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Tuesday Debate Thread: Most Important this Cycle?

If Obama loses this election, it's just a HOF typical screw up by the Democrats in running politics. They have Americans on board with a lot of their issues, they're just so bad at politics in general.
 
To answer the original question of the thread, I think the "most important" debate has already taken place. I think this election is a horse race now regardless of what happens in the next two debates.

Obama has to be very careful tomorrow night. Where Biden can attack an opponent in a debate and still manage to remain likeable (probably due to the perception of him being something of a doofus, as was portrayed nicely by Jason Sudeikis on SNL), Obama on the attack often becomes sharp and shrill--the "you're likeable enough, Hillary" comment from the Democrat debate in '08 comes to mind, as does the "we won" comment to McCain during the health care summit.
 
Wakeforest22890 said:
If Obama loses this election, it's just a HOF typical screw up by the Democrats in running politics. They have Americans on board with a lot of their issues, they're just so bad at politics in general.
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I disagree, Obama lost this election by himself. R's made it easier to win by nominating a so-so candidate but compare this 4 years to Clinton's first 4. No comparison. Obamacare cooked his goose IF he loses. If he wins, Obamacare will just cook America's goose. :willynilly:
 
2&2 Slider To Leyritz said:
Isn't this debate about foreign policy? If so, I expect people will tune in, hear the words Libya, North Korea, or Afghanistan, and then say "I don't give a damn" and flip over to baseball. How either one handles questions on foreign policy has virtually no impact on this election.
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Nope, rando peeps in the audience will ask questions.
 
Go said:
I disagree, Obama lost this election by himself. R's made it easier to win by nominating a so-so candidate but compare this 4 years to Clinton's first 4. No comparison. Obamacare cooked his goose IF he loses. If he wins, Obamacare will just cook America's goose. :willynilly:
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Yep. This is solely on Obama.
 
What I can't really get my head around is how one debate performance had such a profound impact on this race. It makes me believe even more strongly that the general population is dumb as shit. Its understandable if you are voting for Obama, its understandable if you are voting for Romney, its not understandable that having one debate made you switch from one to the other since their polices have not changed in months. The attention span of Americans is milliseconds and I think it also reinforces the idea of people looking at elections like they do rooting for a sports team. Everyone loves a winner and it only matters if you can say you are a winner.
 
I'm expecting a HOF debate from Obama.
 
ThinkingWithMyDeac said:
What I can't really get my head around is how one debate performance had such a profound impact on this race. It makes me believe even more strongly that the general population is dumb as shit. Its understandable if you are voting for Obama, its understandable if you are voting for Romney, its not understandable that having one debate made you switch from one to the other since their polices have not changed in months. The attention span of Americans is milliseconds and I think it also reinforces the idea of people looking at elections like they do rooting for a sports team. Everyone loves a winner and it only matters if you can say you are a winner.
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My take...Obama had successfully defined Romney through commercials all summer and early Fall. People aren't thrilled with Obama but they aren't necessarily done w/ him either. They didn't want to come out and say they'd vote for the Romney portrayed in the commercials/media. Then during the first debate, Romney shows up and gives a good performance and basically obliterates all of the negativity raised by those ads. Now we're back to the 50/50 state of the nation which came about in the 2nd term of the Clinton administration.

Lefties are gonna vote. Righties are gonna vote. The deciders once again will be midwestern and western moderates.
 
ThinkingWithMyDeac said:
What I can't really get my head around is how one debate performance had such a profound impact on this race. It makes me believe even more strongly that the general population is dumb as shit. Its understandable if you are voting for Obama, its understandable if you are voting for Romney, its not understandable that having one debate made you switch from one to the other since their polices have not changed in months. The attention span of Americans is milliseconds and I think it also reinforces the idea of people looking at elections like they do rooting for a sports team. Everyone loves a winner and it only matters if you can say you are a winner.
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in 2004, the race went from Bush +5-6 to Bush +1-2 after the first debate. very similar dynamic.
 
TheShot said:
in 2004, the race went from Bush +5-6 to Bush +1-2 after the first debate. very similar dynamic.
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Same exact scenario. We painted Kerry as a stiff who couldn't catch a football and flip flopped all the time plus was not necessarily the all american soldier he claimed to be, etc. He comes out swinging in the first debate, W was caught sleeping a bit and everyone was like, "Well this guy is Presidential."
 
