The first of three presidential debates took place last night at the University of Denver, and two impersonators who looked very much like President Obama and Governor Mitt Romney engaged in a substantive, zinger-free discussion about domestic policy. Surely, it was not the candidates themselves, because the real Mitt Romney has a tax plan that would give the top .1% an average tax cut of more than $246,000, as pointed out by the non-partisan Tax Policy Center and cited by our friends at First Read. The guy playing Romney last night, however, declared that he would not reduce the taxes paid by high-income Americans. The real Mitt Romney has what Factcheck.org calls an "impossible plan," whereby he would cut $5 trillion in federal taxes over a decade and somehow offset that massive cut with equally massive reductions, a plan which the Tax Policy Center concluded was mathematically impossible. The guy playing Romney last night kept insisting that he does not have a tax cut of that scale. The real Mitt Romney would only guarantee insurance for people with pre-existing conditions if they have maintained coverage with no significant lapses, a plan that excludes millions with life-threatening illnesses. The guy playing Mitt Romney last night asserted that "pre-existing conditions are covered under my plan."
And the real Barack Obama would never have allowed these types of whoppers to go unchallenged! The Obama up there last night was very different from the Obama we saw triumph in the 2008 general-election debates against John McCain. He lacked energy, he kept looking down, he was not concise. And people definitely noticed, as the instant-reaction polls reflected. There were virtually no attacks on his challenger, no mention of the recent 47% comments that have haunted the Romney campaign for the past couple weeks. So the big question on everyone's mind is: what happened to the President?
Not all is lost for Team Obama, however. He can still challenge the exaggerated claims made by his opponent in the immediate aftermath and in the next two debates. But the President's performance does put more pressure on his No. 2, Vice President Joe Biden, who faces off against VP candidate Paul Ryan on October 11.
No one knows how the next three debates will go or how the candidates' strategies will change, but one thing is for certain: we have ourselves a race.
Leave a Comment:
If the tables had been turned, Fox News would have still declared a victory for Romney.
Is it my tiredness today or does Mitt Romney keep saying, 'the wealthy can take care of themselves, the poor have a safety net....I want to help the middle class....
So, is Romney calling the 1% "job creators" or the middle class "job creators". I can not follow the logic.
I don't want to make this a black or white issues. However, If Minorities seems heated than they are angry. If minorities are lack they are lazy (see comments from the NH govt?). CNN stated that some view the president as angry last night, I did not see it. However, do you see the point the president took the low road with Mitt. President Obama did not need to degrade or use the get him mentality because AMERICA saw the lies for ourselves. Mitt is untrustworthy!
President Obama is a Harvard Lawyer...You don't know his plan. He was not appealing to you Chris...Our President is not a loud bully like........Show the full pictures of President at his podium to see what he was doing! Mr. Suenewnew from NH is just part of the ole white boy club...please do not join him! Our President will close this "deal" so called debate (lol) don't stop thinking about the next two.
Goopers are like kids with ADHD
First you tell them, "yes Romney had a great night, Obama was terrible, Romney clearly won the 'debate' "
then you tell them "Romney clearly lied about his tax plan" "Romney flip flopped on healthcare" "Romney's no-plan plan is his plan"
and what do you get back "you libtards can't accept the fact that Romney won the debate and all you can do is call him a liar"
so, lets try it at the kiddie level "liar liar, pants on fire, first you promise a tax break, now you say you will not sign in the tax break if it adds to the deficit"
yes Mr. Romney, care to explain your 6 trillion dollar tax plan with no higher taxes on the rich, and closing loopholes (mortgage and child deduction for the middle class) - No you can't, can you - I guess if I keep repeating myself I'll be called a liar (like his lying sons) and brushed off - CEO style!
which means folks - Romney really has a no-plan plan ... and that plan seems to be working!
I'm perplexed that MSNBC and all others think Romney won anything. They thought that taking over the debate and bullying the moderator was a positive thing. I found it rude disrespectful and very unpresidential. Is this how he's going to handle Russia, China, etc? What Jim Lerher kept trying to do was ask Romney for specifics which went unheeded. My 25 year old son (who never watched any politics EVER) even picked up on Romney saying "that's in my plan, that's in my plan, that's in my plan...I totally agree that Obama didn't do well. ALL he really needed to do to win was keep asking Romney about his "plans"
Chris, this is my take on why the President keep looking down (if you want to call it that).
He was too afraid of laughing out loud at all the LIES coming from Romney.
I know I was laughing at the "mitt" all night from my easy chair in my home.
You were kinda hard on the President, maybe you should have sat back for a bit and thought about what was happening, instead of your instant responses!
Just my thoughts. Love you show, watch it twice each night.
Stop praising Romney. A man who lies does not deserve it . And a real man would not have to nor want to lie to win.
Benedict Arnold matthews! Better yet: Judas Iscariot Matthews! Your moronic rave about President Obama's measured, professional, intelligent, professional and honest presentation during the debate has all the class of a boil on the but. While you were ranting about the Presidentl's "presidential" approach, you allowed Mitt the Twit to get away with an arsenal of lies that would have been envied by Richard Nixon. You let the President down, and you let the nation down, which looks to you for the truth behind the curtain of lies perpetrated by the malevolent right. President Obama has more than enough enemies there, he doesn't need a friend like you.
At Obama rallies from now on the audience should hold up signs that say "We want the returns!" on one side and "We want the truth" on the other side.
