Debate 1 of 2012

Debate 1 of 2012

  “We had our first debate last night. And when I got onto the stage, I met this very spirited fellow who claimed to be Mitt Romney. But it couldn’t have been Mitt Romney—because the real Mitt Romney has been running around the country for the last year promising $5 trillion in tax cuts that favor the wealthy. The fellow on stage last night said he didn’t know anything about that. “The real Mitt Romney said we don’t need any more teachers in our classrooms. But the fellow on stage last night, he loves teachers—can’t get enough of them. The Mitt Romney we all know invested in companies that were called ‘pioneers’ of outsourcing jobs to other countries. But the guy on stage last night, he said that he doesn’t even know that there are such laws that encourage outsourcing—he’s never heard of them. Never heard of them. Never heard of tax breaks for companies that ship jobs overseas. He said that if it’s true, he must need a new accountant. Now, we know for sure it was not the real Mitt Romney, because he seems to be doing just fine with his current accountant.
 “So you see, the man on stage last night, he does not want to be held accountable for the real Mitt Romney’s decisions and what he’s been saying for the last year. And that’s because he knows full well that we don’t want what he’s been selling for the last year. So Governor Romney may dance around his positions, but if you want to be president, you owe the American people the truth.”

— President Obama in Denver, Colorado, Oct. 04, 2012

 I totally disagree with this idea [that] Mitt Romney won last nites debate.. He still never said ANYTHING specific... Rhetoric is not Presidential                       ~ Cedric The Entertainer

 What I saw was at least 27 lies, 180 degree turns, back flips, & flops so that Mitt Romney could convince hard working middle class people that he cares for them so he could get their votes.

‎"The wise will be able to see right through Romney's lies and hopscotch. We still support President Obama because he cares for ALL of us, our freedoms, defends us as individuals, and works TIRELESSLY to keep us secure. The debate was merely an opportunity for Romney to show how much he's been practicing his public speaking. His promises were empty and sounded like a worried salesman trying to guarantee everything to try and appeal to the middle class -- the group of us who he hasn't blinked at until now, that his numbers are down. Anyone voting for Romney based on last night, is truly misguided and fell hard for the hype. OBAMA 2012!!!!"

—Tanya, President Obama supporter

 Romney's lying flip/flop routine didn't seem as such to those who didn't know enough to catch his lies. Those who are STILL undecided and are considered low info voters will more than likely be fooled by Romney's academy award winning performance.
 It is beyond the dictates of reason that we should believe a man who when thinking that there are no recording devices in the room will simply write off and disrespect have of this country's citizens, (saying he is not concerned them) calling them dependent on government persons who believe they are victims. Even when he says that he didn't mean it or that he was wrong, why should we believe him? Of course he was wrong and he will always be wrong! He meant what he said the first time and it came from the heart. Then he gets in front of recording devices during the debate and puts on this act which by the way was laced with at least 27 proven lies that he quoted like a scholar and insulted our intelligence by trying to do a complete 180 degree turn on everything he has thus far proclaimed was his positions. Are we going to be fooled by this self serving vulture? Not I my beautiful people and I suggest none of us even think for a moment that he will deliver on his flip flopping promises. If he became President he would lie to us and say that the economy was even worse than anyone thought and that he had no choice but to raise taxes on the middle class. He is no good and will do anything to become President. Once in he will flip on us and dog us out.

Mitt Romney says his '47%' remarks were 'completely wrong'   By Seema Mehta

11:44 p.m. EDT, October 4, 2012

Mitt Romney disavowed his much-criticized statement that the 47% of Americans who supported President Obama paid no taxes, considered themselves "victims" and refused to take responsibility for their lives, saying in a Thursday night interview that he had been “completely wrong.”

“Clearly in a campaign with hundreds if not thousands of speeches and question-and-answer sessions, now and then you say something [that] doesn’t come out right," the Republican presidential nominee said on Fox News. "In this case, I said something that’s just completely wrong."

Romney spoke in an interview with Sean Hannity, who asked what he'd have said if Obama had brought up the 47% remark during their Wednesday night debate. Democrats have used the line in campaign ads. 

For more than two weeks, Romney has faced a backlash after the covertly taped video of him speaking to donors was published online by Mother Jones magazine. In that video, from a Florida fundraiser in May, the candidate described the 47% of Americans who paid no federal income tax last year as being Obama supporters who are dependent on government, believing they are "victims." He said they were “unwilling to take responsibility for their lives.”

After the video came to light, Romney stood by his remarks but said that his point was "not elegantly stated." He has also strived to emphasize that he cares for all Americans, and continued that defense Thursday.

“I absolutely believe my life has shown that I care about 100%, and that has been demonstrated throughout my life, and this whole campaign is about the 100%,” he said.

Political experts had  expected Obama to raise the 47% comment during the first presidential debate Wednesday evening, but he did not. Obama disappointed many Democrats when he turned in what many agree was a lackluster performance.

Romney told Fox that he was glad the debate had focused on issues rather than gaffes, calling it “an evening of substance.”

“I was pleased that I had a chance to talk about my vision for America, and the president was able to answer some questions that I posed that I think Americans across the country wanted to have answered,” he said, adding that he appreciated the moderation by Jim Lehrer, which was widely panned. “It was not a big 'gotcha' night coming from  the moderator but instead was a chance for the president and I to go toe-to-toe on the important issues that people care about.”

Romney also previewed his criticism of Obama’s handling of foreign policy, which will be the subject of a future debate.

He highlighted  the crisis in Libya that resulted in the deaths of an American ambassador and three other Americans. Describing the attack at the U.S. Consulate in Benghazi as a “tragic failure,” Romney said:  

“There had been warnings of possible attacks, there had been requests … to have additional security forces. They were turned down. And then following the tragedy we saw, well, misleading information coming from the administration. In fact, the president didn’t acknowledge this was a terrorist attack for a week or two? I mean, this was a terrorist attack, lives were lost, this happened on 9/11. We expect candor and transparency from  the president and from the administration. We didn’t get it.”

When the Benghazi attack happened last month, Romney accused the administration of having sympathy for Mideast demonstrators angered by a YouTube trailer of a movie depicting the prophet Muhammad as a child molester and womanizer.  At the time, some fellow Republicans criticized Romney's quick comments, especially after it became apparent that one of the four dead was the American ambassador, J. Christopher Stevens.  

Seema.mehta@latimes.com

@LATSeema