I am not happy with how Bully Romney is running over Leher, Leher should not let him do that. Why is Romney getting the last word EVERY SINGLE TIME, and now he wants to tell The President his two minutes are up when Romney was butting in all the time and speaking out of turn!?! OK, I’m not one to tell the President what to do, but I wish he would school Romney on the 716B once and for all so that he will be scared to mention it EVER AGAIN !
Half the people are saying Obama’s getting his ass kicked, the other half is saying Romney is rattled. I don’t know what to think cuz I’m not watching. All I know is Romney is contually lying.
PBO is so calm and steady yet fierce. Making the points and getting in the zingers. Willard looks rather frantic. the interrupting and trying to be the moderator as well shows weakness on his part. A bully to the end.
Willard’s perpetual smirk is nauseating. Whatever debate coach advised him to smirk throughout the debate made a huge mistake. The smirk just begging for a cream pie interruption.
No, young people were not able to stay on their parents plan. My plan did let you stay up to 24 if you were enrolled full-time in school, so only for people whose kids went to college could stay on but only if they were unmarried, otherwise they would be gone at 18, that was an unusual benefit. Now every one has access to this for their kids up to age 26, even if they are married and they don’t have to be in school.
Funky is a good word for this debate….if we can call it that
what is the purpose of this debate…it seems to be just a boxing match..old Mitt brought his etch-a-sketch and bullying tactics to the Debate…
.in this age of the internet…blogs…etc…who doesn’t know what each sides stands for…
did you really think that Romney was going to come to debate in good faith and lay his cards on the table….he came to lie…sew more confusion to the American People…
old Mitt brought his etch-a-sketch and bullying tactics to the Debate…
and it appears that may have been successful….
we can all try to 2nd guess how the President should have responded…
What????? I couldn’t disagree more. He’s the calm, sensible, smart one, winning point after point on every subject. Romney is aflutter, all over the place, flustered. President Obama has been impressive throughout.
Again, completely disagree. Obama is calm and smart in his answers. Romney just looks like a bully, rattled, with no intelligent responses, unappealing.
BWD, you’re thinking of this just like the beltway pundits. PBO is not trying impress the media or O’bots. He’s already done that and one debate is not going to change my impression of him. But that’s not how a voter is going to decide how PBO’s policies benefit them. He’s trying to get independents (undecided) on his side, not his base (who is already locked down), and certainly not the Beltway pundits.
THIS!!!!! I can’t count the amount of times he’s looked into the camera and just talked!! He’s not there to beat Willard’s ass, this debate is just a tool for him to get his message across.
I disagree. PBO is stating the facts and Romney is making up stuff and reciting what he crammed. He’s using Newt Gingrich talking points to attack the President. Well, Newt Gingrich is not President or even nominee, and there’s a reason. I still don’t know what Romney’s plans are to create jobs, healthcare, lower the deficit. He may say something else next week. Who knows?
That I agree with! He’s got it covered, because he not only understands the healthcare law, but he’s now saying Romney “won’t tell us” what he plans to do. Score.
I’m not liking Jim’s moderating at all. I like him as a journalist, but he absolutely is allowing Mitt to ramble on and on. He’s given up even trying to have him stop talking, yet keeps his eye on the clock with PBO. He is not doing his best, imo.
Just came from work and have not watched most of the exchanges. I am surprised about people saying that Jim Lehrer is not doing a good job moderating. I thought his cousin assured us that he was the model of professionalism and impartiality?
I thought he was pretty impartial and professional. But he should have been pressing Romney for truth and details, but did not. He left that to the president. The prez made a hard push for details and they went over and over the 5 T tax cut that Romney is now denying. When you are willing to lie and keep on lying it’s hard to get to the meat of it. I do think this will be great material for commercials and for the president to bring up next debate. What would really help though would be clips from the internet live during the debate every time the Mittster does his etch a sketch.
This is just opening rounds though, and unlike some others I don’t think you fight agains each lie now, and you don’t want to look like a bully. Great that Romney was impressed with the president’s familiarity with his plan, even thoug he disavowed parts of his plan. It’s going to come down to trust. MR ain’t trusted!!!!! We will continue to show why he should not be trusted. But he walked and chewed gum, so media will say he won it. We’ll see what real people think, like 2008.
Jim Lehrer was absolutely useless. Regardless, I thought PBO did what he was supposed to do: ignore WIllard’s bullshit and talk to the American people.
PBO and Leher have treated Romney like a man with honor…but Romney had no honor/ he is doing the debate pretty much what he has done in his campaign…he has lied and bullied his way…
Why is he getting the last word….again!?! Tip Oneill worked with Reagan because Dems are not obstructionists, they don’t want their president to fail, even if he is of the other party. Repubs, I hate ’em. That.is.all.
i see president obama has his theme…what’s mittbot hiding. barack’s been weaving that theme into several topics. no one gets to see these “plans.” perfect dovetail into mittbot hiding his taxes. i trust president obama knows why this is a winner.
OK I’m going to have to slap Romney myself. If Jim can’t put a muzzle on this guy, then I’m going to have to do it myself. It’s a good thing, I’m not a violent person.
Everything Pres. Lincoln created for the federal government to establish would be disestablished by Rombo. And if there were a Big Bird then, he’d be gone, too.
I know what you mean, but hey he has an awesome day job and campaigning. More than anything I think this was hard- he at least had some respect for JM. Willard is just a real piece of lying sack of elephant dung. Wow!
Jim Lehrer is heavily favoring Robmey, despite that and the Robney lies, the President is making points that no oft has heard before. That is a good thing, everything else is trivial.
I don’t think he is. He can’t sit there and fact check everything Willard says. Moderators don’t do that. He can’t yell at Willard. I think he looked far angrier at Willard than he did at PBO. He seemed to appreciate PBO’s manners. I think Willard was supposed to show how aggressive he was, and indeed, after the debate the PBS people were saying he sounded assertive and aggressive. Blech. He sounded rude and whiny. But as i got out of the car, the fact-checkers were starting and they were knocking down Willard’s lies one by one.
I’m enjoying reading all the comments, because I just couldn’t watch. My husband is watching, and I told him the people here were furious with Jim, that he’s letting Romney run all over him. I’ll watch clips later…….I spent the first hour reading my book for tomorrow’s class, then I came here to read.
Your President is doing a fantastic job having to go up against a person with no integrity and a liar on top of it. He is just full of hot air, and offers no facts as to how he will do it. Same shit, different day with Mitt.
Don’t read his blog either – He thinks Pres Clinton is the only reason PBO is ahead in the polls – His blog says Romney has won the debate BIG – He is a Thatcher man.
Kids don’t have income, Willard, so it’s okay to call them what they are: poor (even though most have more riches in life that you will never have, like good parents who are trying their best, and good morals). Don’t call them “low-income kids.” You horrible, fake, horrible man.
Ditto. Everyone’s mind is made up already. There are no true undecideds at this point. Anyone who has been paying attention knows where each man stands (well, Willard stands whereever he needs to to appeal to which ever group he is with).
Has Myth said the words “President Obama”, yet, or does he just keep saying The President… Where PBO uses Governor Romney, and Jim keeps saying governor ..
Stay cool, cause we know Jim is cutting off PBO and not Robme cause he really wants to give PBO a chance to expound, right? Heck naw! It’s too obvious. I’m really a fair minded person and bend over backwards to give the media the benefit of the doubt, but this is disgraceful. Oh wait…. I think Mitt did a zinger while I was typing this.
I fucking tired of Mitt and Jim cutting in on my President. He’s going to have to go HAM and stop being a gentleman. I don’t think he grew up in the hood, but he needs to channel that and tell them to STFU and let me talk!!!
