Round 2: Live thread for second Obama-Romney debate
UPDATE at 10:28 p.m.: Predicted sound-bite highlights of the night: Romney’s devastating rundown of the failed economic recovery the past four years, Obama’s comment that it’s “offensive” for Romney to suggest he and his administration weren’t forthright about Benghazi attacks. The former was the best, most sustained argument of the night from either man. The latter, a perfect way for Obama sympathizers to say “the president is back!” We’ll see which one — or something else — resonated the most with voters.
***
UPDATE at 9:54 p.m.: One story line tomorrow will be the way Romney dinged George W. Bush for his budget deficits. And, also in his answer to the way he differs from Bush, says his party “has been focused on big business for too long” and should be more focused on small business. That answer flies in the face of one of Obama’s main lines of attack tonight.
***
UPDATE at 9:36 p.m.: Obama says, “It’s just not true.” Romney says, “It’s absolutely true.” The topic doesn’t matter — it’s been like that all night. This one will go to the fact-checkers.
***
UPDATE at 9:15 p.m.: So far, “aggressive Obama” sounds a lot like “lecturing Obama.” He also is making a big bet that viewers will believe his argument that Romney only cares about Big Business and “the rich.” We’ll see how well the two work as a combo.
***
Will we finally see a second-term vision from President Obama tonight? That’s the advice from Democratic consultant extraordinaire James Carville’s firm, Democracy Corps:
The campaign has reached a tipping point where we believe the president has to offer a bold narrative, policies and choice if he is to win re-election and get to a substantial enough victory that enables him to govern and face the great challenges ahead. The first debate really did disrupt the race and presents a painful real-time test of what happens when the president tries to convince people of progress and offer a very modest vision of future change. Voters are not looking for continuity but changes that help the average Joe.
So far, Obama’s second-term vision consists of more of the things he did with Democratic majorities in Congress or would have accomplished, if it weren’t for those darn Republicans after the 2010 midterm “shellacking.” Put another way: leftovers.
Carville’s firm suggests he try something else — but in fact, the advice looks a lot like using better, more poll-tested ways of saying essentially what he’s been saying all along. This is a bit reminiscent of Obama’s customary excuse that he just hasn’t explained himself well enough. And if Obama does come out with new proposals tonight, will that be satisfactory to undecided voters — or will they see it as a cynical ploy this late in the game?
We shall see. The live-blogging will commence shortly after the debate does, and I’ll be tweeting my thoughts as well.
– By Kyle Wingfield
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361 comments Add your comment
Bruno
October 17th, 2012
12:32 am
And facts are not gossip. If the truth to you is “gossip” that is on you, but believe as you see fit.
There are only a few folks who know the truth of why I left the Bookman Blog, and you aren’t one of them.
You are a grown man.
And you apparently aren’t, so buzz off, loser.
Tiberius - pulling the tail of the left AND right when needed
October 17th, 2012
12:32 am
“… and they brought us whole binders full of women!”
So you’re saying that Romney DIDN’T have the highest ratio of women executives in state governments across the nation, Matz?
Make your case.
Politico
October 17th, 2012
12:33 am
Get your last word in Bruno
Sure it makes you feel better.
Bruno
October 17th, 2012
12:34 am
Hey, Matz, hope you caught the Winwood vid above. Cool stuff.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O9t7pcF8rJQ
Bruno
October 17th, 2012
12:37 am
Sure it makes you feel better.
Listen, loser, I was cordial to you and gave you a chance to have a discussion. But since you immediately turned into a total POS, you’re on permanent ignore. Get your kicks somewhere else.
Politico
October 17th, 2012
12:37 am
Dusty
You can post something of me doing anything more than dogging out Obama?
Of course you can’t but you are so simple you still said I “fell all over him”.
WOW
Tiberius - pulling the tail of the left AND right when needed
October 17th, 2012
12:38 am
Take the rest of the night to get your stories straight, libs.
We’ll handle you all later in the morning.
Goodnight, Bruno and Dusty.
