Obama vs Romney Debate

[Spexxvet]

Originally Posted by henry quirk

'Mr. President, nuthin' you've done over the past four years has significantly helped or hindered me, and, nuthin' you've proposed in your campaign (for the next four years) is liable to help or hinder me. Mr. Governor, nuthin' you've proposed in your campaign (for the next four years) will significantly help or hinder me, so, gentlemen, why should I vote for either of you?'

Dude. Dude.

You've made it very clear that you don't want to help anybody and you don't want help from anybody. That's what you're saying you've gotten / will get from both of these guys, not that I agree with your assessment. Flip a fricking coin, though I can't believe you vote at all, it doesn't fit your "independent" character.

My question would be:
The middle class has been sacrificing for the good of the country for the last 30 years. We've seen our real income decrease, government services cut, living expenses increase, and our jobs sent oversees. How are you going to reverse this trend?

[henry quirk]

"You've made it very clear that you don't want to help anybody..."

Not true. I help folks 'I' deem in need...'you' don't get to make that determination for me...certainly, some jackass in government doesn't get to make that determination for me

#

"That's what you're saying you've gotten / will get from both of these guys..."

Indeed. What other fuckin' reason is there to vote for any of 'em if not for the potential benefit that candidate might bring if, or when, elected? If you have another reason for voting: I'd like to hear it.

#

"I can't believe you vote at all"

Irrelevant whether I do or don't. After a fashion: I'm payin' (like you) the salary of the Number One Public Servant. I think this entitles me (and you) to question a potential (or current) employee.

[BigV]

I could only watch the debates on the radio and some of the voices seemed familiar. It seems like the audience members at the debate and the people featured in this video were drawn from the same pool.

I don't know... maybe it's just me.

[infinite monkey]

See my current usertitle.

[henry quirk]

...what crap.

Again: mediocre of intellect and thought (the both of 'em).

You folks can follow either as you like.

I won't.

[Flint]

I think Obama did very well on repeating over and over how Romney's policies are 'all over the place' (regardless of whether they are or not, he says it so many times you're convinced there must be something to it); also the phrase 'as commander in cheif' sounds much more authoritative--as compared to a guy who, by definition, isn't already the president; also Obama had a finely crafted program of implying Romney's lack of knowledge (Russia as the greatest threat without the context of how different threats are defined; the 'apology tour' as something which was a 'whopper' when fact-checking is not applicable to an obviously subjective matter of opinion); and of course, Obama had really great zingers! I think these are all things that will stick with people despite their lack of substantive merit. I wish Obama had made a better case for his principles, for us thinkers. I have red flags that go up when a speaker relies too heavily on emotion.


By contrast, I think Romney had the problem that I often run into as an IT guy: facts are boring. Sound, traditional ideas aren't sexy. Listening to an executive-level businessman speak about the broad view of matters, wherein large chunks of ideas are zipped in small keyword packages, for brevity's sake, tends to, when not examined thoroughly, appear to contain deceptively less information than if fully expounded. I got it, I understood what he was saying, but as a technical person who deals with logic all day long, I tend to latch on to concepts like: the guy who is telling me that he knows how to do something can demonstrate that he has previously been successful at doing this thing. That counts more than rhetoric, to me. That counts more than the other guy having great zingers. To me.

[xoxoxoBruce]

Originally Posted by Flint

By contrast, I think Romney had the problem that I often run into as an IT guy: facts are boring. Sound, traditional ideas aren't sexy. Listening to an executive-level businessman speak about the broad view of matters, wherein large chunks of ideas are zipped in small keyword packages, for brevity's sake, tends to, when not examined thoroughly, appear to contain deceptively less information than if fully expounded. I got it, I understood what he was saying, but as a technical person who deals with logic all day long, I tend to latch on to concepts like: the guy who is telling me that he knows how to do something can demonstrate that he has previously been successful at doing this thing. That counts more than rhetoric, to me. That counts more than the other guy having great zingers. To me.

That's what Obama did in the first debate and got creamed. He learned.

[DanaC]

Originally Posted by xoxoxoBruce

That's what Obama did in the first debate and got creamed. He learned.

Excellent point.

[Ibby]

Originally Posted by Flint

I got it, I understood what he was saying, but as a technical person who deals with logic all day long, I tend to latch on to concepts like: the guy who is telling me that he knows how to do something can demonstrate that he has previously been successful at doing this thing. That counts more than rhetoric, to me. That counts more than the other guy having great zingers. To me.

The thing is, to me, the guy with proof that he can do this thing is Obama, and Rmoney is the one with the zingers and the problem record.

[Flint]

Originally Posted by Ibby

The thing is, to me, the guy with proof that he can do this thing is Obama, and Romney is the one with the zingers and the problem record.

I understand we all look at things with a certain viewpoint, and it's hard to disentangle our observations from our preferences, but I do observe that as a Governor (not the President, but still a bigger job than anyone we'll ever know has done), Romney worked across the aisle with Democratic leaders to do a bunch of things that everyone always says they are going to do, but he actually got them done (they happened under his leadership), i.e. a balanced budget, top-performing education system, and healthcare reform.

You don't have to like him, but these are good things. He knows how to do these things.



On the zingers, come on dude. Google "romney obama zingers" ...
Obama has been unanimously crowned the king of zingers. Don't take that away from him--he worked hard for that title!

[Big Sarge]

I think President Obama really scored some points with this debate. It will all come down to those battleground states and electoral votes.

[Happy Monkey]

Interesting background into the difference between Debate 1 Obama vs. Debate 2 Obama:

Originally Posted by NYTimes

After watching a videotape of his debate performance, Mr. Obama began calling panicked donors and supporters to reassure them he would do better. “This is on me,” the president said, again and again.
Mr. Obama, who had dismissed warnings about being caught off guard in the debate, told his advisers that he would now accept and deploy the prewritten attack lines that he had sniffed at earlier. “If I give up a couple of points of likability and come across as snarky, so be it,” Mr. Obama told his staff.