Dd he really say that, about PBO having his own house and his own airplane…. Holy mother, he is truly a madman! I, I, I, I, I… It’s only ever about Myth, Myth, Myth… I am NOT listening to even one bloody pundit. My tv goes off as soon as this is over. I have heard enough, and I thought I was very brave to come along… STFU Myth Robney. How dare he take credit for Massachusetts…
I thought I read somewhere that when Mitt was Governor of MA education was not doing so well and that he cut lots of teachers. Besides the state being something like his 47% statement 47th out of 50 in job growth.
In a few minutes, we won’t have to worry about Jim Lehrer’s handling of this debate. And he’ll never make it into the history books. But two-term President Obama’s story is already half told. Praise the Lord.
I noticed Mitt’s weird blinking, eyes watering, smirky smile and head turning while watching PBO speak myself. He even got out his handkerchief and wiped his mouth and under his nose towards the end. I thought it was totally weird and nervous while Chris Matthews criticized Obama for looking down and not being aggressive while Romney looked right at him during the debate. If I had to look at a liar that continually changed his story I think I would be better off looking down too.
Why didn’t I know that PBO was going to save the best for last? I’m so in awe of this great mind. Did you see Mitt wipe the sweat? Yep, that’s the last impression we get. Ol’ Mitt wiping the sweat from lying like a rug all night. Yep, when you lie, PBO will walk all over yo azz.
Jim Lehrer was a huge disappointment today. He didn’t show up. He was not there. Pres. Obama’s debate skills saved his (Pres. Obama’s) ass and flustered Romney.
If Lehrer’s job was essentially just to ask the questions and see that the protocol was followed and not follow up to be sure they answered the questions, he didn’t even do that well. He let the every other question being alternating with first response and last response end up with letting Romney go last. I will need to rewatch my taped debate to see if I am overreacting or not since I am not objective, but it seemed to me that Romney was constantly butting in and answering last.
The problem is the moderator, the tempo of the debate, the questions and rebuttal. All felt off kilter to me. I think that people that supported one or the other, will STILL support that person. No game changers here….
I’m over limiting on Twitter, but I did want to tweet out…When u hear Romney, jst remember, he’s defending & only talking abt the 1% Corporate People.This is WHO he is fighting for #Forwardnotback
From what Romney said tonight you’d think he was not about the upper class but only about the middle class. Talk about an etch-a -sketch moment. He didn’t even pause but went right into it. Maybe this was his campaign pivot to get the middle class.
He didn’t have a grasp of the facts. I bet almost every single person here on TOD is more knowledgeable about all these political matters and could have challenged all the Romney lies when they popped up, which was constantly.
He didn’t, but if they were looking for the more aggressive bully, then it was Mitt. But if you listen to the answers—–like use your brain, it was a no contest for President Obama. Willard was just all bluster, no responses that made sense.
because he was able to lie consistently and was NEVER challenged by Lehrer. Lehrer also allowed him to consistently get the last word and talk over him.
To them Mitt won the debate, but do they remember what Mitt said about what he would do, or what he stand for. Or all they remember is Mitt won the debate.
I actually liked that Jim let Mitt keep talking & digging himself into a further hole! PBO kept looking his way to intervene, but I think they both got it.
President Obama appeared a little subdued and a little tired. Romney was aggressive, I’ll give him that. Not sure if this is enough to put Romney up in the swing state polls. President Obama needs to come out swinging in the next 2 debates.
well to defend the media after I ranted against them they did bring up that their is some current tormoil in the middle east that PBO has had to deal with. Obama did seem to not be completely in the debate as some would have liked but I feel that PBO still won.
Unfortunately, it will probably be the opinion of a majority of observers. I admit I was concerned about what would happen tonight. I was absolutely sure Romney would behave like a bully, not respect the rules and that the moderator would lose control of the debate. I was also sure Romney would lie through his teeth and that President Obama would have a problem because you don’t have enough time to push back against all the lies and at the same time promote your policies.
Folks, let’s not get discouraged. Barack Obama is an extraordinary president and human being and DESERVES respect and support. And the Obama campaign is going to work especially hard to create ads using all the BS and lies that Romney told tonight.
I think this sums up my feeling the best. Romney didn’t trip over his shoe laces, didn’t drool, and didn’t get too flustered. It’s a low bar, but he cleared it. He bullied the moderator and condescended to PBO. His base will love it, but it won’t sway anyone else.
I didn’t watch the end of the debate – couldn’t – Mitt lied his way through it with no policy – but he “attacked” the President – which is what the pundits like. The President missed some opportunities to hit back – he won big on medicare in that regard – but missed on some other items. PBO still expects his opposition to “play fair” – they don’t – they never will. If Mitt did get elected the reality is he would get congress on his side – democrats are bipartisan – republicans are not. Democrats love their country – republicans do not.
Mitt bullied his way into last talk on every item – it will be worse with the moderators to come.
Could it be how to address an opponent that is now taking an entirely different tact from what he did previously and still explain your own plans without going on the defensive or getting into a battle that does not let you explain your policies?
I’d hardly take the side of the pundit class who have no idea what it’s like to run a campaign over a guy who has run several campaigns and participated in several debates and who also tends to think long term in terms of winning the war, not just a few skirmishes.
My take is PBO was intentionally calm, cool and collected and most important….Presidential. Mr. Lehrer sucked as a moderator, which IMO helped PBO because there were several occasions when Mitt the Twitt talked himself into unhinged mode. Plus Mitt kept repeating the right wing nutso rhetoric which hurts him with undecideds. One point with PBO, he sure had many opportunities to punch the Twitt, hard, but pre-planned strategized against that option….for now. Hmmmmmmm.
In defense of Rev Al, if you looked at Romney’s past debates in the GOP primary, that’s true. However, he was going up against weaker candidates so he didn’t have to try as hard. When going up against Obama, he had to be better and was. But, Romney’s best just isn’t good enough. Not with all those lies.
Much to my surprise… my 13 yr old son listened to the debate via YouTube… so I asked him what he thought- his take away: I dont understand why Romney didnt just explain his ‘amazing plan’ specifically. A 13 yr old knows when he’s being hoodwinked… thus hopefully a few more Americans caught on tonight also.
It was a hard debate to listen to… POTUS all class & specifics.. Romney all BS and snot. Jim Lehrer a bit too eager for my taste in interrupting POTUS but not so eager to shut down Romney. Whatever.. If folks listened then they heard specifics from President Obama & from Romney nothing but attacks & mish mashes of word salad.. and more bs… death panels, 716 billion.. I love teachers. a whole lotta nothing.
My God I just turned on MSNBC and Chris Matthews and Ed are shouting at how poor Obama performed and how Mitt was in it. They are even talking about how he stared at PBO and our President had his head down. I have to turn them off they have me crazy saying Romney was great and PBO was awful.
You realize these are the same folks that said the debate between Joe Biden and Sarah Palin was a draw. I knew from the get go the media was going to say something like. ” The President seemed listless and tired yada, yada, yada……Mitt didn’t fall on his ass so he would be declared the winner or say the debate was at least a draw. Heard Mittens took the Gringrich approach and argued with the mod. What an ass.
if you didn’t know what was really going on, you might have believed what myth said tonight. you might think he was a credible presidential candidate. he’s one of the smoothest liars and con artists i have ever seen in action.
for the rest of us, who recognized every lie, every twist, every dog whistle, it was a repellant insult to the democratic process, to the voters, and to the function of debate.
Yeah, I turned that madness off once I heard Matthews’ ranting.
Obama could have come on stronger, but come on. This is the first of 3 debates. There’s still time especially since Romney has just dug his hole a little deeper with more lies tonight.
Tweety has completely misread this debate. There’s a method to PBO’s madness here. President Obama let Romney LIE without disruption and let him leave that debate feeling that he did GREAT. But watch out…
Romney just dug his hole a little deeper tonight and Matthew’s clearly can’t see that.
