Usa Thread

[Flashermac]

Romney goes on offense, forcing Obama to defend record

 

 

Republican presidential contender Mitt Romney took the offensive in the first presidential debate Wednesday night, forcing President Obama to defend his record in a series of sharp exchanges in which Romney charged that the President’s economic policies have “crushed†the middle class.

 

Appearing more vigorous than he often is on the campaign trail, Romney painted Obama’s first term as a time of rising poverty, slowing economic growth and struggle for millions of Americans. He pushed his own plans to lower taxes and bring down the federal deficit, saying his approach would revive the sputtering economy.

 

“Gasoline prices have doubled under the president. Electric rates are up. Food prices are up,’’ Rommey said. “Health-care costs have gone up by $2,500 a family. Middle-income families are being crushed.’’

 

“Look at the evidence of the last four years. It’s absolutely extraordinary,’’ he said. “We’ve got 23 million people out of work or stopped looking for work in this country ... economic growth this year slower than last year, and last year slower than the year before.’’

 

“Going forward with the status quo is not going to cut it for the American people who are struggling today,’’ the former Massachusetts governor said, prompting a frown from Obama.

 

The president appeared on the defensive at times over his record, but he emphasized the problems he inherited from the George W. Bush administration and tried to link himself to the more popular tenure of fellow Democrat Bill Clinton. He said the steps he took — which included his administration’s economic stimulus plan and the auto industry bailout it oversaw — brought the nation back from the brink of economic ruin.

 

“When I walked into the Oval Office, I had more than a trillion-dollar deficit greeting me,’’ Obama recalled. “And we know where it came from: two wars that were paid for on a credit card; two tax cuts that were not paid for; and a whole bunch of programs that were not paid for; and then a massive economic crisis.

 

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My link

[Flashermac]

Live-Blogging The First Presidential Debate 2012

 

 

10.31 pm. Look: you know how much I love the guy, and you know how much of a high information viewer I am, and I can see the logic of some of Obama's meandering, weak, professorial arguments. But this was a disaster for the president for the key people he needs to reach, and his effete, wonkish lectures may have jolted a lot of independents into giving Romney a second look.

 

Obama looked tired, even bored; he kept looking down; he had no crisp statements of passion or argument; he wasn't there. He was entirely defensive, which may have been the strategy. But it was the wrong strategy. At the wrong moment.

The person with authority on that stage was Romney - offered it by one of the lamest moderators ever, and seized with relish. This was Romney the salesman. And my gut tells me he sold a few voters on a change tonight. It's beyond depressing. But it's true.

 

There are two more debates left. I have experienced many times the feeling that Obama just isn't in it, that he's on the ropes and not fighting back, and then he pulls it out. He got a little better over time tonight. But he pulled every punch. Maybe the next two will undo some of the damage. But I have to say I think it was extensive.

 

10.30 pm. But Romney's closing statement - very, very vague and highly deceptive. And is it me, or does he even sound like Reagan? And his final statement is on defending Medicare! He's the protector of that entitlement, even as his actual plan is a radical overhaul of it.

 

10.29 pm. How is Obama's closing statement so fucking sad, confused and lame? He choked. He lost. He may even have lost the election tonight.

 

10.25 pm. The idea that the candidate of the current Republican party is portraying himself as the most willing to reach across the aisle is staggering. That he is more persuasive on this than the president is a staggering personal failure on Obama's part. And now Obama is saying he is the candidate of "saying no". Just staggering incompetence on his part.

 

10.23 pm. Lehrer has basically handed the moderation of this to the candidates, and Romney has taken command. And he has done so by speaking for three minutes less.

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From a pro-Obama site

[Steve]

I was watching the debate with a political junkie. I thought Romney looked and sounded good. I had the sneaking suspician though he was saying things about his position that didnt seem right or accurate. My friend, a former Republicdn said he did. It doesnt matter, even if proven, people and pundits will focus on the performance. Romney gave at worst an equal performance if not better.

[Flashermac]

The "pundits" (as the press likes to say) claim that debates don't influence an election that much. I'm not sure. Look at how Clinton ate up Papa Bush. The main thing is that for the first time voters could see the candidates together and judge them.

 

 

 

 

 

[Flashermac]

CNN Poll: Most watchers say Romney debate winner

 

 

Denver, Colorado (CNN) – Two-thirds of people who watched the first presidential debate think that Republican nominee Mitt Romney won the showdown, according to a nationwide poll conducted Wednesday night.

 

According to a CNN/ORC International survey conducted right after the debate, 67% of debate watchers questioned said that the Republican nominee won the faceoff, with one in four saying that President Barack Obama was victorious.

"No presidential candidate has topped 60% in that question since it was first asked in 1984," says CNN Polling Director Keating Holland.

 

While nearly half of debate watchers said the showdown didn't make them more likely to vote for either candidate, 35% said the debate made them more likely to vote for Romney while only 18% said the faceoff made them more likely to vote to re-elect the president.

 

More than six in ten said that president did worse than expected, with one in five saying that Obama performed better than expected. Compare that to the 82% who said that Romney performed better than expected. Only one in ten felt that the former Massachusetts governor performed worse than expected.

 

"This poll does not and cannot reflect the views of all Americans. It only represents the views of people who watched the debate and by definition cannot be an indication of how the entire American public will react to Wednesday's debate in the coming days," cautions Holland.

 

My link

[Flashermac]

Michael Moore to Obama - 'This is what happens when u pick John Kerry as your debate coach'

 

Liberal filmmaker Michael Moore was disappointed with President Barack Obama's performance at the first debate at the University of Denver on Wednesday night and, he made his views known on Twitter to his over one million one hundred thousand followers. Moore was also angry with PBS debate moderator Jim Lehrer, saying that "[Clint] Eastwood's chair would do a better job moderating..."

 

"If Romney keeps this up...Obama is going to vote for him!"

 

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My link

 

 

[Steve]

romney simply has too much ground to make up to win. The debate may tighten things up a wee bit more but it wont get him elected. Papa bush lost on a few things. A recessiin. Breaking promises. The debate against clintin was secondary.

[kamui]

romney simply has too much ground to make up to win. The debate may tighten things up a wee bit more but it wont get him elected. Papa bush lost on a few things. A recessiin. Breaking promises. The debate against clintin was secondary.

 

Germany media, like the US media, say that Obama f@cked up seriously. I guess it came as a surprise to most of the audience. Or maybe the high expectations on the DEM side are sign of a DEM bubble, which always painted Romney as being incompetent in speaking in front of people (but course Romney supported this view with his convention speech).

 

I guess Obama needs to take some additional training sessions.

 

 

 

[Flashermac]

Gore Blames Altitude for Obama's Debate Woes

 

"Obama arrived in Denver at 2 p.m. today — just a few hours before the debate started," Gore said on his network, Current. "Romney did his debate prep in Denver. When you go to 5,000 feet, and you only have a few hours to adjust, I don't know..."

 

 

My link

 

 

[Bangkoktraveler]

Romney's role at the debate wa interesting.

 

Several times Romney insisted and demanded more time

to counteract what Obama had said.

 

Romney still refuses to give any details to his 'plan'.