

 

 

Something I'm learning now in a class on Congress is that candidates must pander to the extremes (left wing for Dems and right wing for Reps) during primaries but immediately address the moderate voters in the general. What happens as a result is that Candidates are vocal about very polarizing topics during the primaries, but then choose more moderate paths during the general. I think Mitt Romney did a very VERY good job of all but ditching his previous economic, health care, and education plan in order to present a different Mitt to the American public. Ultimately, he flip-flopped, but he did it VERY VERY well.

 

It's like this: During the primaries, polarized voters are focused on because those are the voters most likely to vote during primaries. As such, candidates like Romney present plans that are very extreme politically. The only voters who are there to receive or understand these policies are already "decided" in the general because they will vote for their party regardless of what happens leading to the general. As such, the candidate can replace those policies for more moderate policies (as Romney CLEARLY did during the debate) because the now moderate audience is tuned in and ready to hear. They either did not care for, did not hear, or did not understand his previous points and so this Mitt is for them the first Mitt they have seen.

 

I think Obama could have attacked Mitt much harder. The moral issues of marriage and questionable research affect the moderate voting public more so than it does the extreme voter edges. The 47% topic wasn't even BROUGHT UP which is a huge mistake. It's a perfect way to impede on the trust of the leading voters. Obama was on his defensive the ENTIRE debate, and Biden's gonna have to step it up to re-make the ground lost here.

 

Obama is still in the lead to win the election (and I don't think ANY amount of debating will honestly change that), but Romney definitely made a strong stand here.

[Awwik]

Tbh Romney won and should win this election. One of the last debate points proves that education, Obama always fight for it but then Romney countered with the 90 billion spent towards green energy. If you do some research you will see that obamas corporate buddies own most of those or did untill they tanked. I voted for Obama and I won't vote this election, I was promised change and what I got was a lot of the same old bullshit.

[LazaHorse]

Tbh Romney won and should win this election. One of the last debate points proves that education, Obama always fight for it but then Romney countered with the 90 billion spent towards green energy. If you do some research you will see that obamas corporate buddies own most of those or did untill they tanked. I voted for Obama and I won't vote this election, I was promised change and what I got was a lot of the same old bullshit.

 

I did a bit of number funkling on my facebook about that 90 billion comment. I'll just copy paste what I said there:

 

For those who missed the math, Romney just said 90 billion would pay for 2 million teachers. In other words, he thinks teachers should be payed 45,000 a year. Ok... His own state pays teachers an average starting salary of 50,000 a year and an average aggregate salary of 70,000. Hey bud... you suck at math.

[jajolt]

It's good the 47% wasn't brought up.

 

Here's why, these aren't commercials. This is the real thing.

 

What Romney meant was, he's not gonna change their minds.

 

Now, yay my stance.

 

Romney is a dumbass. No offense to him, but he doesn't know anything.

 

FOR EXAMPLE, he said:

 

"When there's a fire on airplanes and people need oxygen, why cant people just open their windows? They need to do that."

 

o_o

 

HORROR STORY:

 

president romney

[-O-P-rime]

Not that i can participate in the upcoming election, but i still watched the debate. I personally feel that Romney had a stronger appearance after this debate. He didn't pause as much and he put his word where it mattered. He played more to his strong suits and slyly attacked Obama. Obama had some strong points, and i agree, he could have attacked more but what stood out to me was that Obama pushed an attack then backed off after Romney's rebuttal.

 

I'm looking forward more to the Vice-Presidential debate however.

[Magic]

I thought Romney did a very good job. I felt that whenever President Obama stated a fact about whatever topic they were discussing, Romney would be ready to counter it. We still have 2 more debates between the two, but Romney is off to a good start in my opinion.

[Awwik]

I did a bit of number funkling on my facebook about that 90 billion comment. I'll just copy paste what I said there:

 

For those who missed the math, Romney just said 90 billion would pay for 2 million teachers. In other words, he thinks teachers should be payed 45,000 a year. Ok... His own state pays teachers an average starting salary of 50,000 a year and an average aggregate salary of 70,000. Hey bud... you suck at math.

 

Right his math isn't one hundred percent right but his point is correct. That's what I ment by it.