Look, if it had been any of the other Democratic POTUS hopefuls from past debates had been up there (the exception being Bill Clinton), I would have the same lack of faith as Matthews has. But, Obama (unlike past Dem hopefuls) will take advantage of all the BS Romney said tonight. You can count on that!
Tweety and the gang wanted so much to see the angry black guy that he’s crapping his pants. I’m ok with PBO’s performance and he was steadfast and detailed. I will say that PBO may want to grill Romney more on facts and pin him for more details.
Just mentioned to a friend online that before the debate, everyone was saying “PBO shouldn’t get too hotheaded.” Then, after the debate, everyone will say “PBO didn’t get hotheaded enough.” Nobody cuts him a break, but some of us. He was sure and steady. Romney lied. Enough for me.
PBO is a statesman, and this is who he is. …and I appreciate and thank im for that.
Romney won the bully prize, the lying prize and the make-it- up as you go along prize. The pundits love aggression, so they will go with their agggressive man..who will lead them down the garden path with the distortion and lies.
On another note, Fact-check may be up all night ..and on another note,truth always wins out.!
CNN debate timer said PBO had a little more time that Romney. However, it seemed opposite that because PBO spoke slower and made his points with more detail. Also, Robme rambled and didn’t take a breath, nor put a period on the end of his paragraphs.
It was a hard debate because Romney lied and lied and apparently made up a whole new platform on the spot. PBO had to decide whether to chase down each lie or tell his own story. I think it was not the best I’ve seen him but this is no game changer.
Just watching Axelrod and he is right, there was no substance in Romney tonight. He still doesn’t have a plan…basically just yapping away as he always does. Americans are not stupid, they will see the emptiness in Romneys words.
The pundits are looking at the debate as a sporting match. They want attack and everything. What about people who don’t follow politics ? Probably men like the aggressiveness, woman prefer the calmness.
God, the week is going to be difficult. Media is all excited by Romney’s “performance”.
President Obama and his team are going to find a strategy to go against a bully, without being a bully yourself.
I’m watching Andrea Mitchell and it looks like someone took forceps and and pulled her face back, and stapled it in place. When she smiles she looks like the Joker.
wow. took me a few minutes to get the tv turned off, and heard a little of the abc propaganda after…i seriously do not know why so many of you all subject yourselves to this shinola. i could’ve told you exactly what they were going to say before they said it! it’s all so predicatable and has been done exactly the same way for decades. and it did get my blood pressure up anyways…this stuff is literally killing you that watch this stuff regularly. i’m serious. turn it off. we know what they’re going to say already about everything.
i’m feeling a little deja vu from when president obama would debate mccain. people wanted him to be more aggressive and have “zingers” and so on back then too, yet our president won in a landslide. he knows what he’s doing. i even noticed austen goolsbee on abc highlight the “details” plan barack seemed to have, and occured to me how this was probably a tactical move by our president to counter the “zingers” strategy that was getting so much promotion in the news. adults out there pick up on this difference in leadership, whether consciously or subconsciously.
and here’s the main thing: THIS MESSAGING STUFF MEANS VERY LITTLE. WHY PRESIDENT OBAMA WON IN A LANDSLIDE IS ORGANIZING AND OFA, AND ON THAT FRONT, PRESIDENT OBAMA AND ALL DEMOCRATS ARE DESTROYING THE REPUBLICANS. let the media keep hemming and hawing and thinking they matter, and they NEVER TALK ABOUT THIS ASPECT JUST AS IN 2008. then everyone wonders how president obama wins in a landslide. let them keep missing the point. it’s to our advantage. now turn that crap off, y’all, we’re doing great!
I haven’t watched the commentators after the debats. I sent some nasties to Gregory for being a partisan hack but that’s about it. The media is nothing but predictable.
As many predicted, the MSM is crowning Romney “King Mitt”. Mitt was all bluster and bloviating but utterly free of facts and specifics. Mitt flip flopped all over himself. In my opinion PBO won the whole debate during the Medicare segment when he forced Mitt to admit to the drastic changes people who are 55yrs and younger will face under Mitt’s plan. Overall, PBO was calm and steady during the debate. It must be hard to debate someone who lies all the time, especially when the moderator is MIA. PBO came across presidential (although I wish he did not keep his eyes down when Mitt was speaking/lying). PBO gave voters food for thought (why won’t Mitt give details of his plans). Mitt was all smoke and mirrors, just saying whatever he thinks people want to hear. He came across as slimy in his refusal to give specifics and often did not make coherent sense in his responses. Mitt came across like a used car salesman.
I had the same feelings about the Medicare portion of the debate, Eric Five. Before I turned off MSNBC when the pundits came on I heard Ed Schultz skewer the President on Medicare saying he sounded just like the GOP on it. He needed to say something Ed wanted to hear so PBO seemed no better than the GOP to Ed. I thought were we listening to the same debate?
Ed and the gang at MSNBC had their “Mitt Won the Debate” talking points written before the debate began. No matter what PBO would have done, they would have declared Mitt the winner. Their over the top criticism of PBO while letting Mitt off the hook for lying and flip flopping was as pathetic as it was predictable.
SInce when being a bully makes you look like a leader. Romney was smug and a bully. He did not give a damn about the truth. Spin it, spin it. Bluster enough so no one knows that it is all smoke and mirrors.
Obama won the debate because he was measured, consistent and a gentleman. Nuff said.
I thought it was interesting when Romney said under his plan, if you don’t like your insurance, just quit and find another company. Yeah, like that happens. Quit and be told that now you can’t get insurance because now you have existing conditions. Quit and pay double somewhere else! Anyone who has had to buy their own insurance knows what a crock that is. And what was the part about people losing the insurance they already have?
I think it was difficult for PBO because there were just so. many. lies.
“Mr. Romney interrupting the moderator is not going over well.
“So arrogant!” Mr. Jernigan said. “He thinks he gets the last word on everything.”
Ms. Gardner added: “It’s typical salesman, businessman. He wants to always have the last word. But it comes across as rude.”
Mr. Obama scores well for defending himself, so far.
“A big complaint I hear is that Obama is a big elitist, a smug blah-blah, and it’s Romney who is doing the snarky things,” Ms. Jernigan said.
Her husband added: “I think hanging out with Bill Clinton has done him well. He’s doing a better job of explaining, ‘Here’s what we did and here’s why we did it.’ It’s better than I’ve seen him do in the past, so I’m pretty pleased with his performance so far.”
Jernigan is apparently an independent leaning toward Pres. Obama.
Q: Do corporations actually get a tax break for relocating manufacturing overseas? — johng158, New York City
Annie Lowrey: It is true. The tax code currently does allow companies to deduct certain expenses when they move operations overseas. As part of its plan to aid the manufacturing sector and promote job growth, the Obama administration has proposed ending this deduction, and giving tax credits to companies moving jobs back to the United States.
So Romney’s probably going to be firing his accountants tomorrow – he didn’t even know about this!!! (Oh yeah, tell me another one!)
. Mr. Obama said the House budget authored by Mr. Romney’s running mate, Representative Paul D. Ryan, would cut “the education budget up to 20 percent.”
Mr. Romney rejected the charge. “I’m not going to cut education funding,” he said. “I don’t have a plan to cut education funding.”
But in the past Mr. Romney has said he would do just that.
In a speech to donors in Florida in the spring overheard by reporters, Mr. Romney said he would either merge the federal Education Department with another agency “or perhaps make it a heck of a lot smaller.”
The House budget that Mr. Ryan authored and Mr. Romney has said he largely supports includes large cuts to federal programs, but does not specify how they would be distributed across the federal government. The White House, which vehemently opposed the budget, calculated that if the cuts were distributed evenly across departments and programs, it would mean eliminating 38,000 teachers and aides for poor children in 2014 and 27,000 special education teachers and support staff. In addition, 200,000 children would be dropped from Head Start and other early education programs.
