Politics

[Ndaccountant]

Obama looked visibly uncomfortable and couldn't avoid tripping on every other word. I expected more out of him.

 

[Bubba]

Romney seems to be bullying his way into getting the last word on every topic. The moderator needs to grow some balls and take control. The President doesn't seem to be doing well, but Romney seems to have changed his stance on a lot of things.

 

[Ultimate Penn St. Hater]

Romney doing pretty well even though his tax plan and medicare plan don't add up.

 

[Bluto]

I think Romney started strong but Obama bested him in the middle. I'd call it a push. Not a game changer either way.

I also think this one was in Romney's wheel house. Domestic issues and the economy are the weak spot for the incumbent.

Agree.

 

[DomerInHappyValley]

Ding round one.
Romney knocked this one out of the park in my opinion.

 

[NoJusticeNoPeace]

I think Romney started strong but Obama bested him in the middle. I'd call it a push. Not a game changer either way.

I also think this one was in Romney's wheel house. Domestic issues and the economy are the weak spot for the incumbent.

This is how I feel.

 

[Bluto]

The "analysis" by the pundits is rediculous.

 

[Ultimate Penn St. Hater]

I would give debate #1 to Romney by a nose. He was quite inaccurate at times, but his delivery was pretty good. Obama could have done much better. I expect a much more sharp Obama in debate #2.

 

[DSully1995]

Politifact is doing real time references to their previous ratings. It's pretty cool.

Yup, one of the best things about politics now, access to fact-checking, and fact-checking of the fact-checking, fact-ception

 

[Ndaccountant]

Sharpton looks like hell. Good god.

 

[cyrano]

Wow. Obama was embarrassingly bad. I can't believe he was elected president. His poor performance rivaled GW Bush's vs Kerry in the first debate.

Huge disappointment.

 

[Ultimate Penn St. Hater]

Wow. Obama was embarrassingly bad. I can't believe he was elected president. His poor performance rivaled GW Bush's vs Kerry in the first debate.

Huge disappointment.

He wasn't on his game, but he wasn't embarrasingly bad. You can't believe he was elected president based on a debate performance four years later?

 

[IrishLax]

Here are people's opinions of the debate:

Romney supporter - TKO, BITCHEZ!! THE COMEBACK IS ON!!!

Obama supporter - Well... Romney... I'd say it was pretty even.

All in all, I think Gawker (very liberal... duh) put it best at the end of their live blog:

10:20 (Max): Mitt is like someone after a couple coffees and an Excedrin, Obama is like, I dunno, half a bottle of red wine and a Xanax?

10:28 (John): Barack Obama just gave his wife the shittiest anniversary present anyone could conceive of.

10:34 (John): Well **** this ****. Get ready to hear a lot of LET ROMNEY BE ROMNEY. Here comes the comeback kid. Goodnight, and good luck.

This Romney starting to look like the Oakland A's to Obama's Texas Rangers... I thought this race was over.... now I think Romney might actually have a punchers chance. I expect Obama to be much more aggressive in the next debate though... it was almost as if he was unprepared for Romney to take the fight to him.

 

[cyrano]

He couldn't even articulate Obamacare. Bill Clinton did an EXCELLENT job articulating Obamacare, but Obama stumbled.

Perhaps I'm just a bit shocked. Obama is usually so articulate, but tonight he really wasn't even on his own plan.

 

[IrishJayhawk]

Here are people's opinions of the debate:

Romney supporter - TKO, BITCHEZ!! THE COMEBACK IS ON!!!

Obama supporter - Well... Romney... I'd say it was pretty even.

All in all, I think Gawker (very liberal... duh) put it best at the end of their live blog:



This Romney starting to look like the Oakland A's to Obama's Texas Rangers... I thought this race was over.... now I think Romney might actually have a punchers chance. I expect Obama to be much more aggressive in the next debate though... it was almost as if he was unprepared for Romney to take the fight to him.

You might be right. I just thought Romney was really fast and loose with the facts. I'm certainly biased in my assessment. I get that.

 

[Ultimate Penn St. Hater]

Obama is one of the best orators we've ever heard. A debate is much different than a speech.

 

[NoJusticeNoPeace]

Here are people's opinions of the debate:

Romney supporter - TKO, BITCHEZ!! THE COMEBACK IS ON!!!

Obama supporter - Well... Romney... I'd say it was pretty even.

All in all, I think Gawker (very liberal... duh) put it best at the end of their live blog:



This Romney starting to look like the Oakland A's to Obama's Texas Rangers... I thought this race was over.... now I think Romney might actually have a punchers chance. I expect Obama to be much more aggressive in the next debate though... it was almost as if he was unprepared for Romney to take the fight to him.

Romney is going to still need a lot of help even if all the debates are like that. All Obama needs is Ohio and Iowa/Colorado/Nevada/Virginia/Florida to win or some sort of combination. It's a huge uphill battle for Romney but it's not over.

 

[irish4ever]

Maybe I'm crazy, and I might be, but Romney seems to be destroying Obama...

Granted, I missed 8:50-9:30.

No, you are right on. It's obvious, take his teleprompter away = stupidity in Nobamas part!

