Live Blog: Obama and Romney Square Off in First Presidential Debate
The Democratic incumbent and his Republican challenger address each other directly during a 90 minute exchange in Denver.
There's just one thing that's certain about tonight's debate between President Barack Obama and GOP nominee Mitt Romney: when it's over, their respective campaigns will each claim victory.
After half a week of suddenly declaring their candidate the inferior orator (after doing the exact opposite during their conventions) in order to lower expectations for the verbal sparring match, the spinmasters will say that (insert candidate here) made a clear case for his right to spend the next four years in the White House, and clearly connected with the American people. This will be the first of three about faces this month, and the stakes of executing a perfect, Gabby Douglas-esque balance beam walk are high: Obama leads Romney among likely voters by one point in the latest NBC/WSJ poll, and four among those registered to cast a ballot.
What to watch for? Well-practiced answers -- including some zingers -- and maybe some specifics. Obama has alternated his charges regarding Romney's policy proposals: that they're too vague, that they're too conservative, and that they are conservative when he used to be more liberal as the governor of Massachusetts. Romney, on the other hand, will work to put Obama on the defensive, hitting on the slow economy recovery.
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Romney counters his experience is not to spell out “my way or the highway,” but to lay out broad principles and then negotiate them with Congress, as he did with Massachusetts Legislature.
He says he would bring down tax rates and broaden the code, and with health care, he says president can rebut it because he has offered principles of his health care plan.
Obama says Romney created Massachusetts plan not as a government takeover of health care, yet he levels that charge against Obama plan based on it.
Then he continues that Romney won’t be specific on replacing Obamacare, just like he won’t detail how to repeal Dodd-Frank.
He asks, is he not revealing them because the answers are “too good?”
Romney pounds away on concept of “unelected board” deciding how to control costs.
“The right answer is not to have the federal government take over medical care,” says Romney. “The private market - and individual responsibility - always work best.”
The president retorts that board cannot make coverage decisions, that it is specifically outlawed in Obamacare law. -
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Rich people are the smallest of fractions. Shouldn't the question be about everybody else? No one in Canada has lost their house due to medical illness. The world's best doctors may be in America, but that doesn't help those who can no longer pay their mortgage. Furthermore, why is human health a business? Some things, although very few, should be about more than making a buck?
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Lehrer shifts to segment on role of government in society.
Obama says, yes. First role, he says, is to keep Americans safe, and he has worked on that every day.
But he also says federal government can open up “ladders of opportunity,” yet there are things that must be done together, like creating transcontinental railroad or land-grant colleges. -
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Role of government: has the capacity to create frameworks so people can succeed. True for me ... went from school administration to small farmer. Used lots of help from my local extension services and the gov programs for irrigators ... couldn't have done it without that support
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FACT CHECK: Romney and Obama on pre-existing conditions: The Affordable Care Act prohibits insurers from denying coverage to someone based on their health state, or someone with a pre-existing condition. Romney said during a recent appearance that he hoped to keep that provision.
But many economists argue it’s not possible without a mandate requiring people to get coverage. Healthy enrollees offset the cost of covering the sick. His staff later corrected the statement, saying he would protect those who maintain insurance coverage, something many states already do. -
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“@oliviawilde: Mittens, if you want the federal gov't out of our health care decisions, then stay the F out of our VAGINAS. #debate2012” 🙌by PrettyAd0rkable via twitter 10/4/2012 2:20:30 AM -
I work as a health care provider. Patients with Medicare and Mass Health have the fewest barriers to care. Private insurers make me beg for the care my patients need and place a burden on the families of those in need of care.
The reason people from around the world come to the United States for health care is because money and wealth will always get you better care in the U.S. - you don't need to go to the emergency room if you are a Saudi sheik. -
“What we’re seeing right now, in my view, is a trickle-down government approach” with government thinking it knows best.
“We know that the path we are taking is not working; it’s time for a new path,” says Romney.
Romney says, “I love great schools; in Massachusetts, our schools are ranked No. 1.”
And he says that role of government is to protect life and liberty, with military second to none. He adds, quoting Constitution, he says commitment to religious tolerance.
