# 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:** 4
**Author:** ![mkecane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9e8a1a/32.png) [@mkecane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mkecane)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2012, 9:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-final-presidential-debate-10-22-12/638497/61 "2012-10-22T21:18:55Z")
My guess is that they spread the 4 debates among Mon, Tue, Wed, and Thur to avoid any network possibly not getting to show its top-rated show. Fox misses one night of X Factor, NBC misses one night of The Voice, CBS misses CSI, and ABC misses Modern Family and other comedies. Poe’s Law in action, I’m not even sure if I believe this. Yay, network execs! ---
**Author:** ![BobLibDem](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/boblibdem/32/3149_2.png) [@BobLibDem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobLibDem)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2012, 9:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-final-presidential-debate-10-22-12/638497/62 "2012-10-22T21:58:53Z")
no message, regginbrow beat me to it. ---
**Author:** ![Steve\_MB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/steve_mb/32/5339_2.png) [@Steve\_MB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Steve_MB)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2012, 10:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-final-presidential-debate-10-22-12/638497/63 "2012-10-22T22:07:21Z")
> [@BobLibDem](#): > > If Obama was smart, he’d point out that Romney’s foreign policy advisors are all Bush retreads and that a Romney administration would be the third term of George W. Bush. > > If I was Obama I’d say something like “America can’t be strong abroad unless its economy is strong at home, where everybody has a chance to succeed. My opponent has been running for president for over six years and still can’t tell us if he’d support the Lily Ledbetter Equal Pay Act, the first bill I signed as president.” > > I’d also play some offensive defense: “My opponent often whines about my so-called apology tour. I challenge him to right here and now cite an instance where I apologized inappropriately for America. Keep in mind that the fact checkers will be critiquing your answer and those of you at home, I urge you to pay attention when they do.” I agree with parts of this. The suggestion I reject is the one about the economy – Obama should absotively posilutely **not** give Romney an opening to change the subject from one of his weakest subjects to something where he actually has a few decent cards to play. Let Romney do the pivoting himself (probably in a ham-fisted way that will make it painfully obvious that he’s got nothing when it comes to the actual debate topic). ---
**Author:** ![Steve\_MB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/steve_mb/32/5339_2.png) [@Steve\_MB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Steve_MB)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2012, 10:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-final-presidential-debate-10-22-12/638497/64 "2012-10-22T22:11:54Z")
> [@Fotheringay-Phipps](#): > > My best guess is that it’s pretty much the same as the second debate - a small Obama victory. I’d say that is the most likely outcome, with a modest but significant\* chance that Romney will let slip a “bomb bomb Iran” statement that makes him look like a reckless saber rattler and effectively ends his chance to pull off an election victory. \*While I don’t think he’s stupid enough to deliberately posture like that, I’m sure Obama has some lines prepared to try to goad him into that position without being obvious about it. ---
**Author:** ![Gangster\_Octopus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a8b319/32.png) [@Gangster\_Octopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gangster_Octopus)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2012, 11:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-final-presidential-debate-10-22-12/638497/65 "2012-10-22T23:02:27Z")
Romney may come out with, “I plan on spending $2 trillion on defense and it will all be in Virginia, Ohio, and Florida.” ---
**Author:** ![BigAppleBucky](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigapplebucky/32/178_2.png) [@BigAppleBucky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigAppleBucky)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2012, 12:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-final-presidential-debate-10-22-12/638497/66 "2012-10-23T00:09:32Z")
Prediction: Mitt will suffer romnesia and come off as far less bellicose than he did at his foreign policy speech at VMI on October 8. He won’t rattle a single saber. > **[Romney's Foreign-Policy Speech: More War, Bigger Budgets - The American...](https://www.theamericanconservative.com/romneys-foreign-policy-speech-more-war-bigger-budgets/)** > > Mitt Romney's speech at VMI today confirmed every realist's and non-interventionist's worst fears about him: not only is his foreign-policy vision > **[Full Transcript/Video of Mitt Romney's Foreign Policy Speech at the VMI](https://www.thedailybeast.com/full-transcriptvideo-of-mitt-romneys-foreign-policy-speech-at-the-vmi)** That is how he won the first debate, by surprising Obama with a bunch of new positions. It will be up to the president to call him out on his flip flops. ---
**Author:** ![Kozmik](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/8dc957/32.png) [@Kozmik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kozmik)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2012, 12:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-final-presidential-debate-10-22-12/638497/67 "2012-10-23T00:17:26Z")
Since the final debate will be on foreign policy, I wonder whether there will be any moments like [this](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NXkLYIZabWE). ---
**Author:** ![ThelmaLou](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thelmalou/32/390_2.png) [@ThelmaLou](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThelmaLou)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2012, 12:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-final-presidential-debate-10-22-12/638497/68 "2012-10-23T00:18:39Z")
AAgghh. We’re at 66 posts and the thing doesn’t start for 40 minutes. ---
