The debate can be watched here via livestream, at ABC/YahooNews.
This debate is being held at Lynn University in Boca Raton, Florida. Instead of walking about, the candidates will be seated. Bob Schieffer is the moderator.
The format calls for six 15-minute segments, each devoted to one international topic. The topics, chosen by Bob Schieffer, are:
• America’s role in the world.
• Our longest war – Afghanistan and Pakistan.
• Red lines – Israel and Iran.
• The changing Middle East and the new face of terrorism, Part 1.
• The changing Middle East and the new face of terrorism, Part 2.
• The rise of China and tomorrow’s world.
In the two-minute introduction, I recommend that Romney ignore Mr Obama entirely and, instead, lay out his plan for America’s foreign policy and why it’s inherently superior to that of Mr Obama. Mr Romney needs to get on top of his details and lay them out immediately.
It’s time to not just act “presidential” but be presidential.
This post will be updated as the debate occurs.
IT STARTS:
“Attacking me is not an agenda. Attacking me does not stem the tide of violence.” YES, Mr Romney, that is TRUE!
Physically, Obama sits his neck down and scowls. This won’t play well with women or those who are sensitive to body/head/neck language.
Romney is being quite restrained. There is little over-riding.
Obama doesn’t look good by interrupting when Romney does not.
Romney: “Number one I get rid of is ObamaKare. And we get rid of them.”
YES. Sir, YES!
Romney: “And because states run these programs more efficiently.”
YES. Sir, YES!
Romney: “The president hasn’t balanced a budget yet.” YES!
Romney: “Our navy is the smallest since 1917.”
Obama goes with technology. Romney goes with logic. Blue water navy vs littoral navy. It still doesn’t work. Canoes vs destroyers.
However: one F-22 Raptor does not = 22 Migs.
By this time, Romney’s blinks in repose are in keeping with most every other person.
Romney: “We will have Israel’s back.” YES.
Romney: “And then the president began with an Apology Tour.” YES!
Romney: “It’s expected for a president to show strength from the very beginning.” YES!
Romney: “And by the way, you skipped Israel. And they noticed that you skipped Israel.” YES!
Schieffer tried to pull some rugs from under Romney. And he wasn’t having it.
Romney: “I don’t see our influence growing around the world. I see our influence receding.”
Obama goes — of course — with the PERSONAL capture of Osama bin Laden. As if HE “captured” OBL. I knew he would go there.
So far Romney is too much the kind individual. That doesn’t play with another who works with fire and lava and brimstone.
Overall, this was a very measured debate. No one much over-rided Bob Schieffer. I don’t much know why that was. Was it because they were seated? Was it because they were in their third debate? Was it because Schieffer was more physically and intuitively mellow than the two priors?
Position on the use of drones? Proper. We need to have a much more comprehensive strategy for dealing with the Middle East.
So far: Romney has AVOIDED mentioning Benghazi! This was a target-rich environment, Mr Romney! What part of “Obama was stupid” did you NOT conceive — ??
Romney didn’t interrupt. He didn’t insist. That’s how you lose presidential elections, sir.
Romney: “I will label China a currency manipulator. But you’ve got to play by the rules.”
Obama: “You invested in jobs that were shipped overseas.” And so did you, Mr Obama, if you had stock in ANY one of the major investment firms from the United States. Because you can’t be truthful.
In conclusion, I believe that Mitt Romney was WAY more kind than he needed to be.
“Attacking me is not an agenda for acquiring more jobs for this country.”
Obama smiled with the mention of Solyndra. Like the lying sack of shit that he IS.
Closing statements:
Mr Obama has a plan: WHAT THE HELL IS IT?
Obama: “We bounce back because of our character.” Meaning: it’s all on the American Taxpayer.
Romney: “America is going to come back. And that means a president who can come across the aisle. Washington is broken.” And I agree.
Will the REAL Mitt Romney PLEASE come out — ??
“Go vote. It makes you feel big and strong.”
BZ
Mitt Romney may NOT be the right one to lead in time of WAR, and he may not be up on all the foreign policy matters.
Mitt Romney is a NICE guy, and I can appreciate that, but nice is not what we need right now, Casper Milquetoast will not win the day.
Make no mistake, I KNOW that Barack Hussein Obama has got to go, the survival of this nation depends on it, but if readers of this blog will think back a year or so, I told ALL of you then, if that was the best ticket the GOP had to offer, we were truly screwed.
Long before Mitt Romney was the nominee I told everyone that he was NOT what we need as a leader, I still feel that way.
Would Romney be better than Obama?
Damn right he would, without a doubt, but he is NOT the best we have, and if the GOP doesn’t get their heads OUT of their collective asses, they will soon be nothing more than what I have long called them, “Dem Lite”.
