Join me in our new and improved chat room 8:45pm ET for debate watch. Once more with feeling – or, in President Obama’s case, maybe the first time.
Tonight we find out if his lackluster performance in the first session with Mitt Romney was just rope-a-dope calculated to follow up with an aggressive second debate.
Obama’s campaign staff has done him no favors by raising expectations about how tough he will be in this one.
Trail Mix Chat Room Tonight
(Before, During and After)
I’ll be hanging out in our chat room tonight (8:30pm-Midnight ET) for the debate and the after-spin. Drop in during or after to tell us what you think. Click “Chat” in the menu bar above anytime to join the fray.
Tonight 9:00 to 10:30 p.m. Eastern Time.
On ABC, CBS, NBC, FOX, Fox News, MSNBC, and CNN.
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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125 Responses to Debate Day
Now on The Trail
Obama’s Task Tuesday Night
By Eugene Robinson
Woo hoo, presidential debate #2.
Who looks the most presidential? Hillary.
She was not thrown under the bus, as the media is trying to spin it; she took the donut off of the bat, stepped up to the plate and, at the very least, made a base it.
She sounds smarter and stronger than either of the guys running for office.
But since they are the runners in the race, I think Obama has better people skills than Romney.
I’m not sure Mittens will be able to hide his disdain for the little people all night long, and he sure won’t be able to tell the truth about what he plans to do TO them, right to their faces. Were he to fess up, it would be torch & pitchfork time.
It’s all a lot of hooey,
Fascinating hooey.
Hooey geared to tittilate
And cause weak souls to vacillate.
The TV guys get paid a lot
For hawking up the hooey.
E flat minor
I hope there are some older folks who get to grill Romney tonight.
Read more: http://swampland.time.com/2012/10/16/the-romney-ryan-plan-for-medicare-what-it-means-for-seniors/#ixzz29Sf4gnSW
“…suddenly it doesn’t suit the GOP to attack Clinton. Her approval ratings are sky-high. Romney already has a problem with female voters.”
“At his infamous “47%” fundraiser, Romney assured a concerned donor that if a foreign policy crisis emerged late in the campaign, “I will work to find a way to take advantage of the opportunity.” And so he has.”
Read more: http://swampland.time.com/2012/10/15/why-republicans-arent-attacking-hillary-clinton-over-benghazi/#ixzz29ShLxfAP
Once a vulture, always a vulture. He treats the whole world like carrion.
Eddie Cornelius: Make that major a minor.
Dick: But it IS a minor.
E.C.: Then make it a MAJOR.
eddie of cornelius bros. and sister rose. There were 2 Cornelius Bros. and Sisters Roses…..Eddie and the other two broke up, and Eddie hired a new brother and sister, and the brother and sister hired a new Eddie.
But Eddie wrote all the songs….too late to turn back now, etc….like the old Drifters days when there were 35 to 70 sets of Original Drifters touring at any given time, except with CB&SR there were only two…..
sturg -- “hooey” is Irish for “stuff,” yes?
How loudly will Romney beat his war drum tonight?
Hooey is technical science-talk for “splooge”.
I woke up with a silly ponder this morning. I thought that maybe Obama had a strategy with his last debate performance. Maybe he really wanted to stir up interest for the second episode of The Real Househusbands fight for the White House. I know I can’t wait.
mornin’.
Blue, your earlier comment … don’t underestimate Mitt. I think he has the capacity to look into the eyes of the “little people” and lie directly to them. No matter what he says, it will prolly be seen as just one more new position he’s taking.
Well… I’m prayin’ that Obama can come out looking strong and tell us what he wants to do for his second term. Yes, he needs to get across that the Republicans have been obstructionists… but without sounding like he’s whining.
Of course… he has no say in how the media chooses to spin it afterwards. All around, I’d bet good money it’ll be asinine.
Remember the spin …more important then the debate
as soon as Rmoney opens his mouth — the tweets must begin
I declare Obama the winner
Even with Mittens “great debate” and Obama’s sucky performance — Obama is still winning. The only “polls” showing Rmoney winning are gooper enablers and the CNN poll of polls that include all the gooper enabler polls.
All the first debate did was show goopers that their candidate wouldn’t completely embarrass them. It apparently takes very little to get them excited.
The media needed an Rmoney win to justify all the money they have spent on campaign gimcracks.