Fact Check:
Fact Check: Did Half of Green Companies Fail?
A number of readers, including Patty Freeman-Lynde from Athens, asked about Mr. Romney’s charge that half the companies invested in under the president’s green energy stimulus have gone out of business.
That is a gross overstatement. Of nearly three dozen recipients of loans under the Department of Energy’s loan guarantee program, only three are currently in bankruptcy, although several others are facing financial difficulties.
““I don’t know the specifics of these things, so some of it didn’t mean a lot to me,” said Mr. Gardner, the independent voter who hosted the viewing party. “Like I said before we started, I hate the, ‘I’m going to repeal what you did and do something that’s better!’ Who doesn’t want to hear that? Basically nothing changed for me.”
reposted from current thread to all those night owls or those supporting PBO in different timezones…
Best way to review this debate is to read the actual transcript. When you don’t have the visuals to sway you of a ‘false’ win, there was an incredible amount of substance from PBO along with daming confirmations by Romney, which will hurt him.
I watched the debate for the 2nd time and I must say that President Obama has excellent and on message. A clear choice. Romney has been all over the place and being multiple choices.
Thank GOD for President Obama!
Obama White House.gov
The Obama Diary 
Love it
Me three
Oops!
Claire two!
Might come up in the “governing” part.
I hope so J.
fucking lehrer now suddenly discovers the two minute rule ?
I am not happy with how Bully Romney is running over Leher, Leher should not let him do that. Why is Romney getting the last word EVERY SINGLE TIME, and now he wants to tell The President his two minutes are up when Romney was butting in all the time and speaking out of turn!?! OK, I’m not one to tell the President what to do, but I wish he would school Romney on the 716B once and for all so that he will be scared to mention it EVER AGAIN !
President Obama has been interrupting as we’ll, and also has told Lehrer he should get more time.
Trip all over your floppy self Myth, you are proving what an idiot you are…
Lehrer has got to stop interrupting Pres. Obama and giving Romney unfiltered air time. It’s fucking annoying.
Lehrer needs to put his foot down, he’s getting railroaded.
In Clinton Mcain debates PBO never hit harder than he had to. Tonight I wish he’d knock this PUTZ out.
Under Romney and his proposed cuts to PBS, Big Bird will be on the corner of Sesame Street selling the all the letters of the alphabet.
funny, cookemom
Love it!
Democrats in MA could give some advice to Repiblicans in Congress onhow to cooperate – BAM!
PBO is tossing out some great zingers, isn’t he? Applause here!
Buuuuut, Buuut, But wait … I thought Romney was gonna toss zingers? You mean PBO has stolen them? Bwahahahahahaha!
oh and CLAP, CLAP, CLAP!
Snap!!!!!!!OBAMACARE IS A REPUB IDEA, ROBME. HA
‘The democrats in Mass. could have given the repubs in the house lessons omn cooperation” Boom!
zinger.
That was perfect! Shut down Rombo.
Loved it! And he tried so hard not to smile…. Happy Anniversary Sir!
hey asshole lehrer – two minute rule ?
Romney’s idea of health care is to go to the emergency room, mention that!
I know I wish he would say that.
Twitter is going nuts right now.
Half the people are saying Obama’s getting his ass kicked, the other half is saying Romney is rattled. I don’t know what to think cuz I’m not watching. All I know is Romney is contually lying.
Romney is providing no information – he is not winning – he is simply arguing against the President.
exactly.
It’s a partisan crowd.
My feel on debates is that the people watching are rooting for their person chosen prior to the debate and see it from that point of view.
Too long for Romney to explain his plan – despite Jim doesn’t force the issue – EVERYONE is hearing Mitt NOT providing his policies
So true!
PBO is so calm and steady yet fierce. Making the points and getting in the zingers. Willard looks rather frantic. the interrupting and trying to be the moderator as well shows weakness on his part. A bully to the end.
“Free People?”
Go ahead, just throw up, Rombo, you know you want to, we won’t look. He looks ghastly – like he might faint. Maybe it’s the weight of all those lies.
willard needs to chill out, he’s such a tight ass.
this man is full of shyte
Lies about the board that will decide what healthcare you will get…. I’m getting a buzz on now….where’s the zingers? Is that code for LIES??
Wasn’t it the private market that caused the insurance companies to get out of contro?
WTF IS HE TALKING ABOUT?
THIS
Lehrer appears to not be knowledgeable enough on the facts, or is unwilling to challenge.
Not sure that’s his role? I think it would be hard to fact check on the spot like that. The possibility of making a mistake would be big.
Pres. Obama is nailing the ObamaCare debate. He is explaining healthcare in simple terms that everyone understands.
Willard’s perpetual smirk is nauseating. Whatever debate coach advised him to smirk throughout the debate made a huge mistake. The smirk just begging for a cream pie interruption.
May I run to the grocery store for you?
President Obama explains the law to deadbeat Rombo. Thank you, sir.
No, young people were not able to stay on their parents plan. My plan did let you stay up to 24 if you were enrolled full-time in school, so only for people whose kids went to college could stay on but only if they were unmarried, otherwise they would be gone at 18, that was an unusual benefit. Now every one has access to this for their kids up to age 26, even if they are married and they don’t have to be in school.
PBO is out of shape, it’s not a good debate, I’m afraid. He’s got so much material and he uses nothing.
I don’t agree, but we’ll all agree to worry our way through because we just have to get him re-elected.
I disagree with BWD 100 %.
Mostly agree with BWD. Is he saving some of this for next time? Don’t get it.
Of course you agree.
hahahhahhahahhahahhahahhahhahahhahahha!!!!!!! 😆
I think it’s just a funky debate to begin with. No one is learning another sides plans for the people….
DF…
Funky is a good word for this debate….if we can call it that
what is the purpose of this debate…it seems to be just a boxing match..old Mitt brought his etch-a-sketch and bullying tactics to the Debate…
.in this age of the internet…blogs…etc…who doesn’t know what each sides stands for…
did you really think that Romney was going to come to debate in good faith and lay his cards on the table….he came to lie…sew more confusion to the American People…
old Mitt brought his etch-a-sketch and bullying tactics to the Debate…
and it appears that may have been successful….
we can all try to 2nd guess how the President should have responded…
No, BWD. PBO is explaining how it all is very well. Much like Clinton at the DNC. Folks will respond favorably to our guy and reject the rude bully.
BWD, what are you afraid of? Pres.Obama is doing fine.
What????? I couldn’t disagree more. He’s the calm, sensible, smart one, winning point after point on every subject. Romney is aflutter, all over the place, flustered. President Obama has been impressive throughout.
I think he looks disconnect and he’s not half as sharp as he should be. Plus, he let the bully bullying him. And not mentioning the 47% is terrible
Again, completely disagree. Obama is calm and smart in his answers. Romney just looks like a bully, rattled, with no intelligent responses, unappealing.
It is not over yet.
BWD, you’re thinking of this just like the beltway pundits. PBO is not trying impress the media or O’bots. He’s already done that and one debate is not going to change my impression of him. But that’s not how a voter is going to decide how PBO’s policies benefit them. He’s trying to get independents (undecided) on his side, not his base (who is already locked down), and certainly not the Beltway pundits.
THIS!!!!! I can’t count the amount of times he’s looked into the camera and just talked!! He’s not there to beat Willard’s ass, this debate is just a tool for him to get his message across.
I disagree. PBO is stating the facts and Romney is making up stuff and reciting what he crammed. He’s using Newt Gingrich talking points to attack the President. Well, Newt Gingrich is not President or even nominee, and there’s a reason. I still don’t know what Romney’s plans are to create jobs, healthcare, lower the deficit. He may say something else next week. Who knows?
PBO is hanging his healthcare around his neck….GOOD!
