Presidential debate open thread

Ari Fleischer just said on CNN that this debate won’t matter, which means Fleischer thinks Romney lost.

Obama slams Romney on his lack of defense knowledge, and CNN’s focus group loved it. See video below:

The focus group likes talk about sanctions.

The CNN insta-focus groupu is not liking Romney much. He flatlines a LOT.  Women especially did not like Mitt Romney talking about repealing Obamacare, and while men didn’t show the same displeasure, they also didn’t send their meters into positive territory, in fact they were neutral.

Obama: We are stronger now. We ended the war in Iraq, which let us refocus on al Qaeda. And to refocus on alliances that have been neglected for a decade. Our alliances have never been stronger. Including with Israel. Women generally like Obama more on the CNN insta-chart, though they’re liking Obama’s answers a lot, especially when he talks about building America.

Romney is almost 2 minutes ahead of Obama in speaking time, but this is a new question, so Obama may catch up with his reply.

Romney says America hasn’t improved relations with anyone in the past 4 years. Really? Libya for starters? Iraq, I think they like us more than they did under Bush. Hell, most of the world likes us better now than under Bush, is he nuts?

Audience at CNN’s focus group liked Obama’s response on Libya, Romney no new ideas, we’re doing what we should be doing. The focus group is LOVING this. Note the line moving up below Obama as he begins to speak.

Romney says he doesn’t want our military in Syria, and Obama flinched. US military involvement isn’t necessary, Romney says.

Obama hits Romney for wanting to get us into Libya then backtracking. Obama suggest Qadddafi would still be in power.

Debate slowing down, already getting a little boring.

Romney isn’t sounding presidential tonight. He’s high on caffeine again, or so it seems. And petulant. Obama pissed him off. Already.

Obama hit Romney hard on being all over the map in terms of his positions on foreign policy. I think Obama got Romney’s goat. Romney looks pissed, and a bit off. “Attacking me, attacking me.”

Romney: World is vewy vewy scawy.

Obama – We’ve kept the american people safe. Ended war in Iraq, focused attention on people who attacked us on 9/11. Obama makes a good point about what we accomplished in Libya for not much cost. Obama’s hits Romney that his strategy has been all over the map.

Romney says it was “terrorists of some kind” who attacked us in Libya. Do we know that?

Someone really needs to do a photo essay on the ever-moving grey hairline of Mitt Romney. Just sayin’.

Tonight is 50th anniversary of the night Kennedy told the country that we faced Soviet missiles in Cuba.

9:00 PM CNN focus group breakdown:
76% white
20% black
4% Asian
NO LATINOS, WTF?

I’ll be reporting on the debate live in this space. Feel free to jump in the comments, the readers will be hanging out there. Thanks, JOHN

Print