Debate Winners and Losers

Like millions of others, I observed the debates last night. To be technically accurate, I listened to them via radio. As per an idea generated on Facebook by a friend, I have decided to name winners and losers of the debate.

We all know that Republicans will say that Romney won, and Democrats will claim that Obama won. In a way, they will both be right. However I will name the man I thought did a better job (and one man clearly did a better job).

As a caveat, you must know that I do not care for either man. I have dogged Romney since the start of this blog as he is a liberal. Same goes for Obama. Since I haven't a dog in this fight, my friends have asked me to weigh in, so here goes:

Economy
Romney swings at Obama successfully for the record of the past four years.
Obama makes weak attempts to compare Romney to Bush, and to blame Bush indirectly.

Romney clearly indicates what is wrong with the President's plans.
Obama correctly indicates that Romney has not given specifics of his plan.

In the end, Obama looks unprepared, and Romney looks and sounds well versed.
Winner: Romney. 


Entitlements
Focus is on Social Security and Medicare.
Romney has a chance to show he is different than Obama, but generally fails to do so.
Obama sees the miscue and readily accepts that he and Romney do not have major differences in healthcare.

Halfway through this segment, Romney remembers that Obamacare will cut Medicare substantially, and mentions that. He hounds on it, but it was like the kid who was given a hint to the question and still didn't get it until he had already answered incorrectly.
Obama did not get beaten on this one.

To be the man, you must beat the man.

Winner: Obama


Socialized Healthcare
Focus is on Obamacare and Romneycare.

Romney makes sure to call Obamacare by that moniker. This is a small victory as the majority of America has a negative impression of Obamacare.
Obama, ever the haughty one, actually states he like the name "Obamacare." What nitwit advised him to say that???

Romney fails completely to differentiate between Obamacare and Romneycare.
Obama, on the other hand, repeatedly expresses the fact that Romneycare (which he never called by that name in a shrewd move) was, in fact, the TEMPLATE for Obamacare.

In the end, this will come down to the independent voter. Will they think Romney will try to do away with Obamacare?
I think the answer is yes. Romney sounded convincing that he will try to eliminate Romneycare Obamacare from day 1.

Winner: Romney, but not by a lot. 


Presence
Romney sounded and appeared sharp and prepared.
Obama looked as if he didn't want to be there on his wedding anniversary. It showed.

Romney sounded sure of himself. His speaking was clear.
Obama was his usual stuttering self without his teleprompter.

Clear result was clear.

Winner: Romney


Zingers
Romney scored two by my count.
Obama scored one by my count. However, it was in the final three minutes. That's gotta be worth something.

Winner: Romney, but only by a single point. 


SOMSOM
In politics, it is a must to Stay On Message, Stay On Mission.
In other words, repeat a few things ad nauseum so the imbeciles will get it.

Romney was detailed... too much so in many instances.
Obama was the epitome of SOMSOM

Winner: Obama


Party Base
Obama did well preaching to the socialist wing of the Democrat party.
Romney did very well appealing to the Neocons of the Republican party.

Currently, the American independent voter resembles the Neocon more than the Socialist.
However, the Republican party's base is the TEA party, not the Neocons.
However, conservatives hate Obama enough to vote for just about anybody... including another Socialist.

Winner: Romney


Avoiding Liberalism
For some reason, Presidential candidates want to avoid the appearance of liberalism in open forums like this. Funny thing, when a liberal Republican has the nomination, they invariably lose to the Democrat. The American people do not tend to like wolves in sheep's clothing... they prefer wolves simply be honest about being wolves.

Obama did a great job of appearing to be centrist, and even "condoning" some conservative principles.
Romney did an even better job of pointing out the President's Socialist leanings.
Romney also effectively sidestepped possible links to his own Socialist leanings.

Since Obama was playing the old game of not showing the he is liberal, he failed to show how Romney was just like himself, and was just as liberal. Maybe that was too big a gambit?

Winner: Romney


Bias
Yes, the moderator, Jim Lehrer, was openly and decidedly in Obama's corner.
However, he gave tremendous leeway to both candidates to go over time and stray from the actual question.

In the end, Romney's more Alpha Male presence won over in several instances, and Obama's Beta Male instincts caused him to lose a lot on "style points."

Winner: Romney


Conclusion:

Pretty clear. Even MSNBC claims Romney won. The DNC was saying before the outset that they expected Romney to win. Romney looked more Presidential, spoke more Presidential, and acted more Presidential.

Romney's only drawback is that he looked like a career politician who had been being groomed for this for 50+ years... which is, in fact, the truth.

Debate Winner: Romney.

Parting Shots
It has made news, just not mainstream news. Aside from Romneycare/Obamacare, there is another topic that both candidates agree on 100%. That is that neither wants Libertarian candidate Gary Johnson to be part of the debates.

Overall winner of the evening: GARY JOHNSON
Both Romney and Obama are frightened of debating him.


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