Go said:
Same exact scenario. We painted Kerry as a stiff who couldn't catch a football and flip flopped all the time plus was not necessarily the all american soldier he claimed to be, etc. He comes out swinging in the first debate, W was caught sleeping a bit and everyone was like, "Well this guy is Presidential."
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Go nails it again. What needs to happen is for somebody at the town hall to throw Romney a football.
 
Go said:
My take...Obama had successfully defined Romney through commercials all summer and early Fall. People aren't thrilled with Obama but they aren't necessarily done w/ him either. They didn't want to come out and say they'd vote for the Romney portrayed in the commercials/media. Then during the first debate, Romney shows up and gives a good performance and basically obliterates all of the negativity raised by those ads. Now we're back to the 50/50 state of the nation which came about in the 2nd term of the Clinton administration.

Lefties are gonna vote. Righties are gonna vote. The deciders once again will be midwestern and western moderates.
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I can get behind that. I don't really mind Romney all that much, in fact liked him when he was governor of Massachusetts. The only problem and fear I have is if he is elected it is a green light for the fringe of the party/tea party to start the victory parade of social issues and bullshit they spout. If Romney stays moderate, compromises, implements sound policy i think he could do quite well. This would require being who he really is moderate? in comparison to who he was in the primaries catering to psychoville. I do fear that he will be warped by them because he seems to be someone that wants to please everyone and wont stand on his own principles. I mean lets be honest for most on these boards its the same bullshit no matter who it is. I don't care about medicare, social security, things like that because I wont need to rely on them. Taxes aren't going to go up and if they do they arent make or break for someone like me. There's very few things I fear if someone is elected, with Romney it would be war on social issues led by the tea party, war with Iran. Which probably would be a good thread to have, your fear if the person you aren't voting for is elected. Since in reality for most the beat will just go on.
 
If Romney takes the GOP towards fiscal conservatism thats realistic and a pragmatic social agenda, that's great news for the party and the country.

I'm tired of the religious right holding Republican candidates hostage.
 
PhDeac said:
Go nails it again. What needs to happen is for somebody at the town hall to throw Romney a football.
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I want to see a free throw shooting contest. We know Obama is a bball player, but Mormons are amazing at free throws.
 
Go said:
My take...Obama had successfully defined Romney through commercials all summer and early Fall. People aren't thrilled with Obama but they aren't necessarily done w/ him either. They didn't want to come out and say they'd vote for the Romney portrayed in the commercials/media. Then during the first debate, Romney shows up and gives a good performance and basically obliterates all of the negativity raised by those ads. Now we're back to the 50/50 state of the nation which came about in the 2nd term of the Clinton administration.

Lefties are gonna vote. Righties are gonna vote. The deciders once again will be midwestern and western moderates.
Click to expand...

Romney's good performance was a bunch of stuff we all knew he believed but denied in the primaries. But evidently people don't care that he's disingenuous.
 
Speaking of debate strategy...

LUnPK.gif
 
Go said:
Same exact scenario. We painted Kerry as a stiff who couldn't catch a football and flip flopped all the time plus was not necessarily the all american soldier he claimed to be, etc. He comes out swinging in the first debate, W was caught sleeping a bit and everyone was like, "Well this guy is Presidential."
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Agreed. And I think Obama will right his ship in the next debate, and people will remember the two weeks between the debates 1-2 as the low point of his campaign. IMO, Romney needed a clear lead going into the next debate, because the pendulum of public opinion likes to swing, and Obama is almost certain to look light years better than he did the first time, which will likely shift the polls a few ticks back in Obama's direction. If Obama at least draws the next two debates, he'll still eke out an electoral win, IMO. Mainly because I just can't see Romney overcoming so much to put Ohio truly back into play.

Obama just needs to show up as an engaged advocate for his positions, and be able to effectively cross-examine Romney on Romney's weak spots. Use some offense. He doesn't need a clear "win" and likely won't get one. The spin police are going to obliterate an objective scoring of the event. The important thing is that he gets his swagger back and gives as good as he gets. He does that, and he'll have done enough. All just my opinion.
 
Go said:
Same exact scenario. We painted Kerry as a stiff who couldn't catch a football and flip flopped all the time plus was not necessarily the all american soldier he claimed to be, etc. He comes out swinging in the first debate, W was caught sleeping a bit and everyone was like, "Well this guy is Presidential."
Click to expand...

PhDeac said:
Go nails it again. What needs to happen is for somebody at the town hall to throw Romney a football.
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Agreed. Go is actually making me feel a bit better.
 
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