Notes on the First Debate: October 3, 2012

by Ruth A. Sheets

These are real-time notes made while listening to the first debate of the 2012 campaign.

In his opening remarks, Romney used the word “crushed” a lot when talking about what has happened to Americans under Obama.

Romney was asked if he had a specific question, then went off on his own speech and never asked a question and wasn’t called on it.

Romney makes up things as he goes along.  He changed his tax cut claims.  He will say anything that comes to his mind.  He now says he will make tax cuts to the middle class, but before this he has not said that.

He claims that Obama was lying about Romney’s tax plan.  Interesting that there is a pot calling the kettle, oh wait, is that black?

I wish that Obama would talk about making some sacrifices.  We can’t keep going on without raising some revenue from middle class folks, especially for the higher middle class folks, over 75,000 dollars or so.

Romney claims that the reason small businesses are not growing is that their taxes are too high.  That is absurd.  Most of the problem is that the banks aren’t lending.

Romney claims he has a test for what he will cut from the budget.  If he doesn’t think it is worth borrowing from China to pay for, he will cut it, including:  PBS, (he pandered to “Big Bird” and Mr. Lehrer, and a whole lot of things that help a lot of Americans).

I had heard that Romney would be snarky in a debate, and he is.  He takes more time than Obama, standing there making accusations that were, of course, well-rehearsed.

I wish Obama would mention about how employers are paying their employees less money which means less money to buy things and to pay in taxes.

Romney is complaining about Obama giving money to green industries--and had to bring up Solyndra again, one of the mere 3 companies that failed--when oil gets 4 billion off the top every year, nearly half of what the green companies get over 10 years.  Crazy!  No vision for the future.

Romney is rambling from topic to topic.  It is hard to follow what he is trying to say.

Entitlements

Obama explained his position on Social Security and Medicare and said he would make some changes in Medicare to do better payments.

Romney brought up the 716 billion in cuts even though that is not true. 

Romney talks about having a traditional Medicare and private medicare.  Who needs to have private insurance companies in the mix?  That makes no sense.  There is no evidence that giving companies, that are already making billions in profit, more money will work.

OK, we are talking about regulation now.  Romney says that “we need regulations for a free market” but, it seems that he is also saying he only wants the regulations he likes.   

Romney rattles on stating generalities about Dodd Frank, the Wall Street Regulation law with no real substance.

Health Care

Again, Romney brings up how Obamacare will raise costs for health care, but the reality is that most of the checkers say that is not true.  He keeps dragging it out in case some people will believe it.

I would like to see a time count for how much time Romney spoke compared with  how much Obama spoke.

Romney claimed that his plan worked in Mass because it was bipartisan, but he forgets that Obama could get no Republican support because they were determined to stand against him no matter what, even though the health plan was a bipartisan idea.

I love that Romney wants to repeal Obamacare, but of course, wants to keep the popular parts.

Romney claims that the government cannot bring down the cost of anything.  He just throws that out with nothing to support it.  Is it possible that people will believe that just because he says it?

Performance pay, he claims it is working somewhere but he throws out names of places with nothing to support it.

Romney claims the medical board will say what treatmeent people can have.  The board according to Obamacare can’t do that.  They are looking at best practices.

Romney says the reason he can’t give details is because he can’t act like it’s my way or the highway and he wouldn’t get anything done.  That is how he ran his business.

His idea of doing health care state by state is really stupid and wasteful.

ROLE OF GOVERNMENT 

Romney says we need liberty and a strong military and religious freedom.  He lists a lot of things and puts them out as a list of things that don’t seem to be things he really believes.

He talks about people pursuing happiness.  But whose happiness?  He says that the path we are traveling is not working.  He doesn’t explain why.

I wish Obama would stop talking about “Race to the Top.”  He didn’t answer Romney’s charge that parents should be able to choose the schools for their kids even though there is no evidence that their choices are better than the traditional system.

Romney had a zinger he had to use.  “You are entitled to your own house and car, but you’re not entitled to your own facts.”  What a hypocrite.  That is amazing since he has been creating his own facts throughout the whole campaign.

Romney claims we should grade our schools, saying he wants them to be more effective and efficient.

Romney brought up that he worked with a mostly democratic legislature in Mass.  but he forgets to mention that they were Democrats and willing to compromise where the Republicans in Congress have not been.

Obama talked about American grit and  talent and success and his promise to keep fighting for America.  It was a pretty good statement.

Romney’s, however was very negative, throwing out fear statements that really don’t help to improve his image.  He claims that he will put his own things in place, whatever that means.  There is nothing about Americans working together to make things happen, just a blaming of Obama and claiming all kinds of negative things that Obama will do.  Pathetic.  I think it will make his supporters feel good, though.  They like that kind of negativity.

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I was watching the debate on Current TV and Democrats were commenting on the event.  They think Obama did a terrible job, but I don’t agree.  It might be because I couldn’t see the candidates and did not assume anything about the candidates because of their appearance, just what they said, how they said it, and the tone of their voices.  I do think Obama was too gentle with Romney, letting him get in a lot of cuts with no jump[ing in to stop the nonsense that Romney was throwing out.  We’ll see if that changes in the next debate.