The Politics Thread

[Wales2004]

I tried to watch but that split screen is way too distracting and I couldn't take more of Mitt Rommey's smirk. It sounds as if he basically spent his time agreeing on most foreign policy issues and stuck on you didn't meet with Israel.

The Conservative spin seems to be that he looked Presidential or Statesman like. What America needs is a President that looks like one but doesn't necessarily know what the heck he is talking about.

[MissLlanviewPA]

Go Lesley!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=XMxtbAP2cyU

[DRW50]

Beltway spin - when the Democrat wins, it's a draw.

http://www.politico.com/news/stories/1012/82735.html?hp=t1_3

[quartermainefan]

I thought Obama won this one handily. The bayonets crack, the battleship crack, the 80s are calling crack, this type of dismissal works for me. I don't need false civility to find a candidate likable, the snark makes me like them more to be honest.

Then there were times Romney agreed with Obama, which sort of makes his criticism of his foreign policy seem petty. I didn't think Romney came out ahead on a single topic.

[ReddFoxx]

Romney was out of his element on foreign policy, everything he said was generic and devoid of substance. It was clear that he was not comfortable discussing foreign policy when he tried to shift the discussion to the economy.

[quartermainefan]

I think it was Obama who shifted the discussion to the economy. Obama did a good enough job. He pretty much painted Romney as a guy who wants to build ships just to say he built them, wants a trade war with China, and wants to portray things in the GOP comfort zone of us against the Russians. That said, the first debate trumps all the others combined because it was so abysmal for Obama that all the people fleeing for their lives from Romney got stopped dead in their tracks and recoil now from Obama. He had 10 point leads in major states evaporate overnight. Instead of rolling over Romney and now setting sights on the House, democrats will be lucky to keep the presidency. That first debate will be discussed for years to come as the worst debate by a presidential candidate maybe ever.

[DRW50]

If that was all it took to give Romney a big swing, something else would have done it. Gore had debates that were mercilessly savaged by the press and he still managed to have a huge comeback against Bush in spite of Bush being favored for much of the year.

Romney has money, media, voter suppression, and he's running against a man who is feared and loathed by many. The only surprise I've had in this is that he hasn't been doing even better.

[Wales2004]

According to Chuck Todd, the Romney campaign already believes they are at 271. That Billy Graham endorsement must have put them right over the top.

How do you go for years claiming Mormonism is a cult, meet with Mitt Romney, give him your endorsement, and then pull reference to Mormon cult from your website?

There has to be some deep hatred for Barack Obama for that kind of soul selling.

[marceline]

Agreed. I think the race was going to tighten up after the first debate regardless just because certain people were going to see Romney on TV and simply decide he looked presidential no matter what he said just because he was on television. Claiming that the debate single-handedly did it is IMO a case of people seeing causation where there's more likely correlation. JMHO.

Regardless we are now firmly in the "hysteria reigns supreme" part of the race.

[DRW50]

I think people have always been looking for a reason to support Romney. They needed any reason. They finally settled on one - he's not tripping over his feet. He kept fumbling over himself. Now he's just gone straight to evasion and delusion and this passes as reason. For instance, the idea that the UN will arrest the President of Iran. Even if that happens, which...um...I don't think it will, why is a Republican counting on the UN (which conservatives have loathed since the time it was formed) to help solve our problems? I can imagine John Bolton somewhere frothing at the mouth. But because so many just want Obama out, they will keep quiet until the day after the election.

As for Billy Graham, I question how much input he has on anything his name is attached to. His son seems to control everything, and we know how his son feels.

Edited October 23, 2012 by CarlD2

[GoldenDogs]

Interesting comments this morning...

I really think, based on his performance last night, that Obama has lost the presidency. All Romney needed to do was hold firm and steady and not do anything to stem the current tide rising in his favor. He did, in fact, remain steady and did not get trapped on any policy issues. He was flat on foreign policy but not clueless; he demonstrated adequate capability, in my opinion.

This debate was Obama's best. He is consistent and steady. While I didn't feel he was overly aggressive, I did think he was overly defensive - but again not adequately defending his economic policies. This is what I believe will cost him the election. Obama is simply unable to defend his record. And it doesn't matter whether you are a Conservative who thinks the stimulus and Obamacare continue to hobble the economy... or if you are a Liberal who feels Obama didn't go far enough with the stimulus and that Obamacare isn't as all-encompassing as it should be - you just aren't satisfied with what Obama has or has not done.

Polls continue to indicate momentum in Romney's favor and nothing in last night's debate will change that. Unless, of course, some huge surprise comes our way and Gloria Allred produces shocking pictures of Romney at a gay orgy or taking a dump on the hood of somebody's car after a drunken binge... You never know. But without dirty tricks from either side... without some ridiculous nonsense from the media... odds are definitely in Romney's favor at this stage.

[Wales2004]

This is true and on MSNBC Chris Matthews is leading the charge. I turned him off pretty quickly last night because I get tired of hearing him shout about all the white people that won't vote for Barack Obama. Before he used to keep asking what Barack Obama was going to do about it as if that made an ounce of sense. If he's saying that white people don't want to vote for Barack Obama because their racist then did he want Barack Obama to go to the Appalachians and hypnotize them into thinking they should vote for him anyway?

[Wales2004]

This is something I asked my friend about who called me twice yesterday extremely hysterical over Mitt Romney as if she believes I might become Romneytized.

That's something that I can guarantee will never happen. He has such contempt for the poor that there is no way on earth I could ever justify supporting a man like that. Absolutely no way.

I don't trust anyone who claims to be a Christian and a Mitt Romney supporter. The two things are spiritual opposites.

[marceline]

Same here. But honestly, most people who claim to be Christians just mean that they believe in God. Not any of the actual principles of the various denominations.

I long ago wrote off Chris Matthews. He's just so knee jerk and shrill.

Edited October 23, 2012 by marceline

[Wales2004]

I know and i don't take them seriously either. There couldn't possibly be that many Christians if you believe that many are called but few are chosen.

And all of that prosperity preaching ignores Jesus saying that it's easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to go to Heaven.

I get that people need to do whatever works for them---no problem do what works for you. Just don't try to use God to manipulate people into voting however you want them to vote.

Republicans are not the messenger party of God and they need to stop pretending that their stance on abortion and gay marriage makes them God's chosen people above everyone else. No, it doesn't.

Edited October 23, 2012 by Wales2004