That I agree with! He’s got it covered, because he not only understands the healthcare law, but he’s now saying Romney “won’t tell us” what he plans to do. Score.
I’m not liking Jim’s moderating at all. I like him as a journalist, but he absolutely is allowing Mitt to ramble on and on. He’s given up even trying to have him stop talking, yet keeps his eye on the clock with PBO. He is not doing his best, imo.
Every time – Mitt has to get the last word
Just came from work and have not watched most of the exchanges. I am surprised about people saying that Jim Lehrer is not doing a good job moderating. I thought his cousin assured us that he was the model of professionalism and impartiality?
I thought he was pretty impartial and professional. But he should have been pressing Romney for truth and details, but did not. He left that to the president. The prez made a hard push for details and they went over and over the 5 T tax cut that Romney is now denying. When you are willing to lie and keep on lying it’s hard to get to the meat of it. I do think this will be great material for commercials and for the president to bring up next debate. What would really help though would be clips from the internet live during the debate every time the Mittster does his etch a sketch.
This is just opening rounds though, and unlike some others I don’t think you fight agains each lie now, and you don’t want to look like a bully. Great that Romney was impressed with the president’s familiarity with his plan, even thoug he disavowed parts of his plan. It’s going to come down to trust. MR ain’t trusted!!!!! We will continue to show why he should not be trusted. But he walked and chewed gum, so media will say he won it. We’ll see what real people think, like 2008.
Jim Lehrer was absolutely useless. Regardless, I thought PBO did what he was supposed to do: ignore WIllard’s bullshit and talk to the American people.
YES PBO!!!!!
Jom – shut him up
JIM drat my fingers
DETAILS!
We remember Ronald Reagan, Rombo, and you’re no Ronald Reagan.
PBO and Leher have treated Romney like a man with honor…but Romney had no honor/ he is doing the debate pretty much what he has done in his campaign…he has lied and bullied his way…
and how do you handle a bully….
He is a bully!
Finally. Obama going after the details. He should have done that from the beginning.
Lerher sucks as a moderator. He’s letting Mitt run right over him. Why is he even there?
That’s what my #2 said. She’s looked forward to this for so long and now she wants to bite Lerher.
Why is he getting the last word….again!?! Tip Oneill worked with Reagan because Dems are not obstructionists, they don’t want their president to fail, even if he is of the other party. Repubs, I hate ’em. That.is.all.
egg.sack.lee. lehrer is a wimp.
He has been lying all night.
STFU lehrer.
Ignore him. PBO’s got it.
POTUS is picking Romney apart. He just nailed him for not being specific and not giving details about his plans.
i see president obama has his theme…what’s mittbot hiding. barack’s been weaving that theme into several topics. no one gets to see these “plans.” perfect dovetail into mittbot hiding his taxes. i trust president obama knows why this is a winner.
OK I’m going to have to slap Romney myself. If Jim can’t put a muzzle on this guy, then I’m going to have to do it myself. It’s a good thing, I’m not a violent person.
If he says that the feds are taking over healthcare one more time…I will fucking break my computer
Everything Pres. Lincoln created for the federal government to establish would be disestablished by Rombo. And if there were a Big Bird then, he’d be gone, too.
If you can’t dazzle them with brilliance, baffle them with bullshit.
AMEN df.
WRONG…. Maryland schools have been ranked #1 for the past 4 years.
Wish PO would stop looking down so much. Why is he doing that?
He probably can’t stand looking at a blatant liar.
Taking notes I think and maybe looking at his own notes…
It is better to pretend you are writing notes looking down to showing emotions on your face.
I know what you mean, but hey he has an awesome day job and campaigning. More than anything I think this was hard- he at least had some respect for JM. Willard is just a real piece of lying sack of elephant dung. Wow!
food stamps again…
Jim Lehrer is heavily favoring Robmey, despite that and the Robney lies, the President is making points that no oft has heard before. That is a good thing, everything else is trivial.
I don’t think he is. He can’t sit there and fact check everything Willard says. Moderators don’t do that. He can’t yell at Willard. I think he looked far angrier at Willard than he did at PBO. He seemed to appreciate PBO’s manners. I think Willard was supposed to show how aggressive he was, and indeed, after the debate the PBS people were saying he sounded assertive and aggressive. Blech. He sounded rude and whiny. But as i got out of the car, the fact-checkers were starting and they were knocking down Willard’s lies one by one.
Again Mitt does not answer directly. Lehere asks for specifics, but still none from Mitt.
oh boy. plain ‘murka is free bs from mittbot.
school vouchers…
Vochers again. Really Mitt.
tnmtngirl, Pres. Obama is looking at his notes.
K. I know JL is Carolyn’s cousin but he is doing a lousy job. Romney is steam-rolling him. There he goes again…..interrupting and just goes on and on.
I’m enjoying reading all the comments, because I just couldn’t watch. My husband is watching, and I told him the people here were furious with Jim, that he’s letting Romney run all over him. I’ll watch clips later…….I spent the first hour reading my book for tomorrow’s class, then I came here to read.
Your President is doing a fantastic job having to go up against a person with no integrity and a liar on top of it. He is just full of hot air, and offers no facts as to how he will do it. Same shit, different day with Mitt.
Don’t read Andrew Sullivan’s tweets! Just don’t!
why?
Don’t read his blog either – He thinks Pres Clinton is the only reason PBO is ahead in the polls – His blog says Romney has won the debate BIG – He is a Thatcher man.
Thanks for the heads up, I’ve read his blog many times. Clinton was good, but this president is better.
Kids don’t have income, Willard, so it’s okay to call them what they are: poor (even though most have more riches in life that you will never have, like good parents who are trying their best, and good morals). Don’t call them “low-income kids.” You horrible, fake, horrible man.
PBO: “Ryan’s budget wasn’t very detailed… this seems to be a trend”
WTF is up with Jim Lehrer interrupting Pres. Obama and allowing Romney to bully him?
Yup. Horrible one sided ‘moderation’.
It was horrible. He let Mr. Etch-a sketch interrupt and talk out of turn but wouldn’t give the President of the United states a few extra seconds.
‘It wasn’t very detailed; this seems to be a trend” Bamm! go there PBO
Lehre has interuuped PBO twice, but not Romney. I am done with J L. I had respect for him until this. He has done a piss-poor job.
I will be glad when tonight is over. Can we vote today, please.
Ditto. Everyone’s mind is made up already. There are no true undecideds at this point. Anyone who has been paying attention knows where each man stands (well, Willard stands whereever he needs to to appeal to which ever group he is with).
He is saying that PBO Is boring and is losing.
A twitter account called @SilentJimLehrer just popped up.
what seriously? I gotta go check this out
I am so glad I’m not watching this.
Has Myth said the words “President Obama”, yet, or does he just keep saying The President… Where PBO uses Governor Romney, and Jim keeps saying governor ..
Romney isn’t going to cut anything – so how is he going to balance the budget
willard stop yelling!
Stay cool, cause we know Jim is cutting off PBO and not Robme cause he really wants to give PBO a chance to expound, right? Heck naw! It’s too obvious. I’m really a fair minded person and bend over backwards to give the media the benefit of the doubt, but this is disgraceful. Oh wait…. I think Mitt did a zinger while I was typing this.
I fucking tired of Mitt and Jim cutting in on my President. He’s going to have to go HAM and stop being a gentleman. I don’t think he grew up in the hood, but he needs to channel that and tell them to STFU and let me talk!!!
Nah. His presidential coolness will win the day. (But I know what you mean – that’s what I feel like doing!)
Apparently Romney’s not planning to do anything in the plan he’s been running on for months… It’s the Etch-A-Sketch Full Monty!
Piece of sh-t Mitt tells PBO he is not entitled to his own facts. Just disgusting.
