I’m not really looking forward to this. Don’t get me wrong, I think that Romney’s got this one in the bag. Obama is a robot, and he’s got nothing to run on, and Romney is a good speaker and debater. The media will declare Obama the winner and say that he overcame obstacles and a tough debater like Romney, but that Romney is out of touch and too wooden or something. It’s so predictable. And I’m watching this on my local Fox station, for the record. It’s 8:00, let’s get this over with. Oh, and the format is a work in progress…
Hello, Shepard Smith. Obligatory intro. Obama won the coin toss. This one is going to be on domestic policy – where Obama is clearly weak. Jim Laher is moderating, and now giving the other obligatory intro. He’s kind of a dinosaur, and most likely part of the liberal color guard.
And now here are the candidates.
The Economy: Segment 1, Jobs
What are the major differences between the two, and how would they go about creating jobs?
O: Obligatory well wishes to Michelle, since it’s their 20th anniversary. And right into the Debbie Wasserman-Schultz (henceforth to be known as “DWS”) talking points. Light attack on Romney, and back to the talking points. He’s talking a lot faster than usual. No teleprompter.
R: Obligatory congratulations to the president on his anniversary, and light joke. A little shout out to Ohio. Energy independence, trade, education, balanced budget, small business. “Trickle down government.” Nice.
JL: Respond to “trickle down government”.
O: Specifics. Education. Hiring teachers. Oh, yes, more union dues to the DNC. Energy independence, but invest in wind and solar. Yes, more Solyndras. Tax cuts.
R: “Middle income families are being crushed.” I really can’t commentate on this. This guy is nailing it. “I’ll get that pipeline in from Canada.” “No tax cut that adds to the deficit. Underline that.” I don’t think he stuttered or said “uh” once.
O: He’s been talking taxes for about 18 seconds, and he’s said “uh” three times. Oratory extraordinaire. Seriously, I have trouble not counting the “uhs”. I’m not speaking professional, but for the love of goat, where do these people get off on the idea that he’s God’s gift to the speaking world? And why does he keep driving this idea that it’s bad to give the military $2 trillion?
R: “Virtually everything he just said about my tax plan is inaccurate.” “I will not reduce the taxes paid by high income Americans.” He’s addressing the president directly. The president really has yet to look at the governor while speaking to/about him. “For me, this is about jobs.”
O: “It’s math, it’s arithmetic.” Really?! You clearly failed that. Ugh. DWS talking points. He’s a robot. “We should go back to the rates we had when Bill Clinton was president…” Wow. Can’t run on your record, so you dig up the past. “Donald Trump is a small business.” Really? Where is this guy coming up with this [malarkey]? Now he’s moved on to education.
R: Now he’s throwing facts at him. You can’t handle the truth!
O: I can’t listen to this guy any more. Now he’s back to Clinton. This is your election, not his! Disaster, at best. Anyone who thinks otherwise is clearly delusional.
R: Okay, I like that he’s kind of taking the gloves off, but he’s a little annoying with the butting in. Granted, he’s right. I’ll allow it, because he’s still throwing out facts.
JL: Question 2: “What are the differences…how would you go about tackling the debt in this country?”
R: “I want to lower spending…I’ll eliminate all programs that borrow money from China to pay for.” “The president said he’d cut the deficit in half…unfortunately, he doubled it.”
O: Now the DWS talking points on debt – “two wars on a credit card”, “emergency measures to avoid a Great Depression”. Blah, blah, blah. He’s trying to establish a record, but it’s sounding more like excuses. Bowles-Simpson Commission – whose advice you still haven’t taken. “…to move forward.” Way to throw in that catch phrase.
R: “You’ve been president for four years.” “I don’t want to raise taxes on people.” “You raise taxes, you kill jobs.”
JL: “In order to reduce the deficit, you have to have revenue.”
O: “The oil industry gets $4 billion a year in corporate welfare.” Yes, make big oil the villain. How did he go from tax cuts to education? Now Medicade? Stay on topic! Is your chip malfunctioning?!
R: Oh, snap. He just called him on the array of topics. Totally called him out on the oil industry subsidies versus the subsidies the president poured into green energy. “I’ve been in business for 25 years. I have no idea what you’re talking about [as far as getting a tax break for opening a factory overseas].” “Medicade. I don’t know how you got to that.” “Let states do this.”
JL: Segment 3: Entitlements “Do you see a major difference between the two of you on Social Security?”
O: And he wants to shift focus to Medicare. “My grandmother died three days before I was elected president.” What does this have anything to do with the topic?! The question was on social security, not Medicare. Infuriating.