If Rmoney wins — it is as if the country got collective amnesia and has forgotten about what a cowboy businessman who never served in the military can do to this country….Remember Rmoney thinks working on his campaign is the same as military service
When he sends young Americans to death he thinks it is like licking envelopes
hi all, i am on the road to florida today. back for chat tonight. if anyone has trouble with or questions about the chat room, please let the developers know at https://iflychat.com/contact
if it’s a technical problem, tell them which browser and operating system you are using — and of course them you are asking about craigcrawford.com (and whether you are asking about the popup box or the main chat room)
the developers are in the chat room now if anyone as any questions
Not sure who reads Greg Sargent’s stuff at WaPo, but he’s beginning to grow on me. Here’s his take on the Rmoney “jobs plan.” Note to Obama’s debate prep team … read this.
To quote Buzzfeed, “This is the saddest thing you’ll read all day.”
Really, it is.
Jake Tapper is so happy that Mittens is doing well
so different when he thought the race was over
And someone just said all that really matters in stagecraft
Hillary is so strong. She has taken so many stabs, falling on her sword will only make her a stronger candidate in 2016.
Okay, Obama, Hillary took the wind out of the Libyan White House cover-up. Faux News, defeated again. They must be selling less gold these days…
Obama…you were the ‘flubmeister’ last debate…let’s see some more truth. Like, can a man be President if he hides his money overseas so he doesn’t have to pay his fair share for the country he ‘what?’ It is not love, Rmoney…it is your desire to get some more money for you and your friends.
Jake Tapper is so happy that Mittens is doing well
so different when he thought the race was over
And someone just said all that really matters in stagecraft
The Republican rush to judgement on Libya is just like Shrub’s rush to Iraq…is that what people want maroons who rush to judgement and invade and destroy the wrong country (and are incompetent to boot)
Enjoy the specific details of THE ROMNEY TAX PLAN
Jake Tapper is so happy that Mittens is doing well
so different when he thought the race was over
And someone just said all that really matters is stagecraft
The Republican rush to judgement on Libya is just like Shrub’s rush to Iraq…is that what people want maroons who rush to judgement and invade and destroy the wrong country (and are incompetent to boot)
Jamie, LOL!!
http://craigcrawford.com/2012/10/16/debate-day/#comment-301325
Pogo
That’s what pure numbers do with a population explosion. Maybe if you could adjust for percentage of the total number of people available to buy, it wouldn’t look so horrid.
It’s like movie rankings by dollars and tickets, you have to adjust for inflation and percentage of population to reach reality.
It amazes me Obama doesn’t ‘clean the floor with Rmoney’ over foreign policy…
I was watching RT News. I love the Ruskies and their crappy attitudes. They dislike Obama, but they really loathe Mr. Geo-politic, Rmoney. They talk about his ridiculous stance on Russia. Their Faux News-type pundit got me with his line (this is a paraphrase). “Bush (America) believed bringing democracy to Islamic nations would increase democratization in the middle east, all is does is create more Islamitization! To Russia with flub!
As a follow up, Rmoney’s new math on his jobs plan.
I know, Jamie, but it still makes me sad
… sniff.
blue, i agree with you about hillary.
btw, where is general petraeus? he shoulders some of the responsibility for info provision to wh if not all being he is the head of the agency whose main duty is info gathering and analyzing. when hillary said “… specific decisions that are made by security professionals” wasn’t she refering to the good general’s crew?
http://craigcrawford.com/2012/10/16/debate-day/#comment-301336
Pogo,
The pure unadulterated crap sold as “entertainment” makes me sad almost all the time. Then there is the matter of reading tweets and comments elsewhere. It can make you think civilization is doomed. I console myself with the thought that they are only a tiny percentage of the people available to share their ideas.
Old Fogey R Me … and you pipsqueak whipper snappers can get off my lawn as well!!!
Well, I hope someone asks the hemp question tonight. The reason we have a prohibition on hemp is because of rich assholes like DuPont and Hearst protecting their paper interests. Rmoney would continue the policy and of course, war. Hemp is a good food, paper source, source of fabric and a good medical, secular and religious high.
Talk about squashing small business!
I thought Hillary was very good yesterday.
Her style and nuance were perfect. Obama could learn something from her.
She took some wind out of the sails of critics in the short term and allowed herself to stand fight another day in the long term.
Benghazi was a tragedy, it will never be a scandal, much to the disappointment of republicans everywhere.
Jamie,
Remind me never to trespass on your property.
Plus, I would like to see Obama answer the hemp question and his back peddling on Medical Marijuana under Holder.