Politico
October 17th, 2012
12:38 am
get that last word Bruno
Politico
October 17th, 2012
12:39 am
You gave no chance, but it is alright if you say you did
You only wanted to read pro Romney or bad Obama
I bad mouthed them both and you were at a loss
getalife
October 17th, 2012
12:40 am
As predicted, our President destroyed mitt like Biden did to ryan.
Better luck in 16 cons.
Matz
October 17th, 2012
12:40 am
“I don’t always organize my women, but when I do, I prefer to put them in binders.” ~ Mittens
Dusty
October 17th, 2012
12:51 am
Goodnight, Tiberius. I’m gone too.
ODD OWL
October 17th, 2012
2:06 am
Bottom line…. You can’t trust a man who don’t drink coffee, don’t drink beer, never had a shot of white lightening and never smoke a little weed… Everything in moderation is a good thing… Romney ==> extreme and unbalanced…
Tiberius - pulling the tail of the left AND right
October 17th, 2012
7:35 am
ODD OWL calling someone extreme and unbalanced.
Anyone else see the irony in that?
Finn McCool (The System isn't Broken; It's Fixed)
October 17th, 2012
7:36 am
Clean up on aisle Romney.
Finn McCool (The System isn't Broken; It's Fixed)
October 17th, 2012
7:38 am
Electronic voting machines owned by Mitt Romney’s business buddies and set to count the votes in Cincinnati could decide the 2012 election.
http://truth-out.org/news/item/12130-will-hig-owned-e-voting-machines-give-romney-the-white-house
I Report (-: You Whine )-: mmm, mmmm, mmmmm! Just sayin...
October 17th, 2012
7:47 am
Equally terrifying, according to Obama, is the prospect of women paying for their own birth control pills. This is a “pocket book issue” for them, he said in one of his more ludicrous demagogic stretches of the night.
It’s insane that this has even become an issue in this time of national crisis but I guess it is something that doesn’t fly over the head of your average dummycrat.
I Report (-: You Whine )-: mmm, mmmm, mmmmm! Just sayin...
October 17th, 2012
7:50 am
“YOU KNOW I MEAN WHAT I SAY!” the president declared after discussing Libya.
I would make an ad out of this.
iggy
October 17th, 2012
7:54 am
“Electronic voting machines owned by Mitt Romney’s business buddies and set to count the votes in Cincinnati could decide the 2012 election.”
Im betting those machines internal mechanisms will register all votes forr Romney. This is craziness, CRAZINESS I SAY!!
JamVet
October 17th, 2012
8:04 am
…the prospect of women paying for their own birth control pills.
Yep, because women who are now paying for their own health insurance – that could and should cover those pills – does not play out as well in the Limbaugh-led war on women circle jerk.
But it sure does serve the sluts, prostitutes and FemiNazis right, huh?
Tiberius - pulling the tail of the left AND right when needed
October 17th, 2012
8:25 am
“Electronic voting machines owned by Mitt Romney’s business buddies and set to count the votes in Cincinnati could decide the 2012 election. ”
Despite ALL evidence since electronic voting machines have been in place showing it is impossible for them to be hacked, this crap still surfaces every year.
And it’s no surprise Finn’s scouring of websites to get his opinions given to him has been the one to find it again.
Tiberius - pulling the tail of the left AND right when needed
October 17th, 2012
8:36 am
“Yep, because women who are now paying for their own health insurance – that could and should cover those pills”
I’d ask you to make the case for contraceptives needing to be covered by health insurance, but that would be asking for the impossible, AmVet.
I demand to see Cheesy Grits Birth Certificate- Long Form Please
October 17th, 2012
8:45 am
I’d ask you to make the case for contraceptives needing to be covered by health insurance, but that would be asking for the impossible, AmVet.
Republicans are against abortion right.
Wanna stop a ton of them.
Cheap or free contraceptives.
This is why im not a Republican and never will be.
Half of their positions contradict the other ones.
JamVet
October 17th, 2012
8:47 am
Sunspot tibby, go take a little blue pill (covered by insurance policies) to go get it up, big dog.
(Sean Hannity would be proud of you.)
