I caught parts of it live in a rowdy house, but then I sat down to watch the whole thing start to finish.
1. I really dislike the worship of the "undecided voter" in October 2012. Maybe 20, 30 years ago, several were undecided, but really, by now, 95% of the country's made up their mind.
2. First question is a nervous college student asking how he'll be able to support himself after he graduates college. Mitt Romney starts by thanking everyone.
3. Mitt wants to keep Pell grants growing but wants to keep jobs growing. Says half of college graduates don't have a college-level job or job at all. Brings up Biden's line about the middle class being crushed the past four years.
4. Barack Obama reassures the student his future is bright. Says he wants to build on the 5 million private-sector jobs created in the last 30 months. Says Romney wanted Detroit to go bankrupt, but he wants to bring back manufacturing. "I want everybody to get a great education." We've got to control our own energy. We'll ask the wealthy to pay a little bit more.
5. Crowley intercedes, asks Romney about the long-term unemployed who need a job right now. Romney points out his plan will bring back 12 million jobs in the next four years. Romney looks right at the president to clarify the Detroit bankruptcy line.
6. Obama says what Romney says just isn't true. Says Romney's plan is that the folks at the top play by a different set of rules, ship jobs overseas and get tax breaks, painting Romney as Gordon Gekko.
7. Crowley doesn't want to let Romney respond, move to next question.
8. Second question is about the energy department says it's not their job to lower gas prices. Says oil's at its highest productivity in 16 years. Wants to open up new areas for drilling (what?!) and do it in an environmentally sound way. Says Romney's plan to let the oil companies write the energy policies.
9. Romney says let's look at the president's policies instead of the rhetoric. Says oil production is down 14% on federal land, says licenses were cut in half on federal land. Rattles off all the different energy sources we can use.
10. Obama starts by saying "very little of what Gov. Romney said is true." Ooh, that shot of Obama's expression shows he really does not like Romney. Tim Roth on Lie to Me would do a freeze-frame on it. Says he wants to do more in the next four years.
11. Romney jumps up and says "But that's not what you did the last four years." Points out again Obama cut licenses, and Obama says "Not true." (Actually it IS true.) Romney says production is down 9% and Obama says "Not true." Obama's plan seems to be to say anything Romney just said isn't true.
12. Romney laying out great specifics on his energy plan.
13. Crowley intercedes, asks Obama about the price of gas. $1.86 when he took office, $4 a gallon now. Obama says gas was cheap because the economy was hurting. So... the economy's great now, but if he tries to lower gas prices, it'll create a new recession?
14. Obama says there are thousands in Iowa working wind jobs.
15. Romney wants to respond, but Crowley won't let him. He barrels forward anyway, says Obama misrepresented his position again. He really shouldn't do that. But then Obama whines that he's used to being interrupted, so I guess it's a wash.
16. Third question asks about specific deductions Romney would get rid of if he gets his tax plan in place, particularly the mortgage-interest deduction, charitable donations, child tax credits, etc. The questioner forgets which other credits she wanted to say, and Obama says "You're doing great."
17. Romney says again middle-income taxpayers have been buried the past four years, with gas prices up, health-care costs down, wages down. Says under his plan, the top 5% taxpayers will still pay 60% of the taxes share as they do today. He says taxpayers will have a dollar amount - $25,000 - of deductions they can use, be it on mortgage or child tax-credit or whatever they choose. I want to help the people in the middle class. I will not under any circumstances lower the share of taxes the people on the high end pay. He's doing really good here.
18. Obama says he wants to get the middle class some relief. Says Republicans are holding 98% of taxpayers hostage to get their taxes raised so they can save the top 2%. Says Romney has a different philosophy, says it's fair for the richer to have lower share. He really has this level of disdain in his voice when attacking Romney. Really reminds me of how McCain felt about Obama.
19. Romney repeats his plan, spells out more why lower rates help small businesses. Wants to balance the budget, champion small business.
20. Crowley asks Obama to address Romney's claim that the top 5% will not pay less. "Settled?" Obama laughs at the softball, repeats his line about how Romney wants to add $8 trillion to deficit via cutting taxes for the rich, raise defense spending, etc. Oh, he brought up Big Bird. Let it go, Mr. President. Now the figure switches to $7 trillion.
21. Romney wants to respond, but Crowley frames the follow-up, asks him if the math doesn't add up, will he revisit those tax cuts? Romney says he ran businesses and balanced the budgets, ran the Olympics and balanced the budget, ran massachusetts as best a minority-party governor can and balanced the budget all four years, wouldn't do it if the math didn't add up. What math doesn't add up? An extra $5 trillion to the deficit the past four years.
22. Romney says when Obama ran for president, he promised to cut the deficit in half, instead he's doubled it. Says re-electing Obama would lead to the debt growing to $20 trillion, then Crowley interrupts Romney even though he's behind on time to get the next question in.
23. Fourth question is about equal wages for men and women. Obama talks about hsi single mother, about the successful women in his life, and yet the glass ceilings they hit. Said his first bill signed was Lily Ledbetter Act. "In every walk of life, we do not tolerate discrimination."
