Debate winners and losers 2

President Obama vs. Mitt Romney, round 2.

First question - jobs for new college graduates. 
Romney looks engaged here - much like the last debate. Might be a long night for Obama. The President is in the background blinking uncontrollably.
President Obama does not thank people the way that Romney did. He looks overly focused. He lies about creating 5 million jobs. He lies by inferring that he is going to divert money from the war - we all know Obama is really pro-war. Obama's answers do not answer the question. He bunny-trails down to his talking points.

The moderator immediately redirects an accusatory question toward Romney.

Romney is really focused. He ties his 5-point plan in really well to his answer. Romney also uses the opportunity to counterstrike on the bankrupt statement.
Obama presumes Romney's position on the bankrupt statement. Obama makes a half-hearted attempt to tie Romney into President Bush's administration. Obama is running the 2008 campaign again.

Winner: Mitt Romney


Second question - energy costs.
Obama immediately comes out with statistics about increasing oil production and coal production. Maybe he forgot that he has hampered both of those? Obama attacks Romney again on being a big-government man. While the accusations are correct, the underlying assumption is that Obama is not a big-government man.
Romney talks about the President's "policies as opposed to rhetoric." He names the actual decrease in domestic production in coal and oil. Romney references Obama's statement in 2008 about wanting to bankrupt a company that tries to open a coal plant. Slam by Romney on the veto of the oil pipeline.

The moderator asks a leading question to allow Obama the hiding point that oil prices are controlled by the oil market, and not government.

Obama makes another quip against Bush. He references a large investment in "clean coal" technology - that was one of the bankrupt "green" companies if I am not mistaken.

Romney answers with a zinger: "That's not what you've done in the last four years." Romney directly asks the question to the President how much has oil production been cut. Obama tries to sidestep. Romney's plan looks good. He is on the attack, and not on the defense. Obama backs down. Romney follows with a direct slam on the price of gas. He really looks in his element.

Obama's body language is that of a fighting Beta, but certainly is not that of the man who is in charge of the stage. Romney's body language is that of the man in charge on the stage. He yields only when he wants.

Obama states some nonsense about the price of gas being low when he took office because the economy was about to collapse. He is reaching, and has reached the limit of his understanding and it shows.

Moderator does not give Romney his deserved follow up answer. He demands it, but she does not allow. Romney ignores, and makes his statement anyways. He is the Alpha male on the stage.

Obama states something about being used to being interrupted. Too little, too late, and not good in light of Biden's performance last week. Poor timing.

Winner: Mitt Romney


Question 3 - tax deductions. 
Romney talks about lowering taxes. He also answers with talk of crushing price increases. Too bad he doesn't believe any of it enough to take truly conservative points of view. However, I see now how so many self-proclaimed conservatives are fooled by the man. He talks with energy and excitement about conservative principles. Even if he has directly worked against those same principles in the past.

Romney keeps using verbage of the middle class being "buried" and "crushed" and ties it well to the President's policies and spending and borrowing.

Obama's answer talks about relief to middle class. He tries again to tie back to the "last decade" - a shot again at Bush. He is deflecting any blame for the downfall of the economy in the last four years. Both he and Romney talk about taxing "the wealthy" even more. Socialist principle. Obama makes a suggestion to go back to policies from when Clinton was president. Too bad he won't actually do it.

Obama talks about what he thinks grows the economy, and yet he implements none of these. Several times, he quotes things Romney has said, somewhat out of context.

Moderator does not try foolish stuff this time, and graciously segues to Romney.

Romney re-states his position of cuts for 95%, and increases for the top 5%. Marxism it is, but that is this race. He hits another heavy blow, talking about the reduction in employment, women being employed less, etc.

Now the moderator gives a softball lob to the President about Romney's claim to keep the top 5% paying what they are now, in addition to raising taxes on them.

Obama takes the cue, and remembers some points he wants to make, and segues them, nicely, into his talking points. He sounds more refined now, like Romney did in the beginning. He slams Romney on "only" paying 14%. He attacks the specifics, and Romney's "attacks" on Big Bird. Now, a direct question for Romney about taking a sketchy deal. Pot calling kettle black... OBMACARE ("pass this bill so we can find out what's in it").

Romney smirks and grins, no different that Biden did last week.

Moderator leads the question again, and does not allow Romney a direct response to the President's reply. Romney though, leads it into Obama's $5 Trillion deficits. He talks of additional debt and Obama's unfulfilled promise to reduce deficits.

Winner: Mitt Romney, but this one was close. 


