…watching it here in NZ: the feed is zipping along.
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.
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?
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?
Nah, he’d look like a whiner if he did that.
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”.
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.
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.
Obama’s doing better on health care- Romney won’t talk about vouchers.
And what exactly is the difference between Romney’s great idea on Medicare of having a private plan available and Medicare Advantage?
Romney totally dodged the voucher question, eh?
So when it comes to Medicare, Romney is in favor of monetary redistribution?
Interesting answer re: Medicare.
Edit: Ha, look at these responses and time stamps. I like how we’re all thinking the same thing.
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.
Obama is running long on the clock.
Romney’s constant ignoring of the rules and the moderator is pissing me off.
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.
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.
Not a single attack on the Republican congress so far. Interesting.
Romney: “I want the last word!”
I want to punch Romney’s smarmy face.