Trail Mixers watch the first presidential debate between President Obama and Mitt Romney. Join us for future debates. How to register and comment.
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Thursday, October 11
Vice President Joe Biden and Congressman Paul Ryan
Moderator: Martha Raddatz, ABC News Chief Foreign Correspondent
Topic: Foreign and domestic policy. This debate will be divided into nine segments.
Location: Centre College in Danville, Kentucky
Tuesday, October 16
President Barack Obama and Mitt Romney
Moderator: Candy Crowley, CNN Chief Political Correspondent and anchor for State of the Union With Candy Crowley.
Topic: Foreign and domestic policy. This debate will be held in a town meeting format. Undecided voters (chosen by the Gallup Organization) will ask questions of the candidates on foreign and domestic issues.
Location: Hofstra University, Hempstead, New York
Monday, October 22
President Barack Obama and Mitt Romney
Moderator: Bob Schieffer, Host of Face the Nation on CBS
Topic: Foreign policy. The format for the debate will be identical to the first presidential debate and will focus on foreign policy.
Location: Lynn University in Boca Raton, Florida
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87 Responses to Live Debate Chat
Now on The Trail
So did chat go kaboom?
I thought I was going to continue to talk to myself.
Oh well, our live chat room experiment a miserable failure. Back to regular comment threads here. Good thing I wasn’t in charge of the Mars program.
Ha, think I over-promoted. We got hit with several thousand visitors all at once.
Obama attacks Insurance Companies? Wow…Someone will be making some apologies tomorrow morning.
anyway, what little I’ve seen of the debate while in techno-crisis, i do prefer Obama’s tie
Well, there is always another time to work around the bugs.
True, Obama’s tie seems to shine a little less than Romney’s. I wonder if there will be studies into what knot was used.
Jim Lehrer has lost control of the debate several minutes ago.
For Christ sakes, Romney attacks Regulation. Supports Regulation, then sort of attacks regulation. I’m confused. I can only imagine what those who haven’t been paying attention to the election are saying.
Edited: I was so confused that I wrote Registration instead of Regulation.
*Bull Shit Alert*
Obama claims he is putting down tough regulation?
What a load of…
Been tweeting since couldn’t type here. Romney is all definite about repealing things but vague about what he would do instead … Total fail.
I am a little foggy on what happened in the last couple of presidential debates. But shouldn’t the moderator stop them, when they are full of shit?
It’s a microscopic scratch on an otherwise illustrious career. In 50 years hardly anyone will remember.
Romney’s campaign knows all about too much administrative costs.
Jim Lehrer is a pussy.
Rmoney looks like he is auditioning for next season’s Apprentice.
“Oh well, our live chat room experiment a miserable failure.” Get it right for Biden-Ryan… and all will be good!
Mitt Romney is running all over Jim Lehrer who is ineffective. Romney is dominating the time and Lehrer either can’t or won’t shut him up.
Jason, you are right on about the regulations or lack there of.
Gonna have to re-watch the first hour I lost to tech meltdown, but last half hour seems like Romney more relaxed and prepared. Like how he turns toward Obama and at least acts like he’s listening. Obama faces straight ahead, looking down while Romney talks. Maybe I watch body language too much, but think it matters, and think Mitt winning that score.
Rmoney is a bully…he tells Lehrer he is going to drop funding for PBS AND Lehrer lets him run the show and walk over him. I would have told him off. Lehrer needs a buzzer or a light — any prop to stop the talk. But, his topics were so confusing and the rules…two minutes! No deep insight in that time.
I love it… cutting ‘tax loopholes’ has never increased revenues…. they never cut loopholes!
Moderators think of themselves as m.c.s rather than referees or factcheckers.
Craig -- First hour is pretty much the same in body language. Just a little loopier as Romney starts by hitting from the left. Then turns back to the Romney we have all come to hate.
Watched the first 15 min, all I could take. Looks like a tie. Romney was coherent and sounded intelligent. A win for Romney under the “he ain’t near as bad as we heard” column.
Craig good call on body language too.
Jack
Doesn’t bother me Lehrer shoved aside. I have never liked journalists playing moderator. In fact, I’d rather have no moderator at all (which is almost what we have tonight). Lincoln-Douglas had no moderator.
Okay…I thought Romney was strictly staying to his tax plan and he would never move away from it. Isn’t that what he said earlier?
Whatever capital Romney has gained with body language he’s squandered with his arrogant, childish behavior.
Favorite Obama retorts so far (paraphrasing):
(In response to Romney’s laments concerning over-regulation): “If you think the last economic crisis happened because of over-regulation…”
“If you think Romeny is keeping his proposals secret because they are SO good…”
Tee hee hee.
WhskyJack -- He has moved back to the old Romney.
Craig -- Is that possible with people loving to lie as they do now? The first hour was so full of shit that I was wondering if I needed some manure.
The one thing that distresses me is the tendency of Obama to nod while Romney is making nonsensical statements. Be more partisan Mr. Obama!
Religious Tolerance? Romney just lost the vote of Evangelicals.
