# 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:** 7
**Author:** ![Marconi\_N.Cheese](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/57b2e6/32.png) [@Marconi\_N.Cheese](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marconi_N.Cheese)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2012, 1:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-first-presidential-debate-10-3-2012/636602/121 "2012-10-04T01:54:32Z")
Romney looks like he wants to unleash a zinger. ---
**Author:** ![JohnT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnt/32/15048_2.png) [@JohnT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnT)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2012, 1:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-first-presidential-debate-10-3-2012/636602/122 "2012-10-04T01:55:06Z")
Uh… the “Too big to fail” banks were not an Obama phrase, it was [coined in 1984](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Too_big_to_fail) to describe Continental Illinois. Yeah, I know this is irrelevant but let’s stick to the facts, people. Even the little ones. ---
**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, 1:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-first-presidential-debate-10-3-2012/636602/123 "2012-10-04T01:55:21Z")
The modern-day “debate” format and terms make for a completely cowed moderator. They so fear that one or another candidate will say “that’s it there’s no more debates” or that they will be viewed as media-biased that they can’t enforce the rules. ---
**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, 1:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-first-presidential-debate-10-3-2012/636602/124 "2012-10-04T01:56:22Z")
Who is this Romney they let on stage? It’s not the Romney that’s been talking for the past year, it seems, because nothing he’s said in the past is something he supports now. ---
**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, 1:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-first-presidential-debate-10-3-2012/636602/125 "2012-10-04T01:56:43Z")
Was Lehrer being sarcastic when he said health care is something he knows they have a clear difference of opinion on? ---
**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, 1:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-first-presidential-debate-10-3-2012/636602/126 "2012-10-04T01:57:17Z")
Suddenly he doesn’t want to roll back Dodd-Frank. Suddenly he doesn’t want to cut rates by 20%. He’s just running away from his bad positions, which is I guess is a time-honored Romney tactic, and it’s politically smart right now. ---
**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, 1:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-first-presidential-debate-10-3-2012/636602/127 "2012-10-04T01:57:30Z")
Romney seems to be making a great case that the ACA didn’t go far enough. ---
**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, 1:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-first-presidential-debate-10-3-2012/636602/128 "2012-10-04T01:58:50Z")
> [@Richard\_Parker](#): > > Suddenly he doesn’t want to roll back Dodd-Frank. Suddenly he doesn’t want to cut rates by 20%. He’s just running away from his bad positions, which is I guess is a time-honored Romney tactic, but it’s politically smart right now. They should allow props and video during the debates. Every time Romney says something, Obama can just play a clip of Romney disagreeing with what he just said ---
**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, 1:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-first-presidential-debate-10-3-2012/636602/129 "2012-10-04T01:59:22Z")
It seems that neither one of them has enough time to finish their thoughts. They’re supposed to have six topics over 90 minutes and I think they’re already behind at least one. ---
**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, 1:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-first-presidential-debate-10-3-2012/636602/130 "2012-10-04T01:59:45Z")
When he’s not running over Lehrer, Mitt is projecting very effectively. That’s the whole point of the modern general-election “debate”, to project yourself as someone about whom the voters will say “well, he looks and sounds like he’s up to the job”. ---
**Author:** ![you\_with\_the\_face](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/ecccb3/32.png) [@you\_with\_the\_face](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/you_with_the_face)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2012, 2:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-first-presidential-debate-10-3-2012/636602/131 "2012-10-04T02:00:16Z")
Why does he think shifting things to the state =free money? Taxes is taxes, son. ---
**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, 2:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-first-presidential-debate-10-3-2012/636602/132 "2012-10-04T02:00:17Z")
> [@Face\_Intentionally\_Left\_Blank](#): > > Who is this Romney they let on stage? It’s not the Romney that’s been talking for the past year, it seems, because nothing he’s said in the past is something he supports now. It’s hard to argue with an Etch A Sketch. I think that’s the core of Romney’s debate strategy. ---
**Author:** ![madmonk28](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/madmonk28/32/20811_2.png) [@madmonk28](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/madmonk28)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2012, 2:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-first-presidential-debate-10-3-2012/636602/133 "2012-10-04T02:00:29Z")
Romney contradicting earlier Romneyis what Romney does best. ---
**Author:** ![Knorf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/58956e/32.png) [@Knorf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Knorf)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2012, 2:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-first-presidential-debate-10-3-2012/636602/134 "2012-10-04T02:01:03Z")
> [@Richard\_Parker](#): > > Suddenly he doesn’t want to roll back Dodd-Frank. Suddenly he doesn’t want to cut rates by 20%. He’s just running away from his bad positions, which is I guess is a time-honored Romney tactic, and it’s politically smart right now. It’s pretty transparent, though. ---
**Author:** ![JohnT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnt/32/15048_2.png) [@JohnT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnT)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2012, 2:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-first-presidential-debate-10-3-2012/636602/135 "2012-10-04T02:01:16Z")
Finally! “Romney set up Obamacare in Massachusetts” ---
**Author:** ![montag01](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/51bf81/32.png) [@montag01](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/montag01)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2012, 2:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-first-presidential-debate-10-3-2012/636602/136 "2012-10-04T02:01:37Z")
Romney’s certainly winning the assertiveness test. He might as well be debating that empty chair from the RNC, as Obama seems to be half-asleep on his answers. I’d still vote for an actual empty chair rather than Mr. Romney. ---
**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, 2:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-first-presidential-debate-10-3-2012/636602/137 "2012-10-04T02:01:41Z")
Next debate, we get the orchestra from the Oscars to play whenever one of them runs over time. ---
**Author:** ![JohnT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnt/32/15048_2.png) [@JohnT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnT)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2012, 2:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-first-presidential-debate-10-3-2012/636602/138 "2012-10-04T02:02:25Z")
Anybody know what is the black spot on Romney’s flag pin? ---
**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, 2:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-first-presidential-debate-10-3-2012/636602/139 "2012-10-04T02:03:21Z")
Even with all the “Uh’s” Obama nailed Romney on his flip-flopping over health care. ---
**Author:** ![Count\_Blucher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c5a1d2/32.png) [@Count\_Blucher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Count_Blucher)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2012, 2:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-first-presidential-debate-10-3-2012/636602/140 "2012-10-04T02:04:17Z")
Did Romney just say, “Keef of Pfaff”…? Step right this way, Ole Skunk Stripes. Fill this Dixie Cup. We’ll See who gets fired… [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-first-presidential-debate-10-3-2012/636602.md?page=6) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-first-presidential-debate-10-3-2012/636602.md?page=8)