Last debate, Rmoney successfully used a tactic…when complimenting Obama’s policy, he used the cabinet name of the person and the department. For example he mentioned Arne Duncan, SoE. When it was a negative, Obama’s name was used. Successful strategy for idiots, but I saw what he did. A pushy CEO, like Trump, telling Obama “You’re Fired!”
All Obama has to do is explain how he will improve the lot of the 47 percent that Rmoney wants no part of.
Carol Costello just took this clown from some rightwing hate group to town over their opposition to Mix It Up day — this clown is quoted as saying all of the Hitler storm troopers were gay. and that’s why being gay is bad..huh? I guess he missed the history of the pink triangle…probably missed all of history.
Obamarama goes second..and after Rmoney finishes I hope Obama says, “Hi I’m president Barak Obama and I was wondering which Mitt Romney would should up tonight.”
Time for Amy Goodman
I would nail Rmoney on his ‘overseas money.’ Isn’t that a threat to national security? Will he always protect the Cayman Islands BEFORE any other — even Israel?
Speaking of ridiculous behavior Paul Ryan staged a photo op in a soup kitchen --made them open it after it was closed and all the clients gone and then pretended to wash dishes…
pretty much the clear picture of Rmoney/Lyin’ agenda --the poor are just a photo op to present his warm and fuzzy side
It’s just another Ryan lie
The handwriting’s on the wall
The elephants in the room
If Bishop Romney wins we’ll fall
The Mormon Church will rule.
AP…
Have a great day.
Rmoney did not want follow-up questions
I can’t even imagine President Rmoney -- I don’t think he would even last a full term
KGC…
It’s President Bishop Romney.
Have a great day.
Here’s some stuff on the soup kitchen photo op. The president of the charity was not happy with the charade.
George Farah open debates talks about the horrible way the League of Women voters lost the debates
and why they are now the captured interests of the two parties
Ok President Bishop Rmoney (can’t give that up)
Language and content warning: John Fugelsang being brilliant about Jesus vs. Sodomy
Jamie…
I was unable to see your link. It wanted a sign in and I do not sign in for content anywhere. If it’s not available to see without signing in then I really don’t need to see it.
If it shows up somewhere were signing in is not necessary to view it then I will watch it there.
Thanks though for posting it and …
Have a great day.
KGC,
I thought then and continue to think to this day, that the debates lost a good deal of their legitimacy when they were taken from the League of Women Voters.
The quality, format, and genuine circus atmosphere surrounding the more recent presidential debates would seem to validate my view.
AP
Not sure what the problem is. It’s a You Tube video. Can you no see any of them?
Jamie…
That’s what I didn’t understand. The link says I have to sign in because of the content.
Here’s what I get on the link you posted.
Thumbnail4:29
Sign in to view this video
This content may contain material flagged by YouTube’s user community that may be inappropriate for some users.
To view this video, please confirm you are old enough by signing in.
Have a great day.
ap, take that as a compliment. YouTube thinks you’re a kid.
It let me right in.
pogo…
LOL…LOL…LOL…
Hey its been a long time since I watched or saw any porn on the intertubes and usually all they had was two boxes which you had to check one or the other stating you were over 18 or leave this page.
Not sure what they have now but too sign in would be like paying for access for which one gives credit card info to look at something most people can see for free.
Have a great day.
http://thepoliticalcarnival.net/2012/10/16/video-jon-stewart-takes-down-foxs-coverage-of-the-vp-debate/
Stewart at his best. Glad I stumbled on it. Enjoy.
Jace --
Stewart was priceless. As he said, his show is not taped on Fridays, so we had to deal with the normal spin on the debate through the weekend. I love his take on the ‘doctor’ Faux News hired to tell us with Joe Biden, we can put dementia on the table.
Too bad they didn’t use this doctor (Stewart calls him a chimp with a screwdriver) to tell us what was wrong with Clint Eastwood.
Predicted post-debate punditry.
Chris Matthews: “Now that was the Obama who sent that feeling down my leg.”
Maddow: Rolls her eyes, and looks embarrassed.
Sharpton: Moves away to keep from getting his feet wet.
The Supreme Court on Tuesday denied Ohio’s request to curtail early voting in the state leading up to the November 6 presidential election.
From the same article --
“The appeals court’s decision did not require polls to be open on the final three days, leaving it up to the discretion of the state’s 88 individual county election boards.
A coalition of 15 states, including Colorado, Wisconsin and Virginia, filed a supporting brief for Ohio on Friday, encouraging the court to block the 6th Circuit’s ruling. They said Ohio had not placed a burden on citizens’ ability to vote by eliminating the three early voting days.”
