# The final presidential debate: 10/22/12 **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Created:** [October 22, 2012, 6:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-final-presidential-debate-10-22-12/638497 "2012-10-22T06:57:19Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 26
**Author:** ![Jas09](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/d07c76/32.png) [@Jas09](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jas09)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2012, 3:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-final-presidential-debate-10-22-12/638497/501 "2012-10-23T03:12:15Z")
Um, I’m pretty sure that quote is about Romney… ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2012, 3:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-final-presidential-debate-10-22-12/638497/502 "2012-10-23T03:12:31Z")
> [@jtgain](#): > > Some commentators have made good points: Romney looked confident and Presidential. Obama looked like a challenger on the attack. Many of his points were cromulent, but they looked petty and mean spirited in context. > > I stand by: A split decision Romney win. In other words: “I reject your reality and substitute my own.” ---
**Author:** ![johnpost](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f17d59/32.png) [@johnpost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/johnpost)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2012, 3:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-final-presidential-debate-10-22-12/638497/503 "2012-10-23T03:13:44Z")
> [@eleanorigby](#): > > PBS commentator has debate tied, with maybe slight edge to Romney. Do these people watch the same debates? WTF? Some white dude with wire rims. Ah, David Brooks. yeah. Tool > [@johnpost](#): > > some comments from him prior to this debate. > > DAVID BROOKS, The New York Times: I really think that he is a product of a world where you do market research to find out what’s working, what’s not working. You do controlled experiments. And then you dovetail your product to suit the marketplace. And he’s looked at what the market wants and he’s looked at what niche there is. > > DAVID BROOKS, Columnist, The New York Times: He went to where the market was, and he became the product he was selling. And that&— on the one hand, it’s sort of effective. On the other hand it’s sort of disquieting because you think, “Well, A, who is he? What would he be as President? Does he believe anything?” And these are the open questions that plague everybody who watches him. i should have added: Brooks does does a good job bringing out a conservative point of view. he couldn’t come up with a better spin on Mitt. ---
**Author:** ![Bosstone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/22d042/32.png) [@Bosstone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosstone)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2012, 3:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-final-presidential-debate-10-22-12/638497/504 "2012-10-23T03:14:30Z")
> [@jtgain](#): > > I stand by: A split decision Romney win. I kind of figured this would be the talking point. A tie means a Romney win. A tie means a Romney win. A tie means a Romney win. And OH GOSH would you look at that, I think they tied! ---
**Author:** ![Belowjob2.0](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Belowjob2.0](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Belowjob2.0)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2012, 3:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-final-presidential-debate-10-22-12/638497/505 "2012-10-23T03:15:19Z")
> [@MsWhatsit](#): > > WTF. How does this even need a “fact check”? Look at a goddamned map! How do you get up on a national stage and present yourself as a qualified candidate for president and not know Middle East geography? > > Did he mean to say Iraq? Surprised more isn’t being made of this. What exactly what was he talking about? The Persian Gulf might just be the most important sea route in the world. For the past 20 years or so. ---
**Author:** ![Happy\_Lendervedder](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/happy_lendervedder/32/8488_2.png) [@Happy\_Lendervedder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Happy_Lendervedder)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2012, 3:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-final-presidential-debate-10-22-12/638497/506 "2012-10-23T03:15:46Z")
> [@jtgain](#): > > Some commentators have made good points: Romney looked confident and Presidential. Obama looked like a challenger on the attack. Many of his points were cromulent, but they looked petty and mean spirited in context. Some commentators have made good points: Obama looked confident and Presidential. Romney looked like a challenger on the attack. Most of his points weren’t cromulent, and the looked petty and mean spirited in context. ---
**Author:** ![Aquadementia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aquadementia/32/555_2.png) [@Aquadementia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aquadementia)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2012, 3:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-final-presidential-debate-10-22-12/638497/507 "2012-10-23T03:16:07Z")
We can’t kill our way out of this mess. Attacking me is not an agenda. If those are not carefully designed lines to appeal to the ladies, I don’t know what were. ---
**Author:** ![Tarwater](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/9de0a6/32.png) [@Tarwater](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tarwater)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2012, 3:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-final-presidential-debate-10-22-12/638497/508 "2012-10-23T03:17:43Z")
Well, according to the post-debate polls, Obama won this time by an even larger margin than the second debate. ---
**Author:** ![Richard\_Parker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/35a633/32.png) [@Richard\_Parker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Richard_Parker)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2012, 3:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-final-presidential-debate-10-22-12/638497/509 "2012-10-23T03:18:35Z")
Did Republicans like this Romney? I mean, he basically agreed with Obama and attacked him from the left. Is that what you want in foreign policy, conservatives? ---