Question 4 - equality of wages with regards to gender. 
President references his grandmother and her plight. He must not realize that the 2010's are not the same as the 1960's. Obama touts "accomplishments" in his first four years. He bunny-trails, but talks his points again. Liberals need that.

Romney talks about specifics on how he has staffed his gubernatorial cabinet with women. He draws on a clear wealth of experience on how-to make things work for women in the workplace. He talks about how women have lost 500,000 jobs in the last four years, and about how many more millions of women are now in poverty, compared to four years ago. Again, this is a clear point of experience on Romney's behalf. He is debating well, and tying Presidential failures together with it.

Moderator allows the President to respond. No leading.

Obama again references the Lilly Ledbetter bill. He talks about mandating contraceptive coverage as part of Obamacare. He is reaching here to try to make Romney appear to be "against women."

Moderator does not allow Romney rebuttal.

Winner: Romney, barely. But it was two-on-one.


Question 4 - difference between Bush and Romney.
Question was clearly from a liberal, who directly referenced Bush by name twice.She "fears" a return to those policies.

Romney directly references the fact that he did not get a fair take on previous question.

Romney then talks about the question at hand. He has specifics. He speaks again from a wealth of knowledge and direct experience. He talks directly about Bush's failings, then compares them to Obama's even worse failings. Romney leverages it back to his "5-Points."

Obama loves this question! He can blame bush ad nauseum, and does. He claims 31 consecutive months of job growth... I DO NOT KNOW WHAT GROWTH HE IS REFERENCING. He directly attacks Romney's companies on their outsourcing to China. Obama also talks about going after US employers who have unfair trade with China. That's what we need - the government intervening even more! In the end, actually accuses Romney of being more conservative than Bush???? Does he want to lose this election?

Winner: Romney, by a hair. He needs to get out of this funk, and rreassert himself. 


Question 5 - why should someone pay attention to this election?
Author's note - I'm really not sure. there's no appreciable difference.
Obama talks his points again. Not sure if it really directly answered the question or not in the minds of undecided voters. He talks about keeping his commitments, and says the commitments he hasn't kept were not his fault. He likens Romneycare to be the same as Obamacare and points out Romney's flip-flop in once stating he wants to repeal Obamacare.

Romney points out the President's failures: unemployment, medicare & Social Security, immigration, deficit, Obamacare, etc. He again talks about the crushing of the middle class. Romney goes after unemployment numbers and food stamp numbers. Romney clarifies the "5-million jobs" claim accurately, and states it doesn't even keep up with population growth. He hammers away at all the negative economic stats.

Obama occasionally tries to interrupt, but then backs off, obviously aware of the criticism of Biden from last week. Still, it makes him come off as not being in charge. Romney commands this stage clearly, in every case. 

Winner - Mitt Romney. He reestablished himself as the dominant person on stage.

2/3 of the way through - Romney is running away with this!

Question 6 - illegal immigrants
Romney talks first. "We welcome legal immigrants," he says. He talks about some specifics on making the legal system work better, not granting amnesty, employment verification, remove incentives to come to the US illegally, make a pathway for children of illegal immigrants, and he slams Obama for not touching immigration.

Obama talks about empty "accomplishments" that really do not exist. Obama says he only wants to go after illegals ("undocumented workers" he says) who are criminals - and he implies only gang members and the like. Talking out of both sides of his mouth. Obama really steps in it by claiming that Romney likes the Arizona law (which is supported by most Americans!). Bad move!!!

Moderator directly asks about "self deportation" part.

Romney shoots himself in counter response, saying he is not in favor of all of the AZ law. Romney uses the terms "undocumented" and "illegals" as synonyms. Says he won't round them up as he clarifies "self-deportation."

Obama tries to interrupt. Romney disallows it. Moderator tries to interject, but Romney takes control. Romney asks a direct question about the pension, Obama tries deflection saying it is not as big as Romney's. In the fray, Romney is clearly in command, and only backs down when he wants to. When he allows Obama to speak, Obama then speaks.

Obama's response sounds grasping.


Winner: Romney. Big time. 


Question 7 - Lybia. Attacks and who was responsible for security failure.
Direct attack for the failures. Obama does not answer who was responsible, but jumps forward to "after they found out the attacks had happened. He talks about action after the fact, not answering the question about why he allowed it to happen in the first place. Obama again is the pot calling the kettle black as he accuses Romney of politicizing the tragedy.

Romney is solemn in his answer, as is appropriate of a man in that position. Romney clearly does not have intelligence from CIA, but he talks about failure symbolically by Obama to have this attack properly investigated. He calls into question the President's "whole policy in the Middle East." Ne names Israel, Iran, Syria, and talks about each intelligently.