**Author:** ![Uncle\_Jocko](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/uncle_jocko/32/2932_2.png) [@Uncle\_Jocko](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Uncle_Jocko)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2012, 12:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-final-presidential-debate-10-22-12/638497/69 "2012-10-23T00:24:24Z")
> [@dalej42](#): > > There’s got to be a level of politcal fatigue among people who aren’t political junkies. Although **I don’t live in a swing state** , I can only imagine the level of non stop political ads in those states. Lucky you. In Iowa, we had twice as many political ads aired in the past week than we had in the entire month of August. And believe me, we had a _lot_ of them in August. I’ve heard rumors that in other states, there are breaks during TV programs where they air little 30-second mini-shows that encourage you to actually buy things. They showcase goods and services that one can actually purchase! Oh, what wonders this world holds! Around here, all we see are Presidential candidates, and congressional candidates, and more Presidential candidates, usually accompanied by dark images and brooding music. Oh, and lies. Lots and lots of lies. As to your main point, dalej, yup, I have very little interest in tonight’s debate. I was taken aback by Obama’s obvious lack of preparation in the first debate (while his positions and facts were solid, his performance was not). I watched the second debate and was heartened to see some vim and vigor in the President, and a willingness to call Romney out on at least some of his, shall we say, “evolving” positions. Tonight, I don’t care very much. I am also quite tired of the media-driven horse race aspect of it all. The first thing I heard this morning on the national media was “The race is a flat footed tie! It’s too close to call! Who will win/OMG/it’s so exciting!” Whatever happens at tonight’s debate, the media will be spinning to keep it a good story for them for the next two weeks, if they can. Good for ratings, don’t you know. While the political ads aren’t so good for ratings, they are pouring tons and tons of cash into the pockets of TV and radio station owners around here… ---
**Author:** ![UltraVires](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/ecccb3/32.png) [@UltraVires](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UltraVires)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2012, 12:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-final-presidential-debate-10-22-12/638497/70 "2012-10-23T00:56:31Z")
Almost game time. Bill O’Reilly predicts that a Romney win or draw guarantees he wins the election…presented for your edification. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Face\_Intentionally\_Left\_Blank](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/face_intentionally_left_blank/32/288_2.png) [@Face\_Intentionally\_Left\_Blank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Face_Intentionally_Left_Blank)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2012, 12:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-final-presidential-debate-10-22-12/638497/71 "2012-10-23T00:59:03Z")
I watched the CSPAN feed the first debate. Switched around feeds for the second debate. I’m tempted by the CNN feed, but Wolf Blitzer. . . ---
**Author:** ![Kozmik](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/8dc957/32.png) [@Kozmik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kozmik)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2012, 1:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-final-presidential-debate-10-22-12/638497/72 "2012-10-23T01:00:25Z")
Are you ready for some football! 😃 ---
**Author:** ![El\_Kabong](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/el_kabong/32/496_2.png) [@El\_Kabong](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/El_Kabong)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2012, 1:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-final-presidential-debate-10-22-12/638497/73 "2012-10-23T01:00:26Z")
I’m watching mainly for completeness, but I’m not expecting a scintillating discussion. Hope I’m wrong. Given that Romney’s position seems to be somewhere between everything Obama has been doing and bringing back team Bush, however, I suspect my eyes are going to start glazing over about ten minutes in. ---
**Author:** ![ThelmaLou](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thelmalou/32/390_2.png) [@ThelmaLou](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThelmaLou)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2012, 1:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-final-presidential-debate-10-22-12/638497/74 "2012-10-23T01:00:27Z")
I watched PBS for a while but I can’t stomach David Brooks. I’m on C-Span. ETA: Who is consuming alcohol while watching the debates? \ ---
**Author:** ![C6541](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/90db22/32.png) [@C6541](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/C6541)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2012, 1:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-final-presidential-debate-10-22-12/638497/75 "2012-10-23T01:01:43Z")
Here we go ---
**Author:** ![Face\_Intentionally\_Left\_Blank](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/face_intentionally_left_blank/32/288_2.png) [@Face\_Intentionally\_Left\_Blank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Face_Intentionally_Left_Blank)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2012, 1:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-final-presidential-debate-10-22-12/638497/76 "2012-10-23T01:02:19Z")
> [@ThelmaLou](#): > > I watched PBS for a while but I can’t stomach David Brooks. I’m on C-Span. > > ETA: Who is consuming alcohol while watching the debates? \ Of course! I’m gonna need it no matter which way this goes. ---
**Author:** ![ThelmaLou](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thelmalou/32/390_2.png) [@ThelmaLou](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThelmaLou)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2012, 1:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-final-presidential-debate-10-22-12/638497/77 "2012-10-23T01:02:47Z")
Obama in Blue Tie, Mitt in Red Tie… just in case you can’t tell them apart. ---
**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, 1:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-final-presidential-debate-10-22-12/638497/78 "2012-10-23T01:02:50Z")
Oh, god, here we go again… All right, gentlemen, start your engines. ---
**Author:** ![Kozmik](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/8dc957/32.png) [@Kozmik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kozmik)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2012, 1:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-final-presidential-debate-10-22-12/638497/79 "2012-10-23T01:03:24Z")
There they are. Mitt Romney looked hesistant. Obama: “Good to see you again.” ---
**Author:** ![mkecane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9e8a1a/32.png) [@mkecane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mkecane)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2012, 1:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-final-presidential-debate-10-22-12/638497/80 "2012-10-23T01:03:59Z")
I like their ties. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-final-presidential-debate-10-22-12/638497.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-final-presidential-debate-10-22-12/638497.md?page=5)