And if you have an intelligent rebuttal to make that lasts longer than four hours, go see your doctor…
Finn McCool (The System isn't Broken; It's Fixed)
October 17th, 2012
8:50 am
Romney was stuttering at the end. Poor guy.
RW-(the original)
October 17th, 2012
8:51 am
Well if Truth-Out dot org says it then it must be true because as rumor has it you can’t put anything on the internet that isn’t true. Oh and if you’ll recall it was a crackhead at truth out dot org that brought you the “Karl Rove has been indicted” scoop that had the triple-l’s around here salivating a few years back.
Nice touch getting the excuses lined up early this time around though.
Finn McCool (The System isn't Broken; It's Fixed)
October 17th, 2012
8:52 am
How about Romney claiming he will create more jobs and then stuttering “Government doesn’t create jobs”?
Tiberius - pulling the tail of the left AND right when needed
October 17th, 2012
8:53 am
Cheesy, you’re not a Republican because you believe that government should provide for us from birth to death.
It has nothing to do with your erroneous claims of GOP contradicting positions.
Personal responsibility is like garlic to a vampire to you.
Tiberius - pulling the tail of the left AND right when needed
October 17th, 2012
8:55 am
“How about Romney claiming he will create more jobs and then stuttering “Government doesn’t create jobs”?”
Considering that Romney’s plans are to get government OUT OF THE WAY to create those jobs, his comment is perfectly correct, Finn.
But that would take more than a sound bite’s worth of knowledge for you to understand that.
iggy
October 17th, 2012
8:56 am
Cheesy, like Finn, is for womb to tomb govt interferance.
I demand to see Cheesy Grits Birth Certificate- Long Form Please
October 17th, 2012
9:01 am
92 killed at American embassies under Reagan.
33 killed at American embassies under Bush.
4 killed at American embassies under Obama.
President Obama is right. He has the BEST record of defending our embassies.
Tiberius - pulling the tail of the left AND right when needed
October 17th, 2012
9:02 am
Poor, pitiful, AmVet.
Can’t even pay attention to the stuff he’s failing to debunk.
I asked about contraceptives, fool, neither specifying women’s nor men’s.
However, since you brought it up, I don’t know why ED solutions need to be covered by health insurance, either.
Of course, you’ve opened up the whole can of worms on why health insurance is so expensive, anyway. Biggest reason? Policies that are mandated, either by state laws or the companies themselves, that are designed to cover almost anything that might ever be wrong with you.
Tiberius - pulling the tail of the left AND right when needed
October 17th, 2012
9:03 am
“92 killed at American embassies under Reagan.
33 killed at American embassies under Bush.
4 killed at American embassies under Obama.”
And only one of them is running for re-election this year, and only one of them lied about how it happened.
And it’s the same guy in both cases.
I demand to see Cheesy Grits Birth Certificate- Long Form Please
October 17th, 2012
9:06 am
Cheesy, you’re not a Republican because you believe that government should provide for us from birth to death.
No i dont.
But there are some common sense things they can do.
Like provide condoms to teenagers and poor women.
Unwanted pregnancies will go down. Hence fewer Abortions.
But Republicans dont support that. They support abstinence programs which dont work.
That leads to unwanted pregnancies and abortions.
The very thing they say they are against.
It just doesnt add up.
I demand to see Cheesy Grits Birth Certificate- Long Form Please
October 17th, 2012
9:09 am
And only one of them is running for re-election this year, and only one of them lied about how it happened.
And it’s the same guy in both cases.
Thats your opinion.
What I stated was fact.
Rafe Hollister, suffering through Oblamer's ineptocracy
October 17th, 2012
9:10 am
Obama continues with the lies about why the four people died!
Maybe, hopefully, Monday, Romney will force him to answer some questions, that he has avoided so far. Candy threw him a life preserver last night, hopefully, Monday’s debate host will be more restrained.
Tiberius - pulling the tail of the left AND right when needed
October 17th, 2012
9:11 am
Personal responsibility has been bred out of the American people since the 1950’s and early 1960’s. People like Cheesy celebrate a government education system that tells you that it isn’t your fault when you don’t succeed, or when you do something wrong.
Cheesy is Obama’s Julia, cradled in the bosom of government; never exceeding, just getting by.