R: Oh, yeah. Totally call the president out on Medicare. Am I the only one that thinks that the president is afraid to look at the governor while he’s speaking?
O: Turning Medicare into a voucher program. I fail to see the problem here. Oh, yes vilify the insurance companies. “health care economists” “my grandmother” “AARP” I’m so confused. Now he’s propping up ObamaCare, saying the insurance companies will benefit and seniors will suffer.
R: $716 billion from Medicare. I’m so glad he keeps hitting him on this. “We’ve got to make sure the program is there for the long term.” “I believe in competition.”
O: Now he’s back to propping up AARP.
R: “Could we stay on Medicare?”
JL: Regulations.
R: “Regulation is essential.” “Regulation can be excessive…out of date.” Dodd-Frank. I think the president is getting testy.
O: Blames “reckless behaviors”, then says he fixed Wall Street. Now he’s rambling on and on…
R: “I wouldn’t designate five banks as too big to fail.”
JL: New segment, health care. “Governor Romney, you want ObamaCare repealed. Why?”
R: Another shout out to a swing state. Not a big fan of him doing this, but I know why he’s doing it. I can’t commentate. Facts. “It has killed jobs.” “Craft a plan at the state level.”
O: Talking points we’ve been hearing for the last four years. I’m so bored with you. “I had five seconds before you interrupted me.”
JL: “Your five seconds went away a long time ago.”
R: “We didn’t raise taxes…we didn’t cut Medicare…we didn’t create board to tell people what treatments they could get…the CBO says 20 million people will lose their insurance.” Again, facts. Such inconvenient things…for Democrats.
O: Wow. He’s trying to blame ObamaCare on Romney. Really? Oh, there he goes. Shout out to Cleveland Clinic. Giving Ohio love. What is he talking about? Oh, the board. Sorry, he lost me with all the blah, blah, blah. “Health care costs have gone up, it’s true.” So, you lied?
R: “The government is not effective at bringing down the cost of anything.” This is fascinating. Sorry…I’m really fixated on how Obama can’t look Romney in the eye. Two second maximum. He either looks down or looks at the moderator. I know. This is my something shiny moment, and it’s detracting from what Romney is talking about – which is dead-on, as far as the government board not being ideal – but it says a lot about a man who can’t look his opponent in the eyes. The eyes are a window to the soul. What should I infer here?
O: He’s talking, but he’s not saying anything.
R: “What we did in Massachusetts is a model for the nation, state by state.”
JL: New segment, the role of government: “Do you believe there’s a fundamental difference in the way you view the mission of the federal government?”
O: Blah, blah, blah. Oh, shout out to Abe Lincoln. He’s basically saying that Lincoln was a big government guy. Really?! Education. “Let’s hire another 100,000 math and science teachers.” Again, shout out to your union buddies.
R: “Every school district, every state should make their own decisions.” Wow…I’m loving this. He’s totally invoking the Constitution. Great stuff. “The path we’re taking is not working. It’s time for a new path.”
O: Am I supposed to take a shot every time he says “Democrats and Republicans”? Did you really just say, “This is where budgets matter.”?????? Really?! Your Senate buddies haven’t passed a budget in what is tantamount to eons. The budget that you presented didn’t get a single vote in Congress. You live outside reality. Oh, I’m supposed to take a shot when he says, “One of the things I did, as president…” Right.
R: “Mr. President, as president you’re entitled to your own house and your own airplane, but not your own facts.” Zing! Pretty sure that was lost on him. Come on. Stare the governor in the eye for five whole seconds, Mr. President. I dare you.
JL: “Many of the legislative functions of the government are in paralysis due to partisan gridlock…what would you do about it?”
R: “…not because we’re going to compromise our principles…” Democrats don’t know about principles.
O: “I will take ideas from anyone…” NO YOU WON’T. Period. End. Of. Story. “You have to have a plan.” What’s yours? Just stop. I’m done with you. Not that I was ever not done with you, but I’m done with being civil. Stop talking. Now. I’m going to type something that I’ll regret.
JL: Closing statements, Romney won the toss, he chose to go last. Smart.
O: Oh, there’s the multiple state shout outs (North Carolina, Minnesota, and Ohio). Oh, there’s the DWS talking points. “I’d fight every single day for the American people…I’ve kept that promise.” Well, hopefully the American people will relieve you of duty in a few weeks.
R: No real commentary necessary. Basically he’s saying, don’t reelect the president unless you’ve loved the last four years.
I’m not going to commentate on the after proceedings. I don’t really want to elaborate any further. I’m going to call this one like I would a football game. Speculate however you want.
Obama 6, Romney 34
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