[Plastered]

I have opinions that match most of yours so ill point something random out, do most moderators have that control in the debate over stopping the debate and cutting them off/changing topics? I feel like old PBS man had no say in stopping either of the two (especially Obama).

[LazaHorse]

My vote won't count this election because while I support Romney, my state (Maryland) is, has always been, and will likely always be Democratic. As such I likely won't vote. I like Romney as a politician and a person, but what scares me is how knowledgeable he is in business coupled with how lacking he is in most other fields. His understanding of statistics is bare, his grasp on the educational system is utopian, and his military goals are frankly damning (just look at the late Roman Empire). However, has the political experience, the professional know-how, and the social backing to be a great executive. Obama has had his chance, and while most of the failure of his administration can be places on the stagnancy of Congress, he is responsible for a lot of the division seen in today's political spectrum. Obama polarized voters and Congressmen for the past 3 years along very distinct lines, and it's led to some heavy gridlock.

 

By the Time for Change model, Obama will likely win a second term. By the executive era model, Obama will likely win a second term. By the economic model, Romney has a slight advantage. And by the wartime-peacetime model, Obama wins easily. I think this election is already decided, but this was a great first step toward proving me wrong.

[WhyYouNoDie?]

"When there's a fire on airplanes and people need oxygen, why cant people just open their windows? They need to do that."

 

This is why I am voting Mitt Romney.

[Awwik]

Laz I'm glad to say we agree but I live in a blue patch in Texas where my vote doesn't matter

[LazaHorse]

Laz I'm glad to say we agree but I live in a blue patch in Texas where my vote doesn't matter

 

I thought the sun down there just baked the whole place a nice gleaming red.

[Awwik]

I thought the sun down there just baked the whole place a nice gleaming red.

Austin is literally the most liberal place in the United States

[DarkMonotone]

Did Romney still do the tongue clicking?

 

I have to say though Romney did an excellent job and my opinion of him has been vastly swayed.

[Plastered]

Did Romney still do the tongue clicking?

 

I have to say though Romney did an excellent job and my opinion of him has been vastly swayed.

 

wouldnt you know if you saw it?

[DarkMonotone]

wouldnt you know if you saw it?

I watched bits and parts of the debate, but couldn't notice it. I'm also basing my opinion partly off of what I'm hearing on news sources.

[LazaHorse]

I watched bits and parts of the debate, but couldn't notice it. I'm also basing my opinion partly off of what I'm hearing on news sources.

 

inb4 Fox or MSNBC

[DarkMonotone]

inb4 Fox or MSNBC

Nope.

[Plastered]

All stations are biased or at least 90% so it doesnt really matter.

[Papa John]

All stations are biased or at least 90% so it doesnt really matter.

 

90% of statistics are made up.

[kimzy]

As a Belgian (and bash me all you want for sticking my nose into this without knowing anything about it.)

Romney clearly won this debate. Obama came off defensive and insecure, imho. At times it seemed as if he didn't really want to even be on that stage. Romney came off dynamic and pugnacious (not sure if this word has a positive or a negative connotation but I meant it in a good way :3).

 

I don't care enough about the American election system (too complicated, too 'it's either one or the other' and too old fashioned) to have really followed most of the debate, or to even know what most parties think of important topics, but I did see Romney was the stronger one here.

[Austin]

Romney definitely won... He's gotta win the election. I hate to start an argument but Obama honestly has fucked things up for our country and I've had enough of it.

[(Headband)(EG)]

Either way. They gonna mess it up once they get in there. No matter who gets elected.

 

If only Bill could run again

[I Love Lamp]

Romney won the debate but that typically happens in the first debate when its an incumbent trying to defend his presidency. A contender typically has 4 years of solid policy fodder to use while the incumbent can only use the broad policy ideas his challenger has put forward.

 

And for everyone spouting off facts and statistics, politifact is your friend. Especially the energy policy comment. That's pretty wildly inaccurate.

[Gabe]

I'm not sure if we were watching the same debate. Romney barely ever answered questions directly, tripped up on his words ("poor kids,... Rather lower income kids") came off rather "know-it-all". This guy can't relate to anyone, only the upper class, doesn't really matter because most Americans didn't watch the debate and know who they're voting for, Obama.