Rafe Hollister, suffering through Oblamer's ineptocracy
October 17th, 2012
9:12 am
Cheesy, ED drugs are not covered by insurance. I know that you knew that, but it doesn’t stop you from throwing it out every time you can.
JamVet
October 17th, 2012
9:14 am
Four dead Americans is great news for the worst of our war weary (LOL) suddenly soft since January 21, 2009 on terrorism Republicans.
Granted it doesn’t make up for those SEALS all getting home safely alive after taking out Public Enemy Number One per the orders from President Obama.
But hey! It’s a start!
Finn McCool (The System isn't Broken; It's Fixed)
October 17th, 2012
9:17 am
Hold Obama accountable for 4 dead in Libya but give W a pass on 3,000 dead in 2001.
You Cons are desperate.
Tiberius - pulling the tail of the left AND right when needed
October 17th, 2012
9:18 am
Cheesy, Obama is the only one running for re-election – FACT.
Obama lied about the spontaneous nature of this attack for two weeks – FACT.
They knew within 24 hours of the attack that there was no demonstration – FACT.
Your blind defense of the indefensible merely points out that you are incapable of seeing reality.
Finn McCool (The System isn't Broken; It's Fixed)
October 17th, 2012
9:18 am
Personal responsibility has been bred out of the American people since the 1950’s and early 1960’s.
Tiberius, why do you hate America and what it is and what it stands for? You don’t like what you see, go kick rocks.
Finn McCool (The System isn't Broken; It's Fixed)
October 17th, 2012
9:19 am
Obama said it was a terrorist attack while in the Rose garden – FACT!
Rafe Hollister, suffering through Oblamer's ineptocracy
October 17th, 2012
9:19 am
Tiberius is right in that medical insurance policies are so expensive because government requires they be the same for everyone. People should have the option of buying a policy tailored to their needs. If you think you will need mental/emotional coverage (someone like Joe Biden) then you should have to pay more to add that to your policy. If you think you might need addiction rehab later, you should have to add that to a basic policy. People who don’t think they need those things should be able to pay for a bare bones policy and they should be able to select the amount of benefits they want. Do they want the insurance to cover every trip to the doctor or just cover hospital expenses. It should be like auto insurance, sit down with your agents, asses your risks and buy what you need.
Finn McCool (The System isn't Broken; It's Fixed)
October 17th, 2012
9:20 am
Cons are testy this morning.
Whaaaaaa!
Tiberius - pulling the tail of the left AND right when needed
October 17th, 2012
9:22 am
Finn, I hate America for what you and your moochers are turning it into.
A shell of it’s former greatness.
If you think America is so great, why do you keep trying to change it? And don’t say you’re improving it, because every metric out there says we’re in a decline.
Rafe Hollister, suffering through Oblamer's ineptocracy
October 17th, 2012
9:22 am
Finn
No, he said no terrorist attack can go unpunished or something to that effect. He never called it a terrorist attack until two weeks or so passed. This is a MarkV argument.
Finn I get you and Cheesy confused, you are always on here at the same time, spouting the same BS. Any objection to me just calling you Fineesy?
Tiberius - pulling the tail of the left AND right when needed
October 17th, 2012
9:25 am
“Obama said it was a terrorist attack while in the Rose garden – FACT!”
If he was so convinced that it was a terrorist attack in the Rose Garden the next day, why did he deny it for two weeks, Finn?
JamVet
October 17th, 2012
9:30 am
Finn, I hate America…
Air Iran is ready when you are.
Rafe Hollister, suffering through Oblamer's ineptocracy
October 17th, 2012
9:31 am
Tib
I thought Romney missed a hanging curveball last night when Obama failed to answer the lady’s question about why nothing was done after two requests for more security.
He had limited time, but I think he blew it when he didn’t say right off, “he as usual did not answer your question”. He could have then blasted him for failing to protect our people, but he was so intent on pointing out how Obama lied when he blamed it on the video, he didn’t address the lack of security issue. Candy bailed out Obama and Romney seemed to miss a chance to make two important points. What did you think of this exchange?