A retread….it doesn’t work after the first 4,000 times Tired and old
I think the Obama Team has used that on Mitt during the campaign. He borrowed it. Nothing he has is original, except his arrogance.
Why is Leher letting Mitt run over time? Say whatever he wants to? Why is he letting Mitt interrupt. everyone!
aarrgghh – the same old gobinment crap from mittbot.
Dd he really say that, about PBO having his own house and his own airplane…. Holy mother, he is truly a madman! I, I, I, I, I… It’s only ever about Myth, Myth, Myth… I am NOT listening to even one bloody pundit. My tv goes off as soon as this is over. I have heard enough, and I thought I was very brave to come along… STFU Myth Robney. How dare he take credit for Massachusetts…
He wants that plane and he wants that house. And he will never have them. That thought is how I’ll sleep at night until Nov. 7!
I thought I read somewhere that when Mitt was Governor of MA education was not doing so well and that he cut lots of teachers. Besides the state being something like his 47% statement 47th out of 50 in job growth.
My son just txtd me (he’s @ Uni in CA): “Big Bird?” Sounds like that’s trending!
Lawd have mercy, he’s now talking nonsense about education & green jobs! Totally incomprehensible!
First, he says “your poor” then he says “poor kids” And you think he’s going to help you. Please, give me break!!
It’s akin to Ann’s saying “you people.” He’s not touched by any kids who are poor. No empathy whatsoever.
“poor kids, Uh, I mean, lower income kids” …. Ef’fer.
In a few minutes, we won’t have to worry about Jim Lehrer’s handling of this debate. And he’ll never make it into the history books. But two-term President Obama’s story is already half told. Praise the Lord.
YES. YES. YES! money bomb happening now! I love Barack Hussein Obama!
Well, now I feel like I need to do penance for exposing myself to Mitt for 90 minutes
Right there with you, LL, that was my dilemma, but I am glad I stood with PBO.
ohgod, I feel the same way.
Ohhh. A zinger from Robney. Telling the president is not entitled to his own facts. LIAR.
THIS:
This is a great summary of what we have seen.
I’m done after PBO…don’t give 2 shits what Mitt says
OMG, PBO just read da dood his effing rights! And dood just kept doing that weird blinking!
I noticed Mitt’s weird blinking, eyes watering, smirky smile and head turning while watching PBO speak myself. He even got out his handkerchief and wiped his mouth and under his nose towards the end. I thought it was totally weird and nervous while Chris Matthews criticized Obama for looking down and not being aggressive while Romney looked right at him during the debate. If I had to look at a liar that continually changed his story I think I would be better off looking down too.
i GOTTA TAKE A SHOWER AND THINK PBO SHOULD TOO.
Why didn’t I know that PBO was going to save the best for last? I’m so in awe of this great mind. Did you see Mitt wipe the sweat? Yep, that’s the last impression we get. Ol’ Mitt wiping the sweat from lying like a rug all night. Yep, when you lie, PBO will walk all over yo azz.
what did he say? I”m not watching
Too much to recap, but it was a good calm and specific delivery of PBO’s accomplishments. Someone else will clue you in, I’m sure.
Someone will have to tell me what what’s his face says….I closed out CSpan
Yup.
Jim Lehrer was a huge disappointment today. He didn’t show up. He was not there. Pres. Obama’s debate skills saved his (Pres. Obama’s) ass and flustered Romney.
He really ruined it for me. He did not exert any control and I don’t believe the questions advanced our knowledge. UGH.
I think PBO held his own.
Muting Mitt. It’s what I do.
Really, he looks sick with all that pancake makeup on. They should have put lipstick on that pig for a little color.
I muted Willard’s closing speech. I did not want to throw up in my mouth. What was his summary?
repeated ALL the lies that went unchecked by Lehrer
If Lehrer’s job was essentially just to ask the questions and see that the protocol was followed and not follow up to be sure they answered the questions, he didn’t even do that well. He let the every other question being alternating with first response and last response end up with letting Romney go last. I will need to rewatch my taped debate to see if I am overreacting or not since I am not objective, but it seemed to me that Romney was constantly butting in and answering last.
I muted it on willard’s closing remarks. Couldn’t stand the lies.
This debate was NOT moderated very well at all. Off goes the TV, I’m done.
The problem is the moderator, the tempo of the debate, the questions and rebuttal. All felt off kilter to me. I think that people that supported one or the other, will STILL support that person. No game changers here….
Agreed, no game changers. But there was a lot that can be used in an ad.
The problem was Romney and his whiny rudeness
After Ms. Cutter’s video and now watching the debate, I get the impression Team OFA wanted Robme to talk.
I’m over limiting on Twitter, but I did want to tweet out…When u hear Romney, jst remember, he’s defending & only talking abt the 1% Corporate People.This is WHO he is fighting for #Forwardnotback
From what Romney said tonight you’d think he was not about the upper class but only about the middle class. Talk about an etch-a -sketch moment. He didn’t even pause but went right into it. Maybe this was his campaign pivot to get the middle class.
All done, this was painful for Lerher and I think he may have lost some respect of folks who held him in high regard for his journalistic acumen.
That was painful for me, too. I had to fight the urge to poke sharp sticks in my ears every time Robme spoke.
He didn’t have a grasp of the facts. I bet almost every single person here on TOD is more knowledgeable about all these political matters and could have challenged all the Romney lies when they popped up, which was constantly.
Precisely
Did Mitt reallly argue with the moderator?
Everyone on twitter is saying Romney won the debate.
He didn’t, but if they were looking for the more aggressive bully, then it was Mitt. But if you listen to the answers—–like use your brain, it was a no contest for President Obama. Willard was just all bluster, no responses that made sense.
One question: WHY????!!!!
because he was able to lie consistently and was NEVER challenged by Lehrer. Lehrer also allowed him to consistently get the last word and talk over him.
NOT ME BABY!
To them Mitt won the debate, but do they remember what Mitt said about what he would do, or what he stand for. Or all they remember is Mitt won the debate.
I actually liked that Jim let Mitt keep talking & digging himself into a further hole! PBO kept looking his way to intervene, but I think they both got it.
My verdict
Obama – 1 on talking specifics and policy
mittbot – 1 on hogging the debate time without offering any specifics.
lehrer – 0 on letting mittbot do just that
MSNBainC crowning Robney the winner.
That’s bullshit!
First up, Steve Smith saying Romney is just Super duper.
Whatever!
That was pre-planned. Steve Smith chose Sarah Palin. That’s the extent of his judgment.
President Obama appeared a little subdued and a little tired. Romney was aggressive, I’ll give him that. Not sure if this is enough to put Romney up in the swing state polls. President Obama needs to come out swinging in the next 2 debates.
that would be a true statement.
This will be the consensus and it’s hard for me to argue with them right now. But maybe the public polls will show different story.
well to defend the media after I ranted against them they did bring up that their is some current tormoil in the middle east that PBO has had to deal with. Obama did seem to not be completely in the debate as some would have liked but I feel that PBO still won.
Unfortunately, it will probably be the opinion of a majority of observers. I admit I was concerned about what would happen tonight. I was absolutely sure Romney would behave like a bully, not respect the rules and that the moderator would lose control of the debate. I was also sure Romney would lie through his teeth and that President Obama would have a problem because you don’t have enough time to push back against all the lies and at the same time promote your policies.
Folks, let’s not get discouraged. Barack Obama is an extraordinary president and human being and DESERVES respect and support. And the Obama campaign is going to work especially hard to create ads using all the BS and lies that Romney told tonight.
I think this sums up my feeling the best. Romney didn’t trip over his shoe laces, didn’t drool, and didn’t get too flustered. It’s a low bar, but he cleared it. He bullied the moderator and condescended to PBO. His base will love it, but it won’t sway anyone else.
Are you listening to this BULLSHIT analysis?
