Official G & O Debate Rematch Thread

[doison]

I think it's clear that Obama won the debate, but Romney won the debate.

[MCWAY]

I think it's clear that Obama won the debate, but Romney won the debate.

 

This may explain things a bit more:

Obama wins the second debate. Too bad it’s not the one that mattered.

When the evening began, one observation dominated the conversation: “If President Barack Obama has another debate like the last one, the election’s over.”

When the evening ended, I was struck by a different thought: If Obama had performed this way at the first debate, the election would have been over.

In every debate, whatever the format, whatever the questions, there is one and only one way to identify the winner: Who commands the room? Who drives the narrative? Who is in charge? More often than not on Tuesday night, I think, Obama had the better of it.

From a substantive view, there was one argument that the president was seeking to make over and over: Don’t let Mitt Romney fool you; he’s a rich guy out to protect the interests of the well-off, not the middle-class.

That’s why he referenced not just Romney’s tax plan, but Romney’s taxes, the fact that the Republican presidential nominee paid a lower rate on his millions than ordinary working-class folks do on theirs, the fact that Romney has invested heavily in China. And when Romney went at Obama with almost the exact same argument he used so devastatingly against Newt Gingrich—“have you checked your pension?”—Obama came back with, “I haven’t looked at my pension; it’s not as big as yours. (For super-wonks it harked back to a 1982 debate between Mario Cuomo and the super-wealthy Lew Lehrman, when Cuomo reached over, grabbed Lehrman’s hand, and said, “Nice watch, Lou!”)

As a tactical matter, Obama executed one of the toughest of maneuvers: the counterpunch. When Romney attacked Obama for hindering the use of coal, the President recalled an appearance of Romney as governor of Massachusetts, where he vowed to shut down a coal-fired power plant. (The fact that Romney was probably right about the danger will be the subject of earnest substantive post-debate analyses that have no place here!)

And in talking about an area where the Obama administration has clear vulnerabilities—the attack on the American consulate in Libya—Obama summoned the inherent high ground of the presidency to condemn the “politicization” of the attack.

To be clear: There was nothing particularly off about Romney. He had several strong moments, most especially contrasting what Obama said he would do in 2008 with what in fact had happened over the past four years. This was, and is, the single most powerful argument against returning Obama to the White House, and Romney deployed it effectively.


It’s just that Obama found what he could not find in Denver—a coherent thread to make the case that he understands the middle-class in a way Romney does not. For those Democratic partisans wondering where “the 47 percent” argument was, Obama was saving it for the close which—because of a pre-debate coin flip—Romney could not answer. In this sense, it was like Reagan’s famous “are you better off?” question from 1980.

In a larger sense, however, Obama’s success is unlikely to have anything like the impact of that 1980 debate, nor will it likely alter the terrain of the campaign as the first debate of 2012 did. Had the Obama of this debate showed up two weeks ago, he might well have ended Romney’s effort to present himself as a credible alternative to the president.

That opportunity vanished that night. While it’s clear that Obama’s performance will revive the enthusiasm of his supporters, it seems unlikely that it will cause those impressed by Romney to reconsider. Like they say in show business, timing is everything.

[Soul Crusher]

Obama won a pissing contest but was exposed for lying about lybia, gas prices, oil permits, etc.

Yeah - real win there.   

[Hulkotron]

Lance Armstrong is taking over the news cycle today to help out his friend Obama.

[Shockwave]

Meh. This is hilarious to me that debates are not won on facts or on records, but are simply won by the guy who is willing to get more aggressive on stage. Makes me laugh.

Romney won the 1st debate because he was aggressive, not because of what he was saying.
Obama won this debate because he was aggressive, not because of what he was saying.
Biden won because he made himself look like a condescending dick, not because he was saying anything factual.

We are all fucked.

[bike nut]

Matters not about some petulant responses to a Jabba The Hut moderator.

What matters is.....the President of the United States is a liar, got caught lying, continued with a known lie, and openly lied to the face of the nation last night.

Anybody talking about winning a debate, when the POTUS has just displayed such moral bankruptcy is a fucking idiot.

Plain and simple....

[MCWAY]

Meh. This is hilarious to me that debates are not won on facts or on records, but are simply won by the guy who is willing to get more aggressive on stage. Makes me laugh.

Romney won the 1st debate because he was aggressive, not because of what he was saying.
Obama won this debate because he was aggressive, not because of what he was saying.
Biden won because he made himself look like a condescending dick, not because he was saying anything factual.

We are all fucked.

Romney didn't look all that aggressive in the first debate. However, he pounded Obama on his record and on taxes.