Craig
I agree, like to see a little of the bare knuckles. Need to take away their notes too. Too much looking down at their notes,
Jack
Jason
what? a lie? Where?
One of the reasons I turned of the TV is I couldn’t find my gumboots if you are going to wade in pigshit you’ve got to have gumboots
Jack
Obama replying to Romney’s agenda for his “1st day in office”
“Well, you’re going to have a busy 1st day…”
THH… Obama is subtly zingtacular tonight!
Gumboots?
Bib waders aren’t good enough.
Income Tax cuts reduce revenue and increase deficits. The Laffer curve is a laugh. Just ask David Stockman, President Reagan’s budget director.
I did my duty as an American by watching this debate (would have rather played videogames), but in all fairness, it was very uninformative. Nothing was said that we haven’t heard from the stump already, maybe even less than that.
Obama sure held his punches, while Romney got a lot of jabs in without it backfiring on him.
Romney was more prepared than Obama. Romney was also much more aggressive.
Well, the GOP crazy train debates spoiled me. I miss the wailing and gnashing of teeth, and the crowd crying for blood
Bad luck with the live-chat there Craig. I gave it a try from here in Australia.
Did we not see a third different Romney (and set of policies) tonight? I thought he had Obama befuddled with “what is this guy talking about”. Almost as if they’d studied up on a set policies that are not now actually on the Romney/Ryan website.
(Thanks to all for the welcome messages the other day -- I did read them).
My first impressions… Romney, while full of BS, probably didn’t look bad to most of the people. Obama looked too conciliatory and passive. Net win Romney.
xrep
If it is deep enough to need hip waders then it is time to move to higher ground, a man could drowned when it gets that deep and I don’t want that on my obituary.
Jack
Sorry, Jack. I meant that bib waders aren’t even enough.
Zvyozdochka, when I try to pronounce your screen name my tongue bleeds. Love the input from Australia. Yep, you could tell Obama was struggling to figure out which Romney he was debating.
Right, Jack. The descendants would bemortified to read such an obit.
I turned it on and lasted less than 5 mins.
Lincoln had it right: hold a duel using cow pies at ten paces.
It was just what I thought could happen (but thought Obama would avoid it): He just hates being questioned or challenged, and can’t help showing it
I think you have something their Craig. Romney’s multiple stances are something that Obama could never predict. He could win every debate by bringing a new stance every time.
Technically, Romney hates being questioned as well as we saw in the primary debates. However, he successfully was able to hold in his temper at least from what I saw (left the room a couple of times).
The flipper flop flippantly flopped his flips right in front of God and everyone.
The romney campaign song from my childhood:
First you say you do,
And then you don’t.
And then you say you will,
But then you won’t.
You’re undecided now,
So what are you going to do?
geez even ultimate Obama spinner Stephanie Cutter just saying the President “did pretty well tonight” — pretty bad if that’s the best she can come up with
I don’t care which side of policy you end up on. The president looked disturbingly weak.
God help us if that is how he projects himself to world leaders.
Undecided -- Django Paris, 1939
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ikY-TzugkKk
I think there was that point where Obama laid out the numbers and costs of Romney’s plans and Romney basically said “Not me, I’m not going to do that” It was so brazen that it took Obama’s breath away.
Jack
Jax
He projects himself as the leader of the worlds only superpower. That leader can project himself how ever he wants because the world knows he has the power. The only question they may ask is does he know it and from his actions on the world stage the answer is yes.
Jack
“The president looked disturbingly weak.” -jax
Obama’s nonchalance disturbed you more than Romney’s unsubstantiated promises? Listen, if disregarding the agreed-upon format and disrespecting the moderator and the audience in general is all it takes to “win” a debate, then put me up on that stage.
Hey all,
I watched the debate but didn’t learn anything new..Romney was very prepared but the President more than held his own.
I think the real question about the next debate will be whether Ryan will wink at the crowd.
the problem I see with Obama tonight is that, while there are a slew of valid counter arguments to Mitt’s prevarications in this debate, the President left it for his supporters to make them. He didn’t do it himself!
clearly, Obama thinks these debates don’t matter, and history supports him — but still, quite a risk just phoning it in
You must have been watching a different debate than me, Mr. C., with Obama’s response to a voucher-style Medicare system being the primary counter-example to your assertion, in my mind.
Honestly, I do not think that he has any intention of governing Progressively, Craig. He wants others to claim it because he will not be stuck with performing these tasks. The sad truth is that he is going to rule like a Republican again.
Michael Moore tweet:
I must say that I am very much disappointed in the President’s performance tonight in the debate.
And that’s saying a lot about how I think the debate went.
Have a great evening and good night.
stunning to me how many Dem chatterers not even trying to pretend the President did well, from Carville and the MSNBC crowd on down. Seems like he did well enough to at least put on a face
forget the debates, best thing on TV tonight: the trailer for Spielberg’s Lincoln film
Obama just showed us how he stood up to the Bankers, the special inter groups, wall st…….just said:
“PRESENT”…….