**Author:** ![eleanorigby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ee7513/32.png) [@eleanorigby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eleanorigby)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2012, 3:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-final-presidential-debate-10-22-12/638497/510 "2012-10-23T03:18:42Z")
> [@johnpost](#): > > some comments from him prior to this debate. > > DAVID BROOKS, The New York Times: I really think that he is a product of a world where you do market research to find out what’s working, what’s not working. You do controlled experiments. And then you dovetail your product to suit the marketplace. And he’s looked at what the market wants and he’s looked at what niche there is. > > DAVID BROOKS, Columnist, The New York Times: He went to where the market was, and he became the product he was selling. And that&— on the one hand, it’s sort of effective. On the other hand it’s sort of disquieting because you think, “Well, A, who is he? What would he be as President? Does he believe anything?” And these are the open questions that plague everybody who watches him. Ok, but his remarks post this debate are still way off, IMO. And he seems like a tool to me. 🙂 I didn’t see Romney as Presidential at all–he stammered, talked over Obama, misspoke and showed his profound ignorance re ME and foreign policy. He really thinks he’ll get gender equality in the ME? He doesn’t even believe in it HERE. And that’s just one example. ---
**Author:** ![Happy\_Lendervedder](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/happy_lendervedder/32/8488_2.png) [@Happy\_Lendervedder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Happy_Lendervedder)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2012, 3:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-final-presidential-debate-10-22-12/638497/511 "2012-10-23T03:18:57Z")
> [@Aquadementia](#): > > We can’t kill your way out of this mess. > > Attacking me is not an agenda. > > If those are not carefully designed lines to appeal to the ladies, I don’t know what were. The “attacking me” line, to me, comes off whiny and butthurt. I said it above, Obama didn’t attack Romney one single time tonight. He attacked Romney’s plans, ideas, flip-flops and lies. That might be seen as a personal attack in the board room, but Romney ain’t in the board room. ---
**Author:** ![BlackKnight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/eb8c5e/32.png) [@BlackKnight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BlackKnight)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2012, 3:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-final-presidential-debate-10-22-12/638497/512 "2012-10-23T03:19:27Z")
It’s strange how Romney said, more than once, that attacking him was not productive - and then went ahead and attacked Obama numerous times. ---
**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2012, 3:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-final-presidential-debate-10-22-12/638497/513 "2012-10-23T03:19:44Z")
> [@Curiosity\_Kills\_Her](#): > > “I’ve met some of those people.” > > What does he want? A cookie? He wants ALL of the cookies, as far as I can tell. ---
**Author:** ![Curiosity\_Kills\_Her](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/8c91f0/32.png) [@Curiosity\_Kills\_Her](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Curiosity_Kills_Her)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2012, 3:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-final-presidential-debate-10-22-12/638497/514 "2012-10-23T03:20:54Z")
> [@Tarwater](#): > > Well, according to the post-debate polls, Obama won this time by an even larger margin than than the second debate. And a larger margin than Romney in the first. ---
**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2012, 3:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-final-presidential-debate-10-22-12/638497/515 "2012-10-23T03:21:11Z")
> [@Happy\_Lendervedder](#): > > But does the Good Governor love teachers as much as he loves trees? I THINK NOT! Well…it depends. Are the teachers all the right height? ---
**Author:** ![Euphonious\_Polemic](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/euphonious_polemic/32/3002_2.png) [@Euphonious\_Polemic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Euphonious_Polemic)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2012, 3:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-final-presidential-debate-10-22-12/638497/516 "2012-10-23T03:21:30Z")
Attacking ME is not productive. However, if I attack YOU, I can get to the whitehouse, so here I go! ---
**Author:** ![eleanorigby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ee7513/32.png) [@eleanorigby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eleanorigby)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2012, 3:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-final-presidential-debate-10-22-12/638497/517 "2012-10-23T03:22:07Z")
> [@Aquadementia](#): > > We can’t kill our way out of this mess. > > Attacking me is not an agenda. > > If those are not carefully designed lines to appeal to the ladies, I don’t know what were. yes, and we ladies are sick of being patronized. ---
**Author:** ![Hentor\_the\_Barbarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/8edcca/32.png) [@Hentor\_the\_Barbarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hentor_the_Barbarian)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2012, 3:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-final-presidential-debate-10-22-12/638497/518 "2012-10-23T03:23:12Z")
> [@Richard\_Parker](#): > > Did Republicans like this Romney? I mean, he basically agreed with Obama and attacked him from the left. Is that what you want in foreign policy, conservatives? Additionally, I wonder about his efforts to make Obama look too aggressive (e.g. “You can’t kill your way out of this mess”). I think that’s on it’s face an unfair attack, but I also find some potential sympathy in that direction of attack as well, for example in regards to drone strikes. I just don’t think that kind of line is going to play well to Romney’s base. It also doesn’t help if you later agree with the use of drone strikes. ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2012, 3:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-final-presidential-debate-10-22-12/638497/519 "2012-10-23T03:23:15Z")
If you don’t vote for Romney, he’ll bayonet his horse. He’s not bluffing. ---
**Author:** ![Jas09](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/d07c76/32.png) [@Jas09](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jas09)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2012, 3:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-final-presidential-debate-10-22-12/638497/520 "2012-10-23T03:23:21Z")
> [@Richard\_Parker](#): > > Did Republicans like this Romney? I mean, he basically agreed with Obama and attacked him from the left. Is that what you want in foreign policy, conservatives? I think your answer lies in the Brooks quote above. At least a few I’ve talked to think this is all an act. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-final-presidential-debate-10-22-12/638497.md?page=25) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-final-presidential-debate-10-22-12/638497.md?page=27)