24. Romney points out he went out of his way to staff his Cabinet with women. My staff found "binders of women". He meant women's resumes, but that trended on Twitter, but I wouldn't have given it a second thought if I didn't know that. Half of his staff in Massachusetts were female.
25. Obama needs to tell a joke or something. He's gone back and forth between anger and contempt most of the night. But an ENGAGED contempt. Smile, dude.
26. Somewhere in there, we got to contraception. Ah, the war on women.
27. Fifth question is from "an undecided voter" but says the economy is Bush's fault; what is the difference between you and Bush? Confetti just went off in MSNBC's control room. Romney first wants to address the "totally wrong" potrayal Obama just gave.
28. Romney starts pointing out the differences. He'd be better on energy, better on trade. Better on getting the balanced budget. Says Obama was right when he criticized Bush for raising up half-a-trillion in deficit. Ah, but Obama doubled the deficit. Says he'll be better at championing small businesses while the GOP has spent too much time championing big business.
29. Split-screen finally caught a smile on Obama, when Romney says "well, I have a lot of problems with Obamacare."
30. Obama strolls up to the opportunity to blame Bush and looks very comfortable. Obama says Romney and Bush do have some differences. Bush never suggested we eliminate funding for Planned Parenthood. Says Romney's more extreme on social policy.
31. Sixth question is from Obama voter who's disillusioned. Why should he be re-elected? Obama lists some promises he kept, like cutting taxes, ending the war in Iraq, killing Bin Laden, passing tough Wall Street reforms. We saved the auto industry. Pivots to attack Romney on his pledges, like raising no taxes, cutting Planned Parenthood. Says Obamacare and Romneycare are the same thing, and Romneycare's working well in Massachusetts.
32. Romney to the questioner. "I think you know better. I think you know better that the past four years haven't been as great as the President described." We just can't afford four more years like the last four years. Points out all of Obama's promises he hasn't kept. Obama said health-care costs would go down; they've gone up. Said he'd pass immigration reform in his first year; hasn't even filed it. Said he'd get unemployment to 5.4%; we're not. Said he'd cut the deficit in half; he doubled it. Romney's really strong in this answer.
33. Romney says Obama's great at describing his plans, but he has a record now, and he hasn't lived up to his promises. He's done. Crowley brings up the clock (Romney's down four minutes at this point.)
34. Seventh question asks "What do you plan to do with immigrants who don't have their green crad but are contributing to this country?" Romney says I want our immigrations sytem to be easier, make sure our legal system works. Won't grant amnesty; will put into place employment verification system. Points out President has majority in both houses but did nothing with immigration.
35. Hey, at this angle I can see the clock counting down their time.
36. Obama: "We are a nation of immigrants." "But we also a nation of laws." I've done everything I can "on my own" and by trying to get Congress to help.
37. This past 10-15 minutes has been cordial and substantive. I'm sure that will end soon.
38. Obama points out Romney said he would have vetoed the Dream Act, said he favored self-deportation. Obama lies and says Romney called the Arizona Immigration law a model for the nation, then subtlely suggests that his daughter or the questioner's daughter could be subject to racial profiling when it comes to enforcing immigration laws. "I don't want to empower someone like that." Hey, I tried.
39. Crowley wants Romney to address self-deportation. Romney says he supports E-Verify, but not the Arizona Immigration law. Says Obama didn't answer Univision's question when he did nothing about immigration reform. Romney tries to answer Obama's comment on China; Obama interrupts, but he gets to answer. Obama had said Romney's blind trust invests in Chinese companies so he's the last person who should "get tough" on China. Romney says to Obama, "Have you looked at your pension?" Obama says he's sure it's smaller than his, which was about what Newt's response was when he tried this on Mitt in the primaries. Says Obama's also invested in Chinese companies and Obama interrupts and says "We're off-topic here." Point for Romney.
40. Obama doubles down on the Arizona Immigration law. Obama blames Republicans for blocking him from getting anything done. Romney pledges he'll do it his first year.
41. Eighth question is about Libya. The State Department refused extra security on Benghazi before the attacks. Who is it that refused the extra security and why?
42. Obama talks first about our diplomats who serve all over the world. When he heard of attacks, he said beef up security, find out what happened, and then we'll hunt them down. Now Gov. Romney had different response. Says Romney put out press release making political points. When it comes to our national security, I mean what I say. I said we'd transition out of Afghanistan; we are. Says he's ultimately responsible for what happens overseas.
43. Romney underlines how Obama said the buck stops with him, feels for the families. Says there were many days that passed when they blamed the video. You have to ask yourself "Why didn't we know?" I find it more troubling that the next day, after four Americans were killed, Obama flew to Las Vegas for fundraiser. We've read the eyewitness accounts now, we know what happened. It was a terrorist attack. it calls the entire obama foreign policy into question. Look at what's happening Egypt and Syria, and now Libya. Iran is four years closer to a nuclear bomb.