Did all the Liberal/Progressives want Obama to run on-stage with a war-cry and kick Romney in the groin, or something?! Tough crowd.
geez, worse for Obama than I expected: CNN POLL of voters who watched: 67% say Romney won, 25% Obama
Ignoble exChamp -- That would have been a very entertaining debate, if that had happened.
Let’s all email Joe Biden and get him to do it to Ryan!
Champ,
Yer right.! But still pretty sad that the only one that is defending Obama is an indie like you. I think that he was told to rope the dope…like Ali….a little at a time….they feel…his handelers just wanted him to not make any mistakes no?….but now he will have to take the muzzle off on the next one…..round one even, but Romney will get the win…..later
I don’t notice anyone saying that romney was terrific. The brief romney spew I caught was merely enthusiastic doubletalk.
Winning on points is insufficient for willard. A TKO is insufficient. He needs a KO.
This may be ‘Attack the Messenger’ time… gird your loins, Craig.
Solar,
Obama has to run on his record, which isn’t incredibly stellar (and partly due to circumstance rather than administrative failure), so he isn’t able to bluster, and grin, and promise the world like Romney, who acts like the new-hire who is full of sketchy ideas and can’t wait to make management.
Media will spin this as a win for Romney to perpetuate the horse-race, from which they profit, as all those campaign contributions from $500 per-plate fundraisers get funneled directly to them for advertising placement. Pbbbt, I say.
Solar,
Rope a dope sounds plausible.
When he looked down was he hiding a little smile?
One time when Frazer was wearing himself out pounding Ali’s elbows, I remember glimpsing Ali’s secret smile.
But, willard can’t get tired out. He and his team can get over-confident and inattentive. Maybe when that happens the Teflon President will suddenly sting like a bee.
maybe so Champ but the first wave of polls show a Romney blowout, and before any media manipulators told them what to think. these early debate polls usually show a more even split
Yeah, if those CNN viewer polls were accurate, Ron Paul would be the GOP nominee. “Respondent bias” is the term for it.
EDIT: Or is it “participation bias”? Little of both, maybe.
Champ, i hear ya but a 67-25 split requires a lot of error, pollsters would have to be dialing with their feet
It could be that 67-25 was pre-selected for CNN to report as soon as the curtain went down.
For a poll to be considered statistically accurate, and that would be in terms of a percentage of certainty, the respondents have to be of a minimum certain size (generally accepted to be at least 1000), and contacted at random. Did they do that? Asking respondents to initiate contact makes the poll worthless, as per “participation bias”, cited my me, above.
Why would I trust CNN? The first report will color the thinking that follows, and the MSM will follow that story like sheep after the bellwether.
Obama’s worst moment: He didn’t defend Big Bird!
Where’s Ralph Nader when you need him?
Ok, fun times, ‘night.
A randomly selected focus group would be better.
Anyway, why should anyone care what a handful of respondants think about candidates as live performers?
CNN breaks into the ‘reality’ tv business.
Obama didn’t defend Big Bird 4 years ago.
G’night.
Just can’t shake the image of Romney yelling at Big Bird to get off his lawn. G’night
If you listened on radio, it was a flat out draw. Both were equally abysmal.
Churchill used to intentionally grope for words in an attempt to make his remarks sound more spontaneous.
Obama’s idea of spontaneity is groping for most of his words, it came off just as badly tonight as it has in the past. Too many stops and starts and pauses.
I can’t escape the image of Romney as the kid lined up on the play ground jumping up and down and waving his arms saying ‘choose me choose me’. He sounded just like that tonight. Lots of energy but very little talent.
All in all, an over-hyped clusterfuck, and a field day for low information voters, and pundits.
God save the republic, and give me a good nights sleep.
Obama Rope-A-Dope
Mr. Obama has consistently avoided the anger and petulance that his most Liberal supporters demand of him to his advantage. Every lie he supposedly did not correct in last night’s debate, he did in fact correct if you read the transcript. What he didn’t do is scream at the top of his lungs ‘YOU’RE A LIAR MR. ROMNEY!’ Which is what his most ardent supporters ‘think’ they want of him, but would regret if he did, for good reason.
We’ve seen this same scenario play out on many occasions at this point, from the 2008 primary and presidential debates, to his wisdom of staying cooler than some prefer in his dealings with congress. He knows what’s best.
Nobody likes a mean angry president.
Romney on the other hand, while winning the ‘who’s most aggressive’ contest, did not seem presidential at all and his endless numerical lists only added to his image as a robotic candidate who isn’t comfortable in his own shoes.
The president did a great job of fending off responsibility for the rotten economy he inherited and Romney didn’t dare touch the ‘are you better off than four years ago’ line, because he know we are. The next Prez debate is ALSO DOMESTIC and foreign policy, with Candy Crowley hosting and it is ‘townhall’ style. So that will be a much better chance for PBO to mix it up! The third is Foreign Policy, that’s good for Prez-O too! Here is the debates site…
http://www.2012presidentialelectionnews.com/2012-debate-schedule/2012-presidential-debate-schedule/