 

[tommyIRISH23]

Romney doing pretty well even though his tax plan and medicare plan don't add up.

His tax plan needs to be explained more, but Obamas 5 trillion reference was a half truth. In washington lingo tax plans are measured on a 10 year plan....thats probably where obama got the 5 trillion, but he left out the 10 year plan. He also didn't account for the totallity of romneys economic plan; reducing income taxes by 20% isnt a problem if 60% of the people unemployed end up getting jobs and paying income tax. Obama is correct, if unemployment stays at 8%+, a 20% income tax reduction is catastrophic.

Medicare depends on ideology. I give obama the win on healthcare.

Romney got obama on the 2.8 billion oil deduction. 90 billion spent on green energy. corporate capitalism

 

[Rhode Irish]

I don't think he is destroying him, but I do think he is the "winner" in my eyes.

I would say that Romney won this debate in terms of style. He looked more at ease, and really I don't think this should be all that surprising but I understand that it is to a lot of people. I also think that it wasn't surprising to see the trailing challenger come out with more energy, and the frontrunning incumbent take a more conservative tact.

However, on substance I think the President was fine. At the very least, he held serve. He wasn't aggressive with his case, but again that seemed to be by design. I think Romney people, who are claiming a resounding victory tonight, will be a little surprised when a lot of the things he said tonight are repackaged by the Obama campaign and used against him. He said a lot of things tonight that are going to be issues for him going forward.

 

[4irishnation]

All Obama needs is Ohio and Iowa/Colorado/Nevada/Virginia/Florida to win or some sort of combination.

SMH

 

[IrishJayhawk]

I would say that Romney won this debate in terms of style. He looked more at ease, and really I don't think this should be all that surprising but I understand that it is to a lot of people. I also think that it wasn't surprising to see the trailing challenger come out with more energy, and the frontrunning incumbent take a more conservative tact.

However, on substance I think the President was fine. At the very least, he held serve. He wasn't aggressive with his case, but again that seemed to be by design. I think Romney people, who are claiming a resounding victory tonight, will be a little surprised when a lot of the things he said tonight are repackaged by the Obama campaign and used against him. He said a lot of things tonight that are going to be issues for him going forward.

I like Ezra Klein too.

 

[Bluto]

Here are people's opinions of the debate:

Romney supporter - TKO, BITCHEZ!! THE COMEBACK IS ON!!!

Obama supporter - Well... Romney... I'd say it was pretty even.

All in all, I think Gawker (very liberal... duh) put it best at the end of their live blog:



This Romney starting to look like the Oakland A's to Obama's Texas Rangers... I thought this race was over.... now I think Romney might actually have a punchers chance. I expect Obama to be much more aggressive in the next debate though... it was almost as if he was unprepared for Romney to take the fight to him.

The Gawker analysis is pretty good. Overall pretty forgettable on both sides. Romney playing fast and loose with stuff will probably bite him in the *** as it has done most of the campaign.

 

[Rhode Irish]

I like Ezra Klein too.

I really do like Ezra, but if he said something tonight similar to what I said, then it is more a case of "great minds" than me ripping him off because I haven't read or seen any of his post-debate analysis. I'm not sure if that is where you were going.

(Just dawned on me that maybe you were saying Ezra and co. will have a field day taking this thing apart in the coming days, in which case I totally agree and expect the same thing.)

 

[IrishJayhawk]

I really do like Ezra, but if he said something tonight similar to what I said, then it is more a case of "great minds" than me ripping him off because I haven't read or seen any of his post-debate analysis. I'm not sure if that is where you were going.

(Just dawned on me that maybe you were saying Ezra and co. will have a field day taking this thing apart in the coming days, in which case I totally agree and expect the same thing.)

Ezra tweeted the same thing. So, there it is. Great minds! My bad for doubting you, brother.

"Romney won this debate by seeming specific. Obama got some good ads out of what he got Romney to be specific about."

 

[Rhode Irish]

Ezra tweeted the same thing. So, there it is. Great minds! My bad for doubting you, brother.

"Romney won this debate by seeming specific. Obama got some good ads out of what he got Romney to be specific about."

Ha ok. Well I hate looking like I'm ripping people off, but I feel pretty good about having the same reaction as Ezra. That dude is smart.

 

[IrishJayhawk]

Ha ok. Well I hate looking like I'm ripping people off, but I feel pretty good about having the same reaction as Ezra. That dude is smart.

Totally with you.

All right. I'm out for the night. Let's see if the needle moves over the next few days...

 

[BobD]

IMO:

Romney did better because expectations of him were lower.

The President did just enough tonight, saving the best for the last debate.

 

[jason_h537]

Wow that was ugly for Obama. He looked tired and kept looking down the whole time. Remember debates are not about facts, they are about who can win the argument. Romney flipped every argument against Obama. Romney called Obama's plan "trickle down", he attacked Obamacre, Medicare, Education, taxes, every time Romney stuck his chin out and dared Obama to swing, he just smiled and looked down.

yes, I agree with Rhode that he can use the "specifics" Romney threw out in ads, but he should have pounced then. The entire country is watching and Obama sleepwalked. Politically, this is the best moment of the Romney campaign.

 

[Downinthebend]

I think Gary Johnson won.

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