# The first presidential debate: 10/3/2012 **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Created:** [October 3, 2012, 5:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-first-presidential-debate-10-3-2012/636602 "2012-10-03T17:16:38Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 6
**Author:** ![Banquet\_Bear](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/banquet_bear/32/373_2.png) [@Banquet\_Bear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Banquet_Bear)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2012, 1:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-first-presidential-debate-10-3-2012/636602/101 "2012-10-04T01:43:20Z")
[http://www.statesmanjournal.com/interactive/article/20121003/UPDATE/121003026/Watch-Live-Presidential-Debate?odyssey=tab|topnews|text|News&nclick\_check=1](http://www.statesmanjournal.com/interactive/article/20121003/UPDATE/121003026/Watch-Live-Presidential-Debate?odyssey=tab%7Ctopnews%7Ctext%7CNews&nclick_check=1) …watching it here in NZ: the feed is zipping along. ---
**Author:** ![JRDelirious](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jrdelirious/32/9531_2.png) [@JRDelirious](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JRDelirious)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2012, 1:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-first-presidential-debate-10-3-2012/636602/102 "2012-10-04T01:43:26Z")
> [@](#): > > Obama sounds ten times more calmer than Romney, so it is easier for me to follow what he saying. Mitt is tending to run on breathlessly; the Prez is doing quite a bit of "uh"ing, though – I guess they are both incorrigible on that part. ---
**Author:** ![Snowboarder\_Bo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowboarder_bo/32/229_2.png) [@Snowboarder\_Bo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snowboarder_Bo)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2012, 1:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-first-presidential-debate-10-3-2012/636602/103 "2012-10-04T01:44:27Z")
> [@El\_Kabong](#): > > Romney: state government is brilliant, federal government is not. Uh, right. I’m confused: Romney thinks the federal government shouldn’t be telling people what to do, shouldn’t be telling the states what to do, etc. Yet he wants to be in charge of it. What would he actually do other than not do anything if he was prez? ---
**Author:** ![moejoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9de053/32.png) [@moejoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/moejoe)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2012, 1:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-first-presidential-debate-10-3-2012/636602/104 "2012-10-04T01:44:59Z")
This is pissing me off. Maybe I’m just not very smart but I can’t understand what either of them is talking about. Maybe a little shot of sodium pentathol would help because they both seem like liars to me. One dude says “here’s the deal” and then other dude says “no, here’s the deal”. How is this helpful or productive? ---
**Author:** ![a35362](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3da27b/32.png) [@a35362](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/a35362)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2012, 1:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-first-presidential-debate-10-3-2012/636602/105 "2012-10-04T01:45:08Z")
> [@El\_Kabong](#): > > When Romney pulls out the “You’ve had four years to do X” argument, I’d like to see Obama reminding everyone of the Republicans’ obstructionism. Nah, he’d look like a whiner if he did that. ---
**Author:** ![Snowboarder\_Bo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowboarder_bo/32/229_2.png) [@Snowboarder\_Bo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snowboarder_Bo)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2012, 1:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-first-presidential-debate-10-3-2012/636602/106 "2012-10-04T01:45:56Z")
Obama did a good job looking at the camera when he said “if you’re 54 or 55 you might want to listen to this because this is going to affect you”. ---
**Author:** ![Measure\_for\_Measure](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/measure_for_measure/32/557_2.png) [@Measure\_for\_Measure](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Measure_for_Measure)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2012, 1:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-first-presidential-debate-10-3-2012/636602/107 "2012-10-04T01:47:14Z")
I expect Romney to perform better than Obama - he’s in his element here. However… ## Romney is terrible at improvisation. If he goes outside his talking points, it gets weird. Like the crack about his lying children. But he has to change the game, not just win the debate. Without cratering or dropping a megaton gaffe. “I don’t understand why listening to them (both of them) irritates me so much, but I just turned it off.” ## They both sound condescending, because they have to evade the underlying issues. It’s hard to say that Romney’s numbers simply don’t add up without a middle class tax increase for example. Bill Clinton sounded the same way as President, as did Reagan. Part of the game. Dems should really be pushing the Affordable Care Act. It’s a great program, a responsible program. Cuts the budget deficit, grapples with long term health care costs, brings tens of millions into the insurance system. Romney will leave 72 million [uninsured](http://tpmdc.talkingpointsmemo.com/2012/10/commonwealth-study-romney-obama-health-care-plans.php?ref=fpnewsfeed). * * * > [@](#): > > One dude says “here’s the deal” and then other dude says “no, here’s the deal”. How is this helpful or productive? That’s show biz. If you want to make a serious decision, turn off the TV. The printed word is a far superior method of conveying information. OTOH, when Romney discusses Obama’s cuts to medicare, does that pass the smell test? In fact, Ryan voted for the same plan. And Romney’s voucher plan is far worse… though he’s correct that it only affects those under 65… until political realities shift. Do you want to pay for a medicare program that you will never receive yourself? Expect shifting peas forthwith, just like Republican support of the Earned Income Tax Credit was followed by complaints about the 47% … a direct result of what they were advocating earlier. ---
