The 2012 Presidential Debates: Debate 1

[samsnee]

I'm going to call it now. Romney is going to use some variation of the line "Now I know Obama's panicked because he's behind in the polls and wants to score some cheap points..." in the next debate.

 

[Excel]

Before I attempt to go any further, I just want you to realize how bizarre your thinking is:

You mention how Mitt barely beat Newt yet O beat Hillary. Asides from the oddness of calling him O like he's your pal or some football team to root for, let's take a look at the primary results:

2012 GOP Primaries
Mitt Romney: 52.1% of the vote and carried 42 states
Newt Gingrich: 14.2% of the vote and carried 2 states

2008 Democratic Primaries
Barack Obama: 47.3% of the vote and carried 29 states
Hillary Clinton: 48% of the vote and carried 21 states

Seriously dude. Even Obama doesn't put himself on as high a pedestal as you do.

Sorry, I was referring to the debates.

 

[hippie_hunter]

Oh, well in the debates, Hillary also consistently outdebated Obama. He's never been good at them to begin with. Obama ended up beating Hillary through an excellent grassroots organization campaign and appealing to the left and African-Americans.

 

[charl_huntress]

Obama ended up beating Hillary through an excellent grassroots organization campaign and appealing to the left and African-Americans.

I thought he won because he appealed to the young...not just African Americans. Unless you are saying that young people are leftist oriented.

 

[Excel]

Oh, well in the debates, Hillary also consistently outdebated Obama. He's never been good at them to begin with. Obama ended up beating Hillary through an excellent grassroots organization campaign and appealing to the left and African-Americans.

Hillary was not out debating Obama in anything I posted. Quite the contrary, Obama was pushing her **** in. Many here still predicted Hillary would win the nomination, even after super Tuesday. The same people also thought she won the debates. Anyone really taking Obama seriously knew he was connecting with his blows, and it showed on election day.

 

[hippie_hunter]

I thought he won because he appealed to the young...not just African Americans. Unless you are saying that young people are leftist oriented.

Appealing to the youth vote helped him out big time in the grassroots efforts in the caucus states, but appealing to the left and his grassroots organization as a whole is what allowed him to win overall. The African-American vote is what allowed him to dominate the Southern primary states.

 

[hippie_hunter]

Hillary was not out debating Obama in anything I posted. Quite the contrary, Obama was pushing her **** in. Many here still predicted Hillary would win the nomination, even after super Tuesday. The same people also thought she won the debates. Anyone really taking Obama seriously knew he was connecting with his blows, and it showed on election day.

Obama's strategy and organization had far, far, FAR more to do with his victory over Hillary than the debates. And again, he did not outdebate her at all.

 

[charl_huntress]

The African-American vote is what allowed him to dominate the Southern primary states.

Did he really dominate the south?

 

[SuperT]

He's just talking about in the primaries, not the presidential race.

 

[charl_huntress]

He's just talking about in the primaries, not the presidential race.

Oh okay. Thank you for clearing that up.

 

[Kelly]

I do think that the black vote in Virginia and North Carolina, and the Hispanic vote in Florida that did him a lot of good. He would have taken California anyway, but the black vote there I believe is one of the reason why Prop 8 passed in California....so, that vote was one, along with new voters in all areas that helped Obama out a lot in 2008. I don't believe he will have that vote again.....I would like to know the % of voters that were first time voters in 2008, vote for him again.....I think it will be quite a decrease.

 

[charl_huntress]

I believe you may be right Kelly. I was having a conversation in my beauty shop recently and a lot of women there aren't as excited. It seems like his flip flop on gay marriage caused a lot of angst.

As it is...I'm just more apathetic about politics in general, but I feel like some of those people are really let down by Obama and they may not turn out for the polls like they did in 2012. I don't think he will win VA again.

 

[SV Fan]

I don't think he will win VA again.

I think Obama has a good shot in VA because unlike some other states, the economy in VA is great(so using the economy against Obama won't have as much effect negatively). On the flip side North Carolina is a lost cause unless Obama wins in a landslide(in which case it won't be important)

If I am the Obama campaign I throw some cash to Virgil Goode who might be able to grab 2% of the vote in Virginia

 

[Thundercrack85]

There aren't that many black people in the South.

Also, voter turn out is fairly low.

The South won't be going blue any time soon. If ever.

 

[charl_huntress]

I think Obama has a good shot in VA because unlike some other states, the economy in VA is great(so using the economy against Obama won't have as much effect negatively)

Without knowing facts, I would say that's because of the militay economy.

edit: many of my military friends are voting for Romney.

 

[samsnee]

The fact that Romney is now leading in some polls after his debate performance, even though practically every news outlet has called him out on the substance of his performance as being a flip-flop of everything he has campaigned on, has made me lose faith in the voting population. It'd be one thing of Romney had the same style but kept to his campaign promises, but the fact that he practically disowned most of it and people are buying it is frustrating.

 

[Thundercrack85]

I have to ask, who does these polls? And who do they ask questions?

Every day people throw polls at us, but how they get their results is never explained.

 

[charl_huntress]

Don't worry samsnee, I don't think Romney can avoid his own pitfall.

 

[Kelly]

I think Obama has a good shot in VA because unlike some other states, the economy in VA is great(so using the economy against Obama won't have as much effect negatively). On the flip side North Carolina is a lost cause unless Obama wins in a landslide(in which case it won't be important)

If I am the Obama campaign I throw some cash to Virgil Goode who might be able to grab 2% of the vote in Virginia

And the fact that the electoral votes are moving South, is not a good thing for the (D) candidate.

 

[charl_huntress]

I have to ask, who does these polls? And who do they ask questions?

I recently had one of these polls call my house and the question: "After the debate who would you be more likely to vote for?" That's a very subjective questions if you ask me. Anyway, I wont' say how I answered because like I said before I'm incredibly apathetic about voting now and days. In fact the only reason I am going to the polls is to vote down several propositions in my state that I don't want. I actually could care less who is president because I doubt very little will change in my life.

 

[Thundercrack85]

Was it a landline?

 

[charl_huntress]

lol...I have one....don' know about everyone else, but I need a fax. So, I have a landline.

 

[Thundercrack85]

Someone made that point the other day, but most people in their 20's... and 30's, even, use smart phones. They may have landlines, but they rarely, if ever use them.

Wonder how that will reflect on polling.

 

[charl_huntress]

Someone made that point the other day, but most people in their 20's... and 30's, even, use smart phones. They may have landlines, but they rarely, if ever use them.

They only reason I use my landline is for a fax. Meh....the more important question is how many of those young people will get out and vote.

 

[Marvolo]

What is this landline thing you speak of? Sounds incredibly resticting.