Mitt was great at not telling people the whole story. Obama could have hit hit him on that alone. For example Mitt did not tell the truth about where he lived when he was running for governor. In fact he would not release his tax returns to prove he claimed his home in another state as his main residence. He finally had no choice but to say he had went back to amend his returns to pay any taxes he owed to the state so he would be able to run for office. This was after he claimed over and over that he in fact lived most of the time in massachusetts but did not.
He claims to create jobs and want to keep jobs here but yet he invested in a business that used underpaid chinese labor (they were only paid 29 cents an hour). He also claims that he is going to create 12 million new jobs but will not say how. He also wants to cut the cost of medical care while keeping in place things Obama/romneycare have done without saying how he will pay for them. He also wants to cut the debt while cutting taxes for everyone yet never gives any real details how he will do so. What loopholes, and deductions will you get rid of? These are all things Obama could have hit him on in my opinion. But the fact is he decided to let mitt tell his side of the non story. When asked point blank questions he changed the subject and attacked. When people are desperate is when they become the Obama could have gone on a whole rampage about how how romney has a history of most vicious. Watch Mitt will think that Obama is weak and keep on attacking like a blind dog. Keep on biting and hoping he can make a deep enough wound. But seriously Mitt when can we know the facts? When can we get the details? We are almost less than 30 days out from the elections and we still do not have all the information we need to form a clear idea as to how things will change if you are in charge.
If I was working on the Obama campaign I would use this as my main line of attack. When mitt? When will you finally tell us the whole story? My campaign commercial would be a kid laying in bed with a man that looks like mitt reading the kid a story. There would be nice music in the background and the picture book would have pics of factories and workers while flashing the half told plans of mitt and in the final scene would show the mitt double as stopping just as the story was getting good. The book would have nothing but blank pages and he would say good night. The kid would say grandpa what happens next? He would look at the kid and say it ends well trust me!! Then a voice over would say mitt wants us to trust him but when is he is going to tell us the rest of the story? That would be great!!
Nice idea for campaign ad!
The Big Bird thing wasn't funny. It gives true insight into his character and (lack of) plans!
All sorts of commentators have almost said today what I said last night during the debate. All the President had to do is to turn to Romney and say "Who are you and what have you done with Mitt Romney?" It would have brought the house down. Oh, if only! Hope someone gets this line or one like it to him quickly.
Enjoy the brief moment of glory Righty. The trap was set, you walked right in, and now the doors are closing. Watch your guy again and pay attention to all the new stuff he's committed himself to. That's what President Obama was writing on his note pad, all of Mitt's new half truths and contradictions. Think of the dozens of ads being made showing Romney himself contradicting most of what he said last night.
The president was simply taking one for the team last night. This debate is too far removed from the election to matter much. Most of what happened last night will be forgotten by then.
Now, because everybody thinks Romney is such a great debater, he'll look that much more foolish while the president crushes him.
Wine11, I hear the words "Cha-Ching!"
My new sign:
_________________________________________
REPUBLICAN CANDIDATE TELLS SESAME STREET 'WRAP UP';
BIG BIRD GET ON WITH YOUR LIFE!!!
PUBLIC OUTRAGED.
_________________________________________
Question: Did Romney's boys grow up watching Big Bird? Inquiring minds want....
Could someone get this note to Chris Matthews, please? I want to play Hardball.
OK, so it's all well and good to critique the president on debating style points, but your praise of Mitt Romney's performance seems to ignore the fact that Romney has ALWAYS been a person who plays whatever part and says whatever he has to say to win an election. And you seem to have FORGOTTEN about the REAL Mitt Romney who appeared at that private fundraising banquet - the guy who totally flushed 47% of the American people down the toilet - just like he wanted to do to the American automobile industry. In my view, Mitt Romney's debate performance was as CRAVEN and CALCULATING as his unforgivable behavior moments after an American ambassador was killed in Libya. He will say and do ANYTHING if he thinks it will help him win. And you are PRAISING his performance? Really?
If someone LIES in an artful and engaging way, is that worthy of PRAISE? Really?
I'm disappointed in you, Chris Matthews, because I always thought you recognized the difference between style and substance. This isn't "America's Got Talent". This is the election for the leader of the free world and we already KNOW we have a steady, proven hand at the wheel who has DEMONSTRATED his convictions and passions on behalf of protecting and promoting the middle class, not firing them and turning the federal treasury over to the wealthy. For EVERYTHING the president has done to fight for what's right and good, I give him a huge pass for being tired and not wanting to perform circus tricks for a public that ought to know by now that Romney is nothing but a disastrous joke who would imperil our recovery and destroy our standing in the world.
Did you ever stop to think that maybe the president was up at 3am dealing with some international crisis? He actually has a 24/7 job.
Please get back to being the REAL Chris Matthews and stop getting sucked into this "American Idol" notion of how we evaluate our choices for president. Don't our campaigns trivialize this process enough? Let's get serious, Chris.
Thanks for articulating my views so well! Even last night Chris was using the word "disaster". I actually had to change channels. HOW SAD!!!
It occurred to me today that we are all being duped.
The Romney we saw on the road to the GOP nomination is not the real Romney - and most people know it, especially the right - he did everything he had to to get the nomination.
Now its time for a dose of reality, the real Mitt Romney is very close to the center, one could argue left of center, and we are going to see this in the next three debates. The real conservative in the race is Ryan, not Romney.
This is a very real advantage the GOP has coming into this election. remember, its all about numbers and the swing states. The hard core left and right folks are not going to budge - but if the undecided and independents in the swing states get to see a softer, more caring, intelligent guy who is to the center, he may just pick up enough votes to get the win.
Obama really has to up his game, be prepared for anything, most importantly he needs to show the independents and undecided that he is the man for the job.