# 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:** 8
**Author:** ![Nzinga\_Seated](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/b5ac83/32.png) [@Nzinga\_Seated](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nzinga_Seated)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2012, 2:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-first-presidential-debate-10-3-2012/636602/141 "2012-10-04T02:04:26Z")
> [@Snowboarder\_Bo](#): > > 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”. Hee. [Elle Driver.](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QsaG8rJGlyQ&t=1m55s) (you tube). ---
**Author:** ![johnpost](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f17d59/32.png) [@johnpost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/johnpost)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2012, 2:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-first-presidential-debate-10-3-2012/636602/142 "2012-10-04T02:04:27Z")
> [@JohnT](#): > > Romney kind of doesn’t care about the agreed-upon debate rules, does he? makes it so the other side can’t lay a detailed argument if you constantly disrupt and interrupt. ---
**Author:** ![Chimera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Chimera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chimera)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2012, 2:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-first-presidential-debate-10-3-2012/636602/143 "2012-10-04T02:04:51Z")
Turned it on, the first thing I heard was Romney repeating the lie about Obama cutting $760 billion from Medicare, turned it off. ---
**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 4, 2012, 2:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-first-presidential-debate-10-3-2012/636602/144 "2012-10-04T02:05:31Z")
> [@JohnT](#): > > Anybody know what is the black spot on Romney’s flag pin? Probably [an elephant.](http://www.blareshare.com/best/whats-the-black-dot-romney-flag-pin-republican/) [Another speculative discussion.](http://www.dailykos.com/story/2012/03/06/1071772/-That-black-spot-on-Mitt-s-American-flag-pin) ---
**Author:** ![Exapno\_Mapcase](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/exapno_mapcase/32/1051_2.png) [@Exapno\_Mapcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exapno_Mapcase)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2012, 2:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-first-presidential-debate-10-3-2012/636602/145 "2012-10-04T02:06:41Z")
CNN has a running graph of approval from Colorado undecided voters, with separate lines for men and women. Men consistently rate Romney higher, women consistently rate Obama higher. Both have been consistently positive with few and very minor spots below neutral. Romney is doing much better at putting his arguments into sound bites. He has had a couple of zingers that didn’t zing, but this is his metier. (Is that as good as redound?) ---
**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, 2:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-first-presidential-debate-10-3-2012/636602/146 "2012-10-04T02:07:42Z")
Death panel? Is Romney really implying a death panel will be created? He’s not saying it specifically, but that’s his implication. ---
**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, 2:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-first-presidential-debate-10-3-2012/636602/147 "2012-10-04T02:08:10Z")
I wish Obama would stop saying “the fact of the matter is…”. Also, my senior high school English teacher would mark you down for saying, “the reason… is because…”. Obama has done it at least three times so far. I agree that Romney is doing well. He sounds decisive and well-prepared. Obama took a while to warm up. ---
**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, 2:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-first-presidential-debate-10-3-2012/636602/148 "2012-10-04T02:09:09Z")
Er, so Romney’s going to repeal ACA, then replace it with something very similar? Is that what I’m hearing? Oh, God, the “death panels” lie again? ---
**Author:** ![Larry\_Mudd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f14d63/32.png) [@Larry\_Mudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Larry_Mudd)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2012, 2:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-first-presidential-debate-10-3-2012/636602/149 "2012-10-04T02:09:42Z")
“I used to consult to businesses… err, excuse me, _hospitals_…” Awesome. ---
**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, 2:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-first-presidential-debate-10-3-2012/636602/150 "2012-10-04T02:10:34Z")
Jeez, Barack, we know you have a lot on your mind but stop sounding like you’re desperately trying to dig up the information from somewhere in the back of your brain… ---
**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, 2:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-first-presidential-debate-10-3-2012/636602/151 "2012-10-04T02:11:11Z")
## What I’m not sure is about how this will all play out. What matters are the 2 minute and 30 second segments that come afterwards. Also consider Josh Marshall of TPM: 9:51 PM: My read so far is that if you go by energy and tossing out lots of data points, then Romney is running circles around the president. Obama has only on a few occasions really pressed a point hard. Whether that means he’s ‘winning’ I don’t know. But energy level, Romney all the way. But I think there are a lot of traps that Obama’s put out there for Romney. Romney really pressed his insistence that he just isn’t going to do what he says his plan is going to do. I think those statements – and the statement about vouchers – might be unpacked badly for him over the next few days. … 10:02 PM: What’s really rough here is that Romney keeps restating points that have been discredited repeatedly over the last months and years. But Obama is letting it all slide by. Rough. Real rough. We’ll see what the 2 campaigns say over the next couple of days. The health care mandate is critical if you want to curb pre-existing conditions. Romney knows this, because he worked with the same advisers that Obama did. You need both, otherwise healthy people won’t bother buying insurance. It’s a difficult point to convey in a debate. Obama handling things in a pretty low key manner. Uh oh, here’s the sound bite by Obama: 10:10 PM. Wall St, pre-existing conditions. Romney’s claims don’t add up… but Obama hesitates to deliver a real zinger so far. ---
**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 4, 2012, 2:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-first-presidential-debate-10-3-2012/636602/152 "2012-10-04T02:11:34Z")
He took the last word. Again. ---
**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, 2:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-first-presidential-debate-10-3-2012/636602/153 "2012-10-04T02:12:09Z")
“I have to respond to that” “No you don’t. Shut the fuck up.” Holy jeebus I wish Lehrer would tell Romney he’s not gonna get the last word at least once. ---
**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, 2:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-first-presidential-debate-10-3-2012/636602/154 "2012-10-04T02:12:46Z")
Romney owns the last word. ---
**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, 2:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-first-presidential-debate-10-3-2012/636602/155 "2012-10-04T02:12:53Z")
Romney trouncing on the moderator again. Now he brings up Reagan policies? Why not Hoover, or maybe Polk? Mission of government: oh fuck, here come the fireworks. ---
**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, 2:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-first-presidential-debate-10-3-2012/636602/156 "2012-10-04T02:13:12Z")
Yikes! They’ve got 15 minutes left! ---
**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, 2:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-first-presidential-debate-10-3-2012/636602/157 "2012-10-04T02:15:52Z")
Finally, Obama is providing a cogent, concise argument (role of federal government). ---
**Author:** ![xenophon41](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/xenophon41/32/253_2.png) [@xenophon41](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/xenophon41)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2012, 2:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-first-presidential-debate-10-3-2012/636602/158 "2012-10-04T02:15:54Z")
Obama lost most of his jitters and stammers as soon as he started talking about the role of government. Can’t wait to contrast with Romney. ---
**Author:** ![RedFury](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/ec9cab/32.png) [@RedFury](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RedFury)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2012, 2:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-first-presidential-debate-10-3-2012/636602/159 "2012-10-04T02:16:45Z")
Obama very hesitant, lacks confidence…Rommey the opposite, regadless of substance, plays well on TV. Sucks, but there it is. ---
**Author:** ![Enkel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/df705f/32.png) [@Enkel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enkel)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2012, 2:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-first-presidential-debate-10-3-2012/636602/160 "2012-10-04T02:18:20Z")
boy you can tell when Romney rolls into one of his memorized ‘segments’ [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-first-presidential-debate-10-3-2012/636602.md?page=7) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-first-presidential-debate-10-3-2012/636602.md?page=9)