The Official 2nd Presidential Debate Thread

[I spent the winter writing songs about getting better]

Obama overdid it, more than Romney overdid it.

Romney didn't give too much detail on his plans; Obama gave less.  

They should each be happy that the other is their opponent.

As usual J. J. manages to contradict himself.

[LiberalJunkie]

I think we can all agree this debate will not move the needle much.

No we can't all agree to that.

[5280]

I think we can all agree this debate will not move the needle much.

Absolutely, if one side or another thinks its a blowout should have their head examined.

[Eraserhead]

I think we can all agree this debate will not move the needle much.

I don't really agree with that. Do you know how often that Libya clip is going to be played?

[exopolitician]

I think we can all agree this debate will not move the needle much.

I disagree. I think the momentum is back on Obama's side.

[Brittain33]

Pink dresses = breast cancer awareness. Obama wore a bracelet.

[Lief 🗽]

Hopefully the Obama makes sure that Libya clip is played over and over again for the next few weeks.

[Joe Biden 2020]

I would respond to this, but brick walls don't respond well, so I'll respond anyway - THIS WAS NOT AN OBAMA BLOWOUT!!!!!!  Edge to Obama, sure, but far from a blowout.  I think Democrats had their expectations too high and already crafted their response to the debate before the debate.

[Chancellor Tanterterg]

I think we can all agree this debate will not move the needle much.

I don't really agree with that. Do you know how often that Libya clip is going to be played?

[traininthedistance]

Did Obama just say that if Romney crashed the economy, it would lower gas prices?

He sure did.  And he was one thousand percent right.  The biggest reason gas prices are higher is that the economy is not cratering.  

Best line of the whole debate as far as I'm concerned.

[M]

Hopefully the Obama makes sure that Libya clip is played over and over again for the next few weeks.

Thing is, I've been following the conservative media, and Republicans have the exact opposite interpretation.

Pour example:

http://www.nationalreview.com/corner/330674/romneys-libya-answer-mona-charen

[Marokai Backbeat]

The debate itself wasn't the "blowout" success; the strength of the soundbites created from this debate potentially are. Romney had virtually no positive and effective soundbites the way nearly all of Obama's direct responses were.

There's basically nothing that happened over the debate that allowed Romney to have a clear edge, he didn't really accomplish much. People talk about this debate like it's a 90 minute Romney spotlight and Obama isn't even a factor.

[Beet]

I think Obama could have done a better job responding to some of Romney's points, but overall he did very well. Romney was in command of a lot of facts and figures, but Obama seemed like a Commander in Chief, especially when he was talking about Libya and saying the buck stops with him. In terms of personality and presence when talking about Libya, he showed more than Romney ever has during the entire campaign.

Romney seemed strangely desperate, as he kept interrupting the moderator and trying to get in the last word. Obama gave a great closing statement. You got the sense that he's a more well-rounded person than Romney, Romney does well when he's focused on the economy but not so well when discussing anything else. Obama was passionate about education, foreign policy, as well as the economy.

Also, I think it's ironic that Romney brought up balancing work and family for womens' issues, when the reason he became Governor of Massachusetts is that his predecessor, one of the first women governors to give birth in office, stumbled while trying to balance work and motherhood, and Romney exploited that pretty brutally.

[○∙◄☻¥tπ[╪AV┼cVê└]

If Obama took a month long vacation, ignored a memo titled "Bin Laden determined to strike in US", and then 3000 Americans died, would he have a 90% approval rating?

Of course not.

[J. J.]

Obama overdid it, more than Romney overdid it.

Romney didn't give too much detail on his plans; Obama gave less.  

They should each be happy that the other is their opponent.

As usual J. J. manages to contradict himself.

No, just saying that both candidates failed. 

[yourelection]

The quality of the debates is improving.  This debate was also lively and intense. Both candidates were present this time.

From what I saw Obama held his own this time and even put Romney on the ropes.

One major misstep from Romney was his mistake on what the president said in the Rose Garden.

Watching CNN, my impression is that they want to avoid this, but it seems that this is going to get a lot more attention than the rest of the debate.

Other than that there was no decisive winner. Since Obama did much better than the last debate he should look more like the winner this time.

[The world will shine with light in our nightmare]

CNN Poll:

Who won the debate?

Obama: 46%
Romney: 39%

Obama did:

Better: 73%
Worse: 10%
Same: 16%

Romney did:

Better: 37%
Worse: 28%
Same: 33%

[Eraserhead]

CNN Ohio Focus Group: Obama wins.

Didn't get all of the numbers they threw out.

[The world will shine with light in our nightmare]

CNN Poll:

Who would better handle the economy?

Obama: 40%
Romney: 58%

Who would better handle health care?

Obama: 46%
Romney: 49%

Who would better handle taxes?

Romney: 51%
Obama: 44%

Who would better handle the deficit?

Romney: 59%
Obama: 36%

So is tonight a draw?

[yourelection]

CNN this time is admitting right upfront that their poll is Republican biased.

That makes it difficult to really look at the results objectively.

[LiberalJunkie]

CNN this time is admitting right upfront that their poll is Republican biased.

That makes it difficult to really look at the results objectively.

[The world will shine with light in our nightmare]

CNN Polls:

Who would better handle foreign policy?

Obama: 49%
Romney: 47%

Did Obama offer a clear plan for solving country's problems?

Yes: 38%
No: 61%

Did Romney offer a clear plan for solving country's problems?

Yes: 49%
No: 50%

The bias is, indeed, showing.

[Lief 🗽]

The fact that Obama won a CBS poll where Romney was originally winning on the economy with 70% of the vote is pretty insane.

[J. J.]

The fact that Obama won a CBS poll where Romney was originally winning on the economy with 70% of the vote is pretty insane.

It is rhetorical points.  Obama's rhetoric was better.

As I've said with the last two debates, we can tell who won by looking at the poll numbers. 

Both sides attacked too much, and I think it hurt Obama more.  Yes, I was watching the squiggly lines. 

[yourelection]

Over all Obama definitely had the advantage in this debate, just a slight one but he should stop the slide he took after the last debate.

One for Romney, one slightly for Obama will make the third debate very interesting or maybe not if both play it conservatively.

My full comments on the second debate at http://www.yourelection.net