One of the best points in the debate was when Mitt Romney suggested that President Ahmadinejad of Iran could be indicted for what amounts to pre-cog genocide.
I would make sure that Ahmadinejad would be indicted for genocide. His words amount to genocide.
As a Jew I take genocide pretty seriously. But words don’t amount to genocide. And what is Mitt talking about? Our Benjy Sarlin asked about this in the spin room and Mitt’s aides seemed to suggest that this UN/Hague indictment would lead to Ahmadinejad’s arrest and well … problem solved. Call in the Blue Helmets! They’ll solve this one.
We’ll have more on this soon.
According to the CBS News instapoll Romney won debate one 46 to 22.
According to the same poll, President Obama won this one 53 to 23.
Seeing a lot of reporters and pundits trying to catch up with the public reaction.
Shorter Mitt Romney: We’d do exactly what you’re doing. But I’d be President!
From the CBS instapoll of uncommitted voters:
Who won the #Debate? OBAMA: 53%; ROMNEY: 23%, TIE: 24% (Margin of Error: 4%; Sample Size: 521)
I’ll have some more thoughts in a bit. Here’s my quick reaction. The first half hour was a draw, though President Obama scored by default when Romney either didn’t or couldn’t attack on Libya.
After that though Romney began to falter as Obama became more direct, organized and declarative. Romney seemed increasingly lost. Obama seemed comfortable, happy. The visuals told the story. Romney was sweating a lot and looked like he was in pain. Into the second half of the debate Romney’s answers seemed more jumbled and unfocused. There was even that rambling and generally uncontroversial digression on Pakistan. Why? He seemed lost.
Translated into Romney visuals he had what President Obama had in the first debate: that look of someone who wanted to be anywhere but on that stage.
10:28 PM: Mitt: I love Teachers!!!!
10:29 PM: The auto bailout is Romney’s greatest Etch-a-Sketch. Yes, he wanted a managed bankruptcy. But he refused the government assistance that was essential to keep the companies out of liquidation. Because at the time it wasn’t popular. He can’t undo what he did and said. He’s stuck.
10:32 PM: Romney says he’s optimistic and pumped but he’s sweating like a pig.
10:33 PM: Key quotes and more at TPMLiveWire.
10:34 PM: I dissed Bob Schiefer a bit at the outset. I was wrong. I think he did really well. Invisible in a sense but in a subtle guiding way.
10:09 PM: Flashback video: Obama, Gee Mitt, we had more horses and bayonets then too.
10:11 PM: Man, Mitt is just killing Obama with this rambling and uncontroversial discussion of Pakistan.
10:16 PM: Flashback: Obama to Romney: You said we shouldn’t “move heaven and earth” to get bin Laden … Romney attacks Obama on purported “Apology Tour”.
10:19 PM: “Not just strong but very strong.”
10:20 PM: Mitt’s getting off the matt a bit here.
10:21 PM: Yes, you’re familiar with jobs going to China because you invested in the companies that were sending them over there.
10:24 PM: Governor, the people of Detroit don’t forget.
9:54 PM: Much like in Debate #1 with President Obama, Mitt has the look of someone who desperately doesn’t want to be up on that stage.
10:00 PM: It’s like Romney needs a firmware upgrade. Just talking points spewing forth. A litany. Words. A mess.
10:01 PM: “You’ve been all over the map.”
10:02 PM: This is getting brutal.
10:02 PM: “It was worth moving heaven and earth to get him.”
10:03 PM: Obama managed to bring the bin Laden segment at the end of a long narrative. Real impact.
10:03 PM: Eeesh, now even Schiefer is slapping Mitt around.
10:05 PM: I’m not sure Obama could have dropped the OBL bomb at more of a crescendo moment.
10:05 PM: Mitt’s so punch drunk at the moment he apparently thinks he’s signed on as President Obama’s State Department spokesman. Who’s he arguing against with Pakistan?
10:07 PM: Shorter Mitt: Please get me the f*ck off this stage!?!!?