Voter suppression at its worst. We spend all of this time waiting for the ‘undecided’ to finally commit and then we tell them it is too late to vote.
Be prepared to here about the angry black man that showed up for the debate if the President is aggressive tonight.
Have a great day.
Wow, how much more can the Clintons do for this guy? She threw herself under the bus!
Some debate humor
AP,
I’d like to see that angry black man show up just one time before Tommy Thompson’s kid sends him back to Kenya.
follow the money:
http://www.poynter.org/latest-news/regret-the-error/191552/denver-tv-stations-debunk-political-ads-says-factcheck-orgs-jamieson/
ap and jace, that black man that shows up tonight is probably rmoney in black face. he’s changed personas so often. now a moderate, now a severe conservative. now for, now against. no surprise if he announces one of his grandmas was a person of color, a native american and a virgin.
a belated welcome aboard to rigatoni.
Hillary was, is, and always will be; great…Republicans don’t know anything about accepting responsibility and doing the right thing…
Rmoney is the candidate of Big Fat Liars
jace…
So would I.
I will be watching the live stream on MSNBC and TV for the debate. I’ll also be checking here off and on throughout the debate but not on the chat.
Have a great evening.
So how many stories showing Mitt’s warm side can CNN do in one week -- apparently endless
Fact checking mittens every statement and tweeting the result in the way to go…mittens is a compulsive liar he won’t be able to help himself.
I think we will watch on cspan
I heard the Koch brothers gave the Rmoney/Ryan a table top filled with gold for their debate performances…both Rmoney and Ryan were heard complaining that the Koch brothers didn’t even give them a bag to put the gold in.
Let’s see Rmoney get down with the common folk tonight…watch Candy blush.
I like C-span, KGC. No pundits. Candy gets to ask questions tonight, too.
The best thing Mittens did for himself was the portrayal as bi-partisan — that’s a myth that needs to be exploded.
Some pizza company offered 50k if one of the 80 will ask what is the candidate’s favorite pizza topping
50k? I heard Pizza Hut offered 15 thousand or free pizza for life if they ask pepperoni or sausage.
To be honest, I’d take it. but I would use a complex sentence with several questions in one.
Hey everyone…. I will quietly sit next to Rick on our couch and watch the debate tonight. I will not be at chat. I am beat from weaving all day. This is a very busy time of year for me. I have already shipped my scarves to several galleries. But I must ship to several more sometime during the first week of November.
I am also busy getting ready for a fair I’m doing Thanksgiving weekend. That’s why you haven’t seen much of me this week and you won’t for a few more weeks.
I look forward to reading all your responses about the debate tonight. Everyone have fun with whatever you choose to do tonight.
wow…I just heard a new Romney talking point unchallenged on Politics Nation. That was weird. Is Sharpton losing his touch, when he has reporters pushing the bullshit of the Romney campaign? He certainly allows the Obama administration to push their bs.
Great luck to you, RR. Rest those hands when you are able…have you ever tried ‘hot wax’ for your hands? A masseuse recommended that to me to calm overworked hands.
only 15k… ??? I guess I take free pizza for life
or does it have some crappy lifetime cap
I would take 15K because I would get sick of the pizza. I do not know if there is a cap but i wouldn’t be surprised if there is.
Watching Fugelsang and Miller on Current for pre debate and will probably switch to MSNBC for Stephanie for the debate …. I have to get my own network.
RR
Look forward to hearing about the gallery response to your beautiful scarves. They are amazing works of art.
It looks like it was a bad move for pizza — they’ve withdrawn the offer
They got what they wanted. Publicity. What’s the old adage…there’s no such thing as bad publicity.
my chicken in pot, getting ready for big show.. http://twitpic.com/b4t2th
Oh Yum!!! I already had my chicken breast in mushrooms.
Lots of chickens being cooked…I just finished making chicken fried rice!
The gang is starting to assemble on the chat site
Jamie…I can see the blog and the chat. The chat room is a small pop-up panel on the right side of the blog page. Am I doing something wrong, or in the wrong place?
Just did some research and calculating.
In 1932 a chicken was 60 cents and the average industrial wages were $18 a week.
So if average workers wages today is $40,000 then Herbert Hoover’s chicken is worth $25.
Even in Walmart equivalent wages it is a $15 dollar chicken.
Jack
debate party room now open in chat http://craigcrawford.com/chat/
Bishop Rmoney is trying to hog the debate and he is smirking and smiling like VP Biden did.
The President is winning in my opinion.