**Author:** ![iiandyiiii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/iiandyiiii/32/7924_2.png) [@iiandyiiii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iiandyiiii)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2012, 1:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-first-presidential-debate-10-3-2012/636602/108 "2012-10-04T01:48:30Z")
Obama’s doing better on health care- Romney won’t talk about vouchers. ---
**Author:** ![asterion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/4da419/32.png) [@asterion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/asterion)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2012, 1:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-first-presidential-debate-10-3-2012/636602/109 "2012-10-04T01:49:02Z")
And what exactly is the difference between Romney’s great idea on Medicare of having a private plan available and Medicare Advantage? ---
**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 4, 2012, 1:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-first-presidential-debate-10-3-2012/636602/110 "2012-10-04T01:49:03Z")
Romney totally dodged the voucher question, eh? ---
**Author:** ![Snowboarder\_Bo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowboarder_bo/32/229_2.png) [@Snowboarder\_Bo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snowboarder_Bo)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2012, 1:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-first-presidential-debate-10-3-2012/636602/111 "2012-10-04T01:49:25Z")
So when it comes to Medicare, Romney is in favor of monetary redistribution? ---
**Author:** ![MeanOldLady](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/meanoldlady/32/10737_2.png) [@MeanOldLady](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MeanOldLady)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2012, 1:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-first-presidential-debate-10-3-2012/636602/112 "2012-10-04T01:49:46Z")
Interesting answer re: Medicare. Edit: Ha, look at these responses and time stamps. I like how we’re all thinking the same thing. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2012, 1:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-first-presidential-debate-10-3-2012/636602/113 "2012-10-04T01:49:47Z")
Romney is coming across somewhat better. Obama is not a great impromptu speaker and he’s letting himself be put on the defensive. Romney is taking the points one at a time and refuting them. Obama is doing better at this point on Medicare and SS and can still salvage things over the long run. Romney repeatedly telling Lehrer to go fuck himself is not going down well, but then Lehrer is not standing up for the debate rules. ---
**Author:** ![WarmNPrickly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/d78d45/32.png) [@WarmNPrickly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WarmNPrickly)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2012, 1:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-first-presidential-debate-10-3-2012/636602/114 "2012-10-04T01:50:34Z")
> [@JRDelirious](#): > > Mitt is tending to run on breathlessly; the Prez is doing quite a bit of "uh"ing, though – I guess they are both incorrigible on that part. Obama is running long on the clock. ---
**Author:** ![Snowboarder\_Bo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowboarder_bo/32/229_2.png) [@Snowboarder\_Bo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snowboarder_Bo)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2012, 1:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-first-presidential-debate-10-3-2012/636602/115 "2012-10-04T01:50:59Z")
Romney’s constant ignoring of the rules and the moderator is pissing me off. ---
**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 4, 2012, 1:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-first-presidential-debate-10-3-2012/636602/116 "2012-10-04T01:51:18Z")
So they cut off the President and Romney gets the last word. He’s had the last word every time as far as I know. ---
**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 4, 2012, 1:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-first-presidential-debate-10-3-2012/636602/117 "2012-10-04T01:51:53Z")
Part of why I think it seems like Romney is winning is that he’s running much more as a centrist right now than he has in the last six years–including changing his policy proposals on the fly. ---
**Author:** ![Measure\_for\_Measure](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/measure_for_measure/32/557_2.png) [@Measure\_for\_Measure](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Measure_for_Measure)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2012, 1:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-first-presidential-debate-10-3-2012/636602/118 "2012-10-04T01:53:17Z")
Not a single attack on the Republican congress so far. Interesting. ---
**Author:** ![Kozmik](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/8dc957/32.png) [@Kozmik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kozmik)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2012, 1:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-first-presidential-debate-10-3-2012/636602/119 "2012-10-04T01:53:52Z")
> [@Face\_Intentionally\_Left\_Blank](#): > > So they cut off the President and Romney gets the last word. He’s had the last word every time as far as I know. Romney: “I want the last word!” ---
**Author:** ![YogSothoth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/8edcca/32.png) [@YogSothoth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/YogSothoth)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2012, 1:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-first-presidential-debate-10-3-2012/636602/120 "2012-10-04T01:54:30Z")
I want to punch Romney’s smarmy face. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-first-presidential-debate-10-3-2012/636602.md?page=5) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-first-presidential-debate-10-3-2012/636602.md?page=7)