44. Crowley points our Hillary said she takes full responsibility for Benghazi. Obama says she works for me; I'm responsible. Obama said the day after the attack, he stood in the Rose Garden and identified it as act of terror (not true; more on that later.) A few days later, I greeted the four caskets and grieved with the families, and the suggestion that anyone on my team would play politics or mislead is offensive. That's not what we do. (Strong moment for Obama. Even if Ambassador Rice did mislead.)
45. Romney questions his calling it an act of terror the day after it happened. It took the president 14 days to call it an act of terror. Crowley interjects and says the President did call it an act of terror. (LIE!!!!) But applause from audience. Now Romney's fumbling but it's thanks to Crowley reinforcing Obama on his lie, and Obama interrupts and we move on.
46. Here's the thing. I get candidates are going to lie and mislead in debates. It just happens. But when the moderator decides to fact-check in real-time for the first time in a debate in front of the entire country, she'd better be right. (Crowley admitted her error about an hour after the debate was over.)
47. Ninth question is about banning assault weapons. Obama doesn't seem that interested in answering this one.
48. Romney says we need to change the culture of violence. We agree on the need for good schools. Let me mention another thing. Parents. We need moms and dads to raise their kids. Then brings up Fast & Furious. Thousands of automatic weapons were given to drug lords who killed their own people and Americans with them, and this occured under this administration. Obama implemented Executive Privilege to block us from learning everything about it.
49. Crowley wants him to be specific on his views on assault-weapons ban. He starts to answer and she interrupts to ask him if he'd re-ban those assault weapons that are legal now.
50. Obama says Romney was for the assault-weapons ban before he was against it. (Ah, debating John Kerry finally pays off!) Talks about good schools and families. Crowley says we need to move along, but Obama says "This is important!" Crowley tries to move him to the next point, and Obama finally allows it.
51. Tenth question "Outsourcing of American jobs has hurt the US economy; how will get those job back?" Romney: "Great question. China's now the #1 manufacturing country in the world. It used to be us." We won't do trickle-down government. We'll make government attractive to entrepreneurs, to big business, to small business. China doesn't play by the rules by artificially lowering their currency. China has been a currency manipulator for years and years. Might put tariffs on China.
52. Obama says they agree on lowering corporate tax rates, but I want to remove loopholes that give businesses benefits from offshoring jobs. Says Romney wants to expand those loopholes. Then Obama's starting to get lost in currency manipulation.
53. Romney says we can compete with anyone in the world when the playing field's level. Once he gets on a roll, Obama interrupts to ask how much time we got, and Crowley lets him cut in and answer even though he's got four more minutes on time.
54. Romney: "Government does not create jobs!"
55. Eleventh question: "What do you believe is the biggest misconception about you, and please debunk this misconception." Romney is grateful for the opportunity, says the Obama campaign is more focussed on attacking him rather than what they'd do for the future. I care about 100% of the American people. I want 100% of the people to have a bright and prosperous future. I care about our kids. My passion probably flows from my belief in God, and I believe we are all children of the same God. I served as a missionary for my church, served as pastor (bishop) for ten years and worked with people and helped them through tough times, served on the Olympics, as governor got 100% of our kids insured and about 98% of adults. We don't have to settle for what we're going through. We don't have to settle for 23 million struggling to find a good job. We don't have to settle for $4 a gallon gasoline, we don't have to settle for 47 million on food stamps. I'll make sure we can reform Medicare and Social Security for the future. I've done these things.
Nailed it.
56. Obama's turn. "I believe in self-reliance and inidivdual initiative." I believe everyone should have a fair shot. There's a fundamentally different vision between us. I believe he's a good man. When he said behind closed doors that 47% of Americans are victims he's talking about seniors who paid into Social Security, veterans, students. I want to make sure the next generation has those opportunities.
Also nailed it.
And it's over. Obama had three more minutes than Romney and deftly waited until Romney couldn't respond to bring up the 47% quote.
Obama showed life, he showed passion, he showed he really doesn't like Romney. Smart move on use of the 47% quote, even though Romney's closing remarks made it a hollow attack, but Obama supporters had to have rejoiced over it. Obama showed strength, but his weakest points were when defending his own record. Didn't have good answers on his broken promises, completely ignored Fast & Furious.
Romney was good in his own right. He was presidential, strong, ready with the stats, and good when he prosecuted Obama's record. He didn't capitalize as well as he could have on Libya, but he's going to win some "morning after" points since Crowley admitted she was wrong. He also keeps using this Apology Tour line.
The Benghazi thing has bothered me ever since it happened, and I eat up what info I can find on it, and it's staggering to me how the Obama Administration is re-writing history on this in real-time. It's such a sloppy cover-up and yet why? Why did they blame it on the video? Why did they insist it was spontaneous? Why did they throw the intelligence community under the bus? Why did Obama not call it a terrorist attack at the U.N.? Why did Ambassador Rice go on all the Sunday talk shows and blame the video? Why did Hillary "take responsibility" for it last night, and why did Obama wait until today to do the same? I will be very very surprised (and impressed) if the investigation behind what happened with Benghazi wraps up before the election.
But I digress.
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