This is right from his stump speech, by the way. -
FACT CHECK: Romney touts Massachusetts’ schools as the best in the nation:
On student achievement, Massachusetts’ fourth- and eighth-graders were tops in the nation in reading and math scores on the National Assessment of Educational Progress, or NAEP, exam in 2011. Nevertheless, the state has been slower to improve on the exam since 2005, and has had flat performance in the past several years, according to the Pioneer Institute, a conservative think tank. -
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Too many of our states are pursuing an anti-intellectual and anti-science agenda - generally promoted by the Religious Right. Is it any wonder that our country ranks disproportiontely low among the industrialized world as far as quality of education is concerned? In the face of this lunacy the federal government has a definite role to play to maintain rational standards.
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FACT CHECK: Here's a look at Romney's budget cuts and priorities during his tenure as governor of Massachusetts. State funding to cities and towns took a hit in his efforts to balance the state budget. -
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FACT CHECK: The “board” that will dictate health care coverage: Romney said the Independent Payment Advisory Board created under the Affordable Care Act would dictate what services Medicare enrollees should get. The board would make recommendations to Congress to control Medicare costs. Congress could reject them, but would have to find altnerative ways to cut the program’s budget by the an equivalent amount. See this explanation from the Kaiser Family Foundation. -
Obama says that on subject of education, government “has a significant” role to play.
“This is where budgets matter, because budgets reflect choices,” says president, returning to tax cuts he says Romney favors and which he warns will cause cuts in education and other social programs.
“What we’re seeing right now, in my view, is a trickle-down government approach” with goverment thinking it knows best.
“We know that the path we are taking is not working; it’s time for a new path,” says Romney.
Romney says, “I love great schools; in Massachusetts, our schools are ranked No. 1.”
And he says that role of government is to protect life and liberty, with military second to none. He adds, quoting Constitution, he says commitment to religious tolerance.
This is right from his stump speech, by the way. -
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Romney, after about 20 minutes on his heels, has been on attack since, making good on his longtime campaign statement that he couldn’t wait to be on debate stage with Obama.
He has not only outlined his programs, but rebutted president’s characterization of them.
Says, as president, he is entitled to own house and plane, “but not your own facts.” -
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President quips that Romney will have busy first day, since he has also vowed to repeal Obamacare on his first day.
“That’s not going to be very popular with Democrats even as you’re sitting down with them,” says Obama.
He says a president has to lay out his plans, and also be willing to say no to members of both parties.
Lehrer, trying to rein in candidates, reminds they have three minutes left before closings.
He asks, what would you do about partisanship if you are elected.
Romney tees off by noting he has worked with Democrats as Massachusetts governor. Says he would meet with Democratic as well as Republican leaders on day after he is elected.
“The reason I am in this race is because there are people who are really hurting today,” he says. -
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I'm excited to hear the president being gung-ho about science & education. It's shameful that our country is without an official Department promoting the advancement of science. It means that the most interest the government takes in scientific development is related to military interests.
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gridlock - Rep leadership boasts about obstructing Dems as their Number 1 priority - not running our country. Dems try to compromise. Too many 'safe' districts encourage this to get worse and worse. We need campaign finance reform and significant redistricting reform.
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Romney, too, thanks organizersand Obama “for tuning in this evening.”
Then he segues to say he is concerned about America.
The election, he says, is bigger than the two of them; it’s about the course for the country.
“There’s no question in my mind if the president is reelected, there’s going to continue to be a middle-class squeeze,” he says.
Romney, though, says, “If I’m elected, we won’t have Obamacare.” He then ticks off other differences between the two if one or the other is elected.
“I will not cut our commitment to our military,” he pledges. -
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Watching CNN coverage with the Colorado undecided voters and response tracking. Overall Romney has appealed higher to men and tracked better with them. Obama has appealed higer to women and tracked better with them. I'm a Democrat and Obama supporter but feel Romney has done a better job in presenting himself.
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While I'm skeptical about his performance & how he's handled himself on stage, I like the forward-looking & outward-looking tone the president has tried to maintain. Romney has made an impressive showing, but while I didn't think the president was ready for the job 4 years ago, I think he's gone through a trial by fire & I have confidence that he would have a revolutionary second term.
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