Um, no. Sorry. 🙂
I didn’t watch the end of the debate – couldn’t – Mitt lied his way through it with no policy – but he “attacked” the President – which is what the pundits like. The President missed some opportunities to hit back – he won big on medicare in that regard – but missed on some other items. PBO still expects his opposition to “play fair” – they don’t – they never will. If Mitt did get elected the reality is he would get congress on his side – democrats are bipartisan – republicans are not. Democrats love their country – republicans do not.
Mitt bullied his way into last talk on every item – it will be worse with the moderators to come.
Was this the zinger?
Mitt Zinger! “Mr. President you’re entitled to your own airplane and your own house but not your own facts.” #zingerfail
Thank you Mr President for ‘tuning in’ tonight. Also. Too
Boom! This was quick!
Exactly
Mitt acted like a desperate man needing a life-line
Al Sharpton: “No doubt Mitt Romney was at his best tonight. But his best is not good enough.”
I have to say I agree with Chris.
me too…I felt PBO was distracted by something
May because Mitt had his little granddaughter in the front row?
Could it be how to address an opponent that is now taking an entirely different tact from what he did previously and still explain your own plans without going on the defensive or getting into a battle that does not let you explain your policies?
I am not with Chris, Chipsticks, Blackwaterdog, or any of the Obama wasn’t on his game
I’d hardly take the side of the pundit class who have no idea what it’s like to run a campaign over a guy who has run several campaigns and participated in several debates and who also tends to think long term in terms of winning the war, not just a few skirmishes.
I like the way PBO slapped down Romney’s bipartisan nonsense.
Me too, he did a great job on that.
Ed Shultz says the President sucked!
This is our liberal media!
Chris Hayes says that Robney was for things that he was challenged on.
Wow!
What debate did they watch?
Rev Al says Romney had his best debate???
He did?
WTF are they talking about?
My take is PBO was intentionally calm, cool and collected and most important….Presidential. Mr. Lehrer sucked as a moderator, which IMO helped PBO because there were several occasions when Mitt the Twitt talked himself into unhinged mode. Plus Mitt kept repeating the right wing nutso rhetoric which hurts him with undecideds. One point with PBO, he sure had many opportunities to punch the Twitt, hard, but pre-planned strategized against that option….for now. Hmmmmmmm.
In defense of Rev Al, if you looked at Romney’s past debates in the GOP primary, that’s true. However, he was going up against weaker candidates so he didn’t have to try as hard. When going up against Obama, he had to be better and was. But, Romney’s best just isn’t good enough. Not with all those lies.
I did not like hearing Chris Matthews and Ed Schultz bash PBO after the debate. Both tend to be quick to pivot into criticism.
It reminds me of …with friends like this who needs enemies.
Much to my surprise… my 13 yr old son listened to the debate via YouTube… so I asked him what he thought- his take away: I dont understand why Romney didnt just explain his ‘amazing plan’ specifically. A 13 yr old knows when he’s being hoodwinked… thus hopefully a few more Americans caught on tonight also.
It was a hard debate to listen to… POTUS all class & specifics.. Romney all BS and snot. Jim Lehrer a bit too eager for my taste in interrupting POTUS but not so eager to shut down Romney. Whatever.. If folks listened then they heard specifics from President Obama & from Romney nothing but attacks & mish mashes of word salad.. and more bs… death panels, 716 billion.. I love teachers. a whole lotta nothing.
Yup. mittbot was his usual entitled boorish self and fucking lehrer let him.
My God I just turned on MSNBC and Chris Matthews and Ed are shouting at how poor Obama performed and how Mitt was in it. They are even talking about how he stared at PBO and our President had his head down. I have to turn them off they have me crazy saying Romney was great and PBO was awful.
MSMBC must have got their oil money finally.
You realize these are the same folks that said the debate between Joe Biden and Sarah Palin was a draw. I knew from the get go the media was going to say something like. ” The President seemed listless and tired yada, yada, yada……Mitt didn’t fall on his ass so he would be declared the winner or say the debate was at least a draw. Heard Mittens took the Gringrich approach and argued with the mod. What an ass.
if you didn’t know what was really going on, you might have believed what myth said tonight. you might think he was a credible presidential candidate. he’s one of the smoothest liars and con artists i have ever seen in action.
for the rest of us, who recognized every lie, every twist, every dog whistle, it was a repellant insult to the democratic process, to the voters, and to the function of debate.
Thanks susanne – describes it to perfection. I would add, Mitt acted like the bully that he is.
New post:
http://theobamadiary.com/2012/10/03/chat-away-65/
In other news, PPP has Carmona up by 2 pts on Flake!! Happy day!!
I don’t think independent voters are going to buy any of Romney’s rants!
MSNBainC is tearing the President up.
Wow! Robney is getting a huge assist!
Yeah, I turned that madness off once I heard Matthews’ ranting.
Obama could have come on stronger, but come on. This is the first of 3 debates. There’s still time especially since Romney has just dug his hole a little deeper with more lies tonight.
Tweety has completely misread this debate. There’s a method to PBO’s madness here. President Obama let Romney LIE without disruption and let him leave that debate feeling that he did GREAT. But watch out…
Romney just dug his hole a little deeper tonight and Matthew’s clearly can’t see that.
Look, if it had been any of the other Democratic POTUS hopefuls from past debates had been up there (the exception being Bill Clinton), I would have the same lack of faith as Matthews has. But, Obama (unlike past Dem hopefuls) will take advantage of all the BS Romney said tonight. You can count on that!
Tweety and the gang wanted so much to see the angry black guy that he’s crapping his pants. I’m ok with PBO’s performance and he was steadfast and detailed. I will say that PBO may want to grill Romney more on facts and pin him for more details.
Just mentioned to a friend online that before the debate, everyone was saying “PBO shouldn’t get too hotheaded.” Then, after the debate, everyone will say “PBO didn’t get hotheaded enough.” Nobody cuts him a break, but some of us. He was sure and steady. Romney lied. Enough for me.
Bingo, jacquelineoboomer!
Ahhhhh…..now the moronic pundits tell us Pres. Obama failed. If you called moronic pundits giving moronic analysis…..DRINK!
PBO is a statesman, and this is who he is. …and I appreciate and thank im for that.
Romney won the bully prize, the lying prize and the make-it- up as you go along prize. The pundits love aggression, so they will go with their agggressive man..who will lead them down the garden path with the distortion and lies.
On another note, Fact-check may be up all night ..and on another note,truth always wins out.!
CNN debate timer said PBO had a little more time that Romney. However, it seemed opposite that because PBO spoke slower and made his points with more detail. Also, Robme rambled and didn’t take a breath, nor put a period on the end of his paragraphs.
Hey you guys there’s supposed to be some comments by joe biden post debate here:
http://www.barackobama.com/live/october-3?source=socnet_20121003_O2_TW_DEBATE_SITE2_SIGNON&utm_medium=tw&utm_source=o2_tw&utm_campaign=socnet_20121003_O2_TW_DEBATE_SITE2_SIGNON
he’s on now!
The President has to do far better in the next debate and just show how he is lying through pearly white teeth.
It was a hard debate because Laher was such an idiot.
It was a hard debate because Romney lied and lied and apparently made up a whole new platform on the spot. PBO had to decide whether to chase down each lie or tell his own story. I think it was not the best I’ve seen him but this is no game changer.
btw when is the next debate? Not the VP
Just watching Axelrod and he is right, there was no substance in Romney tonight. He still doesn’t have a plan…basically just yapping away as he always does. Americans are not stupid, they will see the emptiness in Romneys words.
My TL indicates that it was pretty much a draw. PBO was calm, and if Romney “won”, it was because he was a bully and lied.
The pundits are looking at the debate as a sporting match. They want attack and everything. What about people who don’t follow politics ? Probably men like the aggressiveness, woman prefer the calmness.