Have a great evening.
The President did not throw SOS under the bus. He took responsibility for the incident in Libya.
Have a great day.
The President should have brought up the company in Freeport Illinois that owned by Bain and moving the company to China.
Have a great day.
Hope some of the new folks who turned up on chat will visit us here.
Alex Castellano on CNN…laughable. Now he tells us how women view Obama and Rmoney.
The President clearly won.
Have a great evening.
Debate chat went very well…thanks…
Kudos to the pres for that last 47 percent comment; it was the best line of the night IMHO. Note, Rmoney wants to do away with taxes on interest, dividends and Capital gains. He would have a tax rate of 13 percent less than he now does. Still can’t say what deductions he’d do away with. It it’s now a $25,000 bucket. It’ll be $30,000 next Monday.
I heard a caller on C-span state that Obama tried to shake Rmoney’s hand at the end and Rmoney did not shake it?
Is this true? I need to fact check.
BW…How small! If it’s true that Rmoney would not shake Obama’s hand, I hope it becomes widely known. Rmoney really is a despicable person.
Looks like Obama pulled a Ronald Reagan. He is not senile after all. Looks like you all can vote for him with out worrying.
Jack
One other thing. Did you like how Obama put on his John Wayne hat? Called Romney everything but a scum sucking pissant for playing politics with brave heros deaths. Thought for a minute he was going to go over and punch him out.
It was almost a “what would Andy Jackson do?” moment.
Jack
The diff is, reagan was senile.
fakes noise will turn angry patriot president into angry black radical.
HW
Now a second caller on C-span mentioned the lack of the handshake by Rmoney…he said he won’t vote for Rmoney.
I can’t find any fact checks on this, but if true…Obama should capitalize on it.
I am also asking on the TM chat about the handshake or lack of one.
This is a big rmoney error. Also, was obvious at end he was milling about w/abundant family, while the Prez was pressing the flesh w/the audience.
It’s a big rmoney error that means zilch for the country and world.
Chat and Blog both great today and tonight.
Off to dream world, the republic is safe at least until next Monday.
Xrep — I noticed that, too. He ran to his family…his security. He probably felt ‘icky’ after being so close to the common folk and their trick questions.
I will dream of Hannity’s head exploding.
Well, we were promised a very personal and caring, Willard Rmoney, tonight. I didn’t feel a thing.
Let me repeat what I said earlier.
The President did not throw SOS under the bus. He took responsibility for the incident in Libya.
The reason I’m repeating what I said is for all of those who said that President Obama would throw Hillary under the bus.
HE DID NOT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Now I feel better.
Have a great evening.
That’s as warm and cuddly as the iceman cometh.
The President took Bishop Romney remark which I too found to be very offensive about Libya and shoved it up Bishop Romney’s Ass and broke it off.
Have a great early morning.
Here is a rush transcript of our debate chat tonight, better looking version coming soon
I saw the denoument. Sweetie was falling asleep. We have a guest, an Indie, who fled from the debate conflict to watch Gladiator in another room !
It must have been as brutal as eencie widdle bush and john yoo torturing people to death in abu ghraib.
Thanks, for your fine posts this evening, Mr. Paranoid.
Good night all. Sweet dreams, and may you rise refreshed and ready to take back America.
Reports say Washington is vying for an agreement with Kabul that would keep tens of thousands of troops there until 2024
by John Glaser, October 16, 2012
The US has begun negotiations with the Kabul government over the extension of troop presence past 2014, despite repeated claims by the Obama administration that the war in Afghanistan will come to an end that year.
Vice President Joe Biden, during last week’s debate with VP candidate Paul Ryan, told tens of millions of Americans, yet again, that the US is leaving Afghanistan in 2014.
“We are leaving in 2014, period, and in the process, we’re going to be saving over the next 10 years another $800 billion,” Biden said. “We’ve been in this war for over a decade. The primary objective is almost completed. Now all we’re doing is putting the Kabul government in a position to be able to maintain their own security. It’s their responsibility, not America’s.”
But US and Afghan negotiators met in Kabul last week to talk about the formal security agreement that will govern the presence of US troops past 2014. And more such meetings are already set to take place.
I found the Presidents answer after Bishop Romney’s remark the best response that anyone could have given to someone who would use the deaths of our Ambassador and the other three Americans deaths for political points my highlight for the evening.
Have a great morning.
xrep…
No, thank you for taking the time to read them. I was just being my usual paranoid self.
May you have a very restful sleep and wake up totally refreshed.
Have a good morning.