Vote for Romney, I did, and I feel like we have no other option, but damn America, wake the hell up and rattle the GOP right down to their very foundation, make them aware that WEAK and wishy-washy is just not an option, and tonight I saw a weak outing for Mitt Romney.
The only good to come out of tonight is this; Obama was his typical moronic self, and that offsets any missteps by Mitt Romney!
Somewhere, in some city, the BEST sleeps right now.
He doesn’t realize it, but he is the BEST.
He keeps himself background because he doesn’t want to be foreground.
He may be the BEST, but he is also the most subsumed.
BZ
As one who has taught public speaking and debate for some years, I can definitively say that many people do not speak as well when sitting as they do when standing up and moving around. I honestly believe that Romney is one of those individuals who needs to be in motion to speak.
Romney played it safe last night and, ultimately showed up Obama as a derisive and sarcastic person (“fewer horses and bayonets,” for example). Romney also avoided any possible interpretation of racism on Romney’s part.
Will Romney’s strategy prove successful? We’ll find out on Election Day.
By far and away, Romney’s nearly-Reaganesque closing statement was much stronger than Obama’s.
Agreed on the closer.
But man, what happened to the Romney from the first debate?
BZ
“Obama goes with technology. Romney goes with logic. Blue water navy vs littoral navy. It still doesn’t work. Canoes vs destroyers.”
The funny thing about President Obama’s statements in that exchange were that the Marines STILL train with bayonets and after 9-11 special forces trained with horses with the thoughts of using them in the rough terrain in the hills of Afghanistan!
True, Scotty. But one techno-destroyer with three people aboard won’t do much when you deploy your people into two, three, four or more trouble spots around the world attempting to extend your force of power. Techno is nice, to a degree, but it isn’t the ultimate panacea we make it out to be.
BZ
Techno is nice, to a degree, but it isn’t the ultimate panacea we make it out to be.
Absolutely! That’s why it’s the President that is the one that’s really out of touch, not Mitt Romney.
The job is never complete until the boots that are on the ground mop up afterwards. In the end it was the Navy seals that took out bin Laden…..not a drone. It was the boots on the ground that ultimately got Saddam Hussein.
Of that there is no doubt indeed, sir.
BZ
I went and had a beer… I’ve already voted for Romney. 🙂
We voted yesterday too but I had to watch, I wanted to see Obama make a bigger mess… I just didn’t expect Romney to wimp out, after the 1st debate I thought maybe he had some *warrior* in him, after the 2nd debate I was still convinced… Maybe there is something to what AOW said, Romney needs to be on his feet, but you know, I think Obama could lie his ass off standing on his head… 😛
That much is true. But where did Romney #1 go??
BZ
I too wanted to see blood on the stage.
But Romney already has our vote.
He was playing to soccer Moms and other independents that have been told he is “bellicose”.
Ask them if their minds were changed by what they saw last night.
I laughed at the “stare” that Obaka was putting on Romney.
Wonder who told him to do that,, like he was putting some weird
voo-doo on Mitt.
Yes, Mitt was just too nice in this debate for me.
I agree he does better when he is on his feet.
I wonder what Donald Trump’s announcement will be tomorrow????
With Trump — who is a flake (albeit a very wealthy flake) — you can never tell.
BZ
Romney did all right, I think he won the debate just because he knew what he was talking about, and Obama like some spoiled child couldn’t handle what was being said and interrupted numerous times until finally Mitt told him he was still talking. Sweet.
I voted yesterday. So now I am just going to continue to show my support for the Romney/Ryan ticket.
When Obama spoke about the US Navy, he treated Romney like a child. That reflected his OWN infantile behavior.
My problem: Romney didn’t dive back in with facts and aggression.
And thanks for voting ROMNEY – RYAN.
BZ
Hmmmm…. We’re caught up in a choice between competing formats of a globalist agenda. One may think this is the natural outcome of “the world getting smaller” via technology, transportation, and trade. Unfortunately nothing could be further from the truth.
Nonetheless a vote between potential neo corporatism or a re-visitation of the third way and Obama’s far left brand of socialism is still a vote worth casting. It’s like applying a tourniquet in the field. It stops the bleeding but your not out of the woods.
Romney is a decent man (unlike the president elect), but I just don’t get what his motivation is and I don’t get why he was the presumptive candidate from the start.
“Romney is a decent man (unlike the president elect), but I just don’t get what his motivation is and I don’t get why he was the presumptive candidate from the start.”
I have wondered that exact same thing right from the start…
We cannot change things.
We can only try to SUBVERT what the Demorats thought was Pro Forma.
I submit: it is NOT pro forma!
BZ