God, the week is going to be difficult. Media is all excited by Romney’s “performance”.
President Obama and his team are going to find a strategy to go against a bully, without being a bully yourself.
I’m watching Andrea Mitchell and it looks like someone took forceps and and pulled her face back, and stapled it in place. When she smiles she looks like the Joker.
Hey! That’s my twitter nick!
wow. took me a few minutes to get the tv turned off, and heard a little of the abc propaganda after…i seriously do not know why so many of you all subject yourselves to this shinola. i could’ve told you exactly what they were going to say before they said it! it’s all so predicatable and has been done exactly the same way for decades. and it did get my blood pressure up anyways…this stuff is literally killing you that watch this stuff regularly. i’m serious. turn it off. we know what they’re going to say already about everything.
i’m feeling a little deja vu from when president obama would debate mccain. people wanted him to be more aggressive and have “zingers” and so on back then too, yet our president won in a landslide. he knows what he’s doing. i even noticed austen goolsbee on abc highlight the “details” plan barack seemed to have, and occured to me how this was probably a tactical move by our president to counter the “zingers” strategy that was getting so much promotion in the news. adults out there pick up on this difference in leadership, whether consciously or subconsciously.
and here’s the main thing: THIS MESSAGING STUFF MEANS VERY LITTLE. WHY PRESIDENT OBAMA WON IN A LANDSLIDE IS ORGANIZING AND OFA, AND ON THAT FRONT, PRESIDENT OBAMA AND ALL DEMOCRATS ARE DESTROYING THE REPUBLICANS. let the media keep hemming and hawing and thinking they matter, and they NEVER TALK ABOUT THIS ASPECT JUST AS IN 2008. then everyone wonders how president obama wins in a landslide. let them keep missing the point. it’s to our advantage. now turn that crap off, y’all, we’re doing great!
I haven’t watched the commentators after the debats. I sent some nasties to Gregory for being a partisan hack but that’s about it. The media is nothing but predictable.
THIS! Our organizer in chief will win the day – in a landslide!
As many predicted, the MSM is crowning Romney “King Mitt”. Mitt was all bluster and bloviating but utterly free of facts and specifics. Mitt flip flopped all over himself. In my opinion PBO won the whole debate during the Medicare segment when he forced Mitt to admit to the drastic changes people who are 55yrs and younger will face under Mitt’s plan. Overall, PBO was calm and steady during the debate. It must be hard to debate someone who lies all the time, especially when the moderator is MIA. PBO came across presidential (although I wish he did not keep his eyes down when Mitt was speaking/lying). PBO gave voters food for thought (why won’t Mitt give details of his plans). Mitt was all smoke and mirrors, just saying whatever he thinks people want to hear. He came across as slimy in his refusal to give specifics and often did not make coherent sense in his responses. Mitt came across like a used car salesman.
I had the same feelings about the Medicare portion of the debate, Eric Five. Before I turned off MSNBC when the pundits came on I heard Ed Schultz skewer the President on Medicare saying he sounded just like the GOP on it. He needed to say something Ed wanted to hear so PBO seemed no better than the GOP to Ed. I thought were we listening to the same debate?
Ed and the gang at MSNBC had their “Mitt Won the Debate” talking points written before the debate began. No matter what PBO would have done, they would have declared Mitt the winner. Their over the top criticism of PBO while letting Mitt off the hook for lying and flip flopping was as pathetic as it was predictable.
SInce when being a bully makes you look like a leader. Romney was smug and a bully. He did not give a damn about the truth. Spin it, spin it. Bluster enough so no one knows that it is all smoke and mirrors.
Obama won the debate because he was measured, consistent and a gentleman. Nuff said.
His base like bullies.
I thought it was interesting when Romney said under his plan, if you don’t like your insurance, just quit and find another company. Yeah, like that happens. Quit and be told that now you can’t get insurance because now you have existing conditions. Quit and pay double somewhere else! Anyone who has had to buy their own insurance knows what a crock that is. And what was the part about people losing the insurance they already have?
I think it was difficult for PBO because there were just so. many. lies.
Some comments from the FiveThirtyEight liveblog:
“Mr. Romney interrupting the moderator is not going over well.
“So arrogant!” Mr. Jernigan said. “He thinks he gets the last word on everything.”
Ms. Gardner added: “It’s typical salesman, businessman. He wants to always have the last word. But it comes across as rude.”
Mr. Obama scores well for defending himself, so far.
“A big complaint I hear is that Obama is a big elitist, a smug blah-blah, and it’s Romney who is doing the snarky things,” Ms. Jernigan said.
Her husband added: “I think hanging out with Bill Clinton has done him well. He’s doing a better job of explaining, ‘Here’s what we did and here’s why we did it.’ It’s better than I’ve seen him do in the past, so I’m pretty pleased with his performance so far.”
Jernigan is apparently an independent leaning toward Pres. Obama.
Fact Check:
Q: Do corporations actually get a tax break for relocating manufacturing overseas? — johng158, New York City
Annie Lowrey: It is true. The tax code currently does allow companies to deduct certain expenses when they move operations overseas. As part of its plan to aid the manufacturing sector and promote job growth, the Obama administration has proposed ending this deduction, and giving tax credits to companies moving jobs back to the United States.
So Romney’s probably going to be firing his accountants tomorrow – he didn’t even know about this!!! (Oh yeah, tell me another one!)
Fact check:
. Mr. Obama said the House budget authored by Mr. Romney’s running mate, Representative Paul D. Ryan, would cut “the education budget up to 20 percent.”
Mr. Romney rejected the charge. “I’m not going to cut education funding,” he said. “I don’t have a plan to cut education funding.”
But in the past Mr. Romney has said he would do just that.
In a speech to donors in Florida in the spring overheard by reporters, Mr. Romney said he would either merge the federal Education Department with another agency “or perhaps make it a heck of a lot smaller.”
The House budget that Mr. Ryan authored and Mr. Romney has said he largely supports includes large cuts to federal programs, but does not specify how they would be distributed across the federal government. The White House, which vehemently opposed the budget, calculated that if the cuts were distributed evenly across departments and programs, it would mean eliminating 38,000 teachers and aides for poor children in 2014 and 27,000 special education teachers and support staff. In addition, 200,000 children would be dropped from Head Start and other early education programs.
Fact Check:
Fact Check: Did Half of Green Companies Fail?
A number of readers, including Patty Freeman-Lynde from Athens, asked about Mr. Romney’s charge that half the companies invested in under the president’s green energy stimulus have gone out of business.
That is a gross overstatement. Of nearly three dozen recipients of loans under the Department of Energy’s loan guarantee program, only three are currently in bankruptcy, although several others are facing financial difficulties.
““I don’t know the specifics of these things, so some of it didn’t mean a lot to me,” said Mr. Gardner, the independent voter who hosted the viewing party. “Like I said before we started, I hate the, ‘I’m going to repeal what you did and do something that’s better!’ Who doesn’t want to hear that? Basically nothing changed for me.”
Mr. Gardner is still leaning toward Mr. Obama.”
HI ALL
reposted from current thread to all those night owls or those supporting PBO in different timezones…
Best way to review this debate is to read the actual transcript. When you don’t have the visuals to sway you of a ‘false’ win, there was an incredible amount of substance from PBO along with daming confirmations by Romney, which will hurt him.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/decision2012/2012-presidential-debate-president-obama-and-mitt-romneys-remarks-in-denver-on-oct-3-running-transcript/2012/10/03/24d6eb6e-0d91-11e2-bd1a-b868e65d57eb_story.html
Berny, great idea to come here.. 700+ comments on other thread lol Wow!
Hey there Kiwi…totally agree with your tweet.
I watched the debate for the 2nd time and I must say that President Obama has excellent and on message. A clear choice. Romney has been all over the place and being multiple choices.
Thank GOD for President Obama!