[Soul Crusher]

What I would have said: 



"Mr. President, I had that binder to hire the best women for my staff I could find while you hide behind women to take the blame for your incompetence and cover for your shortcomings in office and elsewhere."   

[tu_holmes]

What I would have said: 



"Mr. President, I had that binder to hire the best women for my staff I could find while you hide behind women to take the blame for your incompetence and cover for your shortcomings in office and elsewhere."   

Good response.

Too bad Romney didn't say it.

[Rami]

I see people fighting hard for their unlimited food stamps

[Primemuscle]

Meh. This is hilarious to me that debates are not won on facts or on records, but are simply won by the guy who is willing to get more aggressive on stage. Makes me laugh.

Romney won the 1st debate because he was aggressive, not because of what he was saying.
Obama won this debate because he was aggressive, not because of what he was saying.
Biden won because he made himself look like a condescending dick, not because he was saying anything factual.

We are all fucked.

Sad, isn't it?

[Primemuscle]

As for successful Businessmen as President, Herbert Hoover and LBJ immediately come to mind.

We are talking about successful businessmen who were also great Presidents. That's not the general consences with either of these former Presidents.

None of the better-than-average presidents was a businessman either. In this category think of Presidents John F. Kennedy, Dwight Eisenhower, Ronald Reagan, Lyndon Johnson, and Bill Clinton. Herbert Hoover is usually thought of as a rather bad President. Lyndon Johnson was a politican and teacher who married into a weathly family. He was not a successful businessman.

[Primemuscle]

I see people fighting hard for their unlimited food stamps

Actually, food stamp eligibility is determined by each state and not the Federal government.

The Federal Food Stamp Act of 1964 (PDF) is the most significant food plan in the United States. It provides food stamps for needy individuals that can be exchanged like money at authorized stores. The federal government pays for the amount of the benefit received, while states pay the costs of determining eligibility and distributing the stamps. In addition, state public assistance agencies run the program.

[doison]

Actually, food stamp eligibility is determined by each state and not the Federal government.

How do I get more free food?  I'm hungry as shit right now.

[chaos]

How do I get more free food?  I'm hungry as shit right now.

Get a job, freeloader.

[Montague]

Yes but Michelle got bigger legs and glutes. 

...and "abs."

[doison]

Get a job, freeloader.

Fuck that noise.  If rich assholes like you were able to understand how the world really works, you'd realize that paying for my food only HELPS you in the long run.  

Get rich off the government's hard work, but don't want to share the money they give you...typical rich-dick neocon repube.

[chaos]

Fuck that noise.  If rich assholes like you were able to understand how the world really works, you'd realize that paying for my food only HELPS you in the long run.  

Get rich off the government's hard work, but don't want to share the money they give you...typical rich-dick neocon repube.

Bottom feeder!

[The True Adonis]

We are talking about successful businessmen who were also great Presidents. That's not the general consences with either of these former Presidents.

None of the better-than-average presidents was a businessman either. In this category think of Presidents John F. Kennedy, Dwight Eisenhower, Ronald Reagan, Lyndon Johnson, and Bill Clinton. Herbert Hoover is usually thought of as a rather bad President. Lyndon Johnson was a politican and teacher who married into a weathly family. He was not a successful businessman.

I guess you never heard of a little thing called Johnson Broadcasting, KTBC,  the radio station they owned which broadcasted 24 hours a day and made them millions and millions.  One of the wealthiest Presidents to date.

[doison]

Bottom feeder!

Too dumb to understand how giving up more of the money government lets you earn only helps you in the long run...I pity ignorance such as your's.  


Maybe a few years of higher education would help you realize that it's people like me who've allowed you to earn your money? 

[chaos]

Too dumb to understand how giving up more of the money government lets you earn only helps you in the long run...I pity ignorance such as your's.  


Maybe a few years of higher education would help you realize that it's people like me who've allowed you to earn your money.

I worked for what I got, maybe you should try it some time,  scumbag.

[The True Adonis]

I guess you never heard of a little thing called Johnson Broadcasting, KTBC,  the radio station they owned which broadcasted 24 hours a day and made them millions and millions.  One of the wealthiest Presidents to date.

Also, they earned MILLIONS from their TV stations.  Johnson basically was in politics to make money and that he did.

[Nails]

[doison]

I worked for what I got, maybe you should try it some time,  scumbag.

You didn't earn that.  HTH, greedy fuckface

[chaos]

You didn't earn that.  HTH, greedy fuckface

I'm soaking the change I give to the homeless in mercury...