Moderator has a redirect question just for Obama.

The question is about Hillary Clinton taking the blame (falling on the sword would be more accurate). Obama talks about how the buck stops with him. He tries to make it out to be as if he is in control, but he is not. He looks like a Beta male snipping at the heels of the Alpha, looking for advantage.

Romney directly asks the President what he called it. The moderator clarifies. Romney Alphas up, and explains the timeline. His command of the facts is outstanding. Obama tries to butt in, but the moderator calls him down. 

Winner: Romney. It is not even close here.


Question 8 - gun control.
Another liberal question. Obama states he believes in the 2nd Amendment. Then he goes into why we need his ideas for gun control because of too many tragedies. Obama says  we must enforce the laws we currently have, but "we've got more to do." He clearly states that weapons designed for soldiers do not belong on our streets. He skims over another assault weapon ban, then goes straight into violence in Chicago and how that is not being perpetrated with assault weapons.

Again, he wants to get an assault weapons ban, but he wants to "go deeper."

Romney - author of an assault weapons ban - speaks that he wants no further bans. He clarifies accurately that automatic weapons are already nearly illegal. He speaks more to the changing of the culture. He ties back into poverty. He is using this as another hit on the President's economy. He further sidesteps and attacks the Fast and Furious program as being the worst case of automatic weapons used against Americans, and he correctly states it was implemented by the Obama administration! He is hitting this one hard!

Moderator gets onto Romney for not sticking to the question, and adds that Romney signed an assault weapon ban in Massachusetts.

Romney clarifies, and lies about the roots. He says we need more of this $h!t!!! Wow! He had this one in the bag, and had successfully sidestepped it, then he blew it!!!

Obama steps in and hammers Romney as being "for an assault weapons ban before he was against it." Obama with a big blow. Obama states accurately that Romney only changed his position when he was seeking the endorsement of the NRA. Obama, instead of quoting more on his pro-gun roots (which do not exist) then moves on to how education is the key here.


Winner: President Obama


Question 9 - jobs overseas
Talks about outsourcing during the Obama administration, and also slams against "trickle-down government." He talks of making China "play by the rules," and ties it all back to tax rates. He talks about increased regulation by the Obama administration.

Obama talks of needing to create jobs. Why hasn't he so far??? He talks of closing loopholes on big business. Yet he creates similar loopholes for those that fund his campaign. Obama talks of taxing US companies' overseas revenue. That will run them out of the US entirely!!! Then he talks about doubling exports.

The moderator has a fair redirect question for Romney.

Romney goes back to his talking points about playing fair, and changing the tax codes. The moderator interrupts. Obama accurately states that there are some jobs that will not come back. He sounds good in ways to make the US a place for high wage, high skill jobs. He talks about making investments in America. Romney snaps back that government does not create jobs. Great parting shot!

Winner: Romney. Blow out. 
In a basketball or football game, this is where you put in the subs for some playing time. 


Question 10 - incorrect perceptions about themselves as candidates.
Romney talks about who he really is, as opposed to what Obama characterizes him as. Good strategy. Talks about God, mission work, heading up the Olympics, and not having to settle for the bad things going on right now.

Obama references Romney's last zinger at him about government creating jobs. Obama distances himself from that notion, but brings it around to things being fair - fair shot, pay a fair share, play by the same "fair" rules. Obama talks about himself for a moment, then starts on the attack on Romney. Obama has passion, but does not clear up any missed perception.

Winner: Romney
Mitt Romney does not cruise to a victory, he dunks the basketball in the final moments and makes sure you know that he won basically every round.

Overall winner: Mitt Romney

Folks, if the first match was a 70-3 football game, then this one was a 63-21 game. Obama looked better, but was clearly outclassed. Given these things, I consider a few things:
1. I'd like to debate Obama. I think I could take him.
2. Does Obama actually want this?
3. The President looked better prepared, but just not in the same league.
4. I almost... almost... wanted to consider voting for Romney after hearing this debate. Fortunately, I know too much about the career politician and will not change my vote.
5. Obama had to win this to pull back even. He did not do that.
6. Obama showed moments of passion, but Biden is clearly more passionate. Romney is more passionate.
7. Several times, the two men got physically close, and looked almost as if they might come to blows. Romney never backed down, but forced Obama back in each instance. 

REAL WINNER: Gary Johnson

1. Obama doesn't want Gary Johnson at the debate.
2. Mitt Romney doesn't want Gary Johnson at the debate.
3. The leftist media doesn't want Gary Johnson at the debate.
There is a reason all three of these parties do not want Johnson there. That should scare you. 



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