# Am I the only person bewildered to learn that somebody won that debate?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-the-only-person-bewildered-to-learn-that-somebody-won-that-debate/636828>\
**Category:** Politics & Elections\
**Created:** [October 5, 2012, 5:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-the-only-person-bewildered-to-learn-that-somebody-won-that-debate/636828 "2012-10-05T17:30:36Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 1\
**Showing post:** 1

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**Author:** ![spazurek](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b2d939/32.png) [@spazurek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/spazurek)\
**Post date:** [October 5, 2012, 5:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-the-only-person-bewildered-to-learn-that-somebody-won-that-debate/636828/1 "2012-10-05T17:30:36Z")

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Being irresponsible and lazy, I’m not prepared to read the 12±page debate thread. But I need a sanity check. I watched the debate on Wednesday and I was disappointed by what a non-event it was; both candidates repeated talking points from the debate trail. Every accusation made by Romney was one he’s said a hundred times before; ditto Obama. Each of them dodged or denied the claims of the other with no specific counter-point. The whole thing seemed like an extended, alternating campaign commercial. A couple funny lines (I laughed at Obama saying “Well you’re going to have a busy first day sitting down with Democrats after repealing Obamacare”), but otherwise, total dud.

Then I learn from pundits that Romney was scintillating, animated, and passionate, while Obama was dispirited and bored. Apparently Romney scored all kinds of points (while saying nothing I haven’t heard many times already), while Obama failed to land any punches (um…I think it _is_ irresponsible of Romney to hide his plan, beyond killing PBS…). In retrospect, I suppose Romney was more spastic and Obama was a bit professorial, but who’s surprised by this???

From what I can tell, everyone wanted Obama to say “47%! Tax returns! Cayman Islands!!”. That he didn’t, to my mind, reflects a basic respect for Americans. Yes, I’m an Obama supporter. But I sincerely left the debate thinking ‘ho hum, how boring’ and then…well, apparently I was in the minority.

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