Debate Live Blog: The Mudkettle
Here were go, people. The most recent posts are at the top, you can sound off in the comments, and refresh your browser if this doesn’t auto-update. Let’s do this!
19:00 (AK) Jeanne: Thanks, Jim! Great fun. My take is that Romney exceeded expectations, and may have won on style, but Obama undoubtedly won on facts. We’ll see what comes out of all this in the next couple days. When all you have to do is “sound like a nice guy” and don’t much care about factiness, it’s easy to make a good first impression.
And hey… We were promised zingers! Seemed pretty zinger-less. Unless you’re Big Bird.
18:50 (AK) Jim: I don’t see this debate changing the political landscape. Both hit all their talking points. Neither screwed up in any major way. Neither scored any significant points off the other. I think Obama was more measured and cool, Mitt seemed overly defensive and scattered – but that may be my bias talking. I don’t feel that I know any more about either candidate now than I did two hours ago and I doubt this debate will affect the polls in any significant way. And now, it’s time to get down to some seriously drinking.
Thanks, Jeanne and all you Mudpuppies for tuning in. Stonekettle Station out here.
18:34 (AK) Jim: Well, that’s that. I don’t think there were any surprises. I’m biased, but I think Obama will be called the winner on this one, at least outside Fox. From the sound of the applause at the end, the crowd wasn’t too excited either.
18:31 (AK) Jeanne: Mitt bravely staked out the position of being “concerned about America” in his closing statement.
18:26 (AK) Jeanne: I agree with Mittens that the Dems in the MA legislature are more reasonable than Cantor & Co.
18:25 (AK) Jim: “You’re entitled to your own house. You’re entitled to your own airplane. You’re not entitled to your own facts.” You think Mittens was just waiting to spring that little zinger?
18:20 (AK) Jim: I’m surprisingly unimpressed with Jim Lehrer as moderator.
18:17 (AK) Jeanne: Mittens is for a big military, but not so big that it includes members of his well-heeled family.
18:12 (AK) Jim: I do like that Pres. Obama owned “Obamacare” and keeps using it. Mitt has been on the defensive the entire time.
18:08 (AK) Jeanne: Oh Mittens, you are so elastic. Just reboot into whatever position your latest internals have told you to adopt. You hate ObamaCare, yet you invented it and are now glomming on to its most popular provisions.
18:04 (AK) Jim: Heh heh, must be nice to be able to buy your own healthcare insurance, and then fire them if you don’t like it. Question, just how many middle class seniors can afford that?
17:58 (AK) Jeanne: The Godfather of ObamaCare vs. ObamaCare.
17:46 (AK) Jim: Watching the Politifact Twitter feed is enlightening.
17:42 (AK) Jeanne: He seems annoyed that anyone with a net worth south of $2billion has the temerity to voice an economic opinion.
17:39 (AK) Jim: Wait. Did Mitt just call Tesla Motors a loser? Seriously?
17:37 (AK) Jim: Does Mitt seem rattled and very defensive to you, Jeanne? I honestly thought he’d be smoother.
17:29 (AK) Jeanne: Mitt’s upper lip is sweating, Nixon ’60 style! Awesome. Eyes are twitchy. This is like John Coltrane standing next to a powertrippin’ regional manager for Pizza hut.
17:28 (AK) Jim: Somebody said to me today that he couldn’t wait to see President Obama speak without a teleprompter. He figured Obama wouldn’t able to speak. But, based on Mitt’s “last word” I’d say he’s the guy who needs some prompting.
17:22 (AK) Jeanne: Hahaha! Under Mitt’s plan, Donald Trump would be counted as a “small businessman.” Thwack!
17:20 (AK) Jim: Obama: It’s Math. Well, heck, that’s not going to work. Conservatives don’t believe in math and science.
17:15 (AK) Jeanne: I love his überearnest concern for the average folk.
17:10 (AK) Jim: Trickle Down Government, first catch phrase of the night to Mitt.
17:04 (AK) Jeanne: Oh good. POTUS looks chill and comfy in own skin. The other guy’s a stern guidance counselor with a stick you know where.
16:58 (AK) Jeanne: Greetings, sir! Have you a libation?
16:58 (AK) Jim: Let’s try this again. Hello, Jeanne
16:57 (AK) Jeanne: My partner’s just finishing up hooking up his vodka bottle to the IV drip….
16:49 (AK) Jeanne: Jim was a Petty Officer in the Navy, and I hope he lives up to his service and gets seriously petty during this thing.
16:40 (AK) Jeanne: I’m putting the final touches on logistics (ie, pouring myself a glass of wine). Say hello when you get here, Mr. Wright.
Rommney wants to kill BIG BIRD!!!!!!!!!!!
As my friend said—-Maybe the President had more on his mind than a debate.
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/10/04/world/middleeast/syria.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0
Obama came across as more thoughtful, measured, and Presidential. I think everyone knows by now that Romney was just lying about caring about people out side his little club of the top 1/10th of the top 1 percent.
Thank you, Jeanne and Jim.
Our President was being very nice tonight. He will let his attack dogs take care of Rommney.
Anyone can see how Rommeny would screw the middle class. He is fighting for Big Oil and the Koch brothers.
As to the debate—-I don’t think a lot of people really understood what he was talking about.
Mitt came off as a bully on speed, ignoring the debate rules right off the bat.
Once a bully, always a bully….
I couldn’t really listen to what Mitt was saying because he blinked so much and his eyes were so bloodshot. Funny how you sometimes see more than you hear.
Analysis by. ;D. Gregory: Mitt was “Energetic”
Counter Analysis by B. Williams: was”Energetic and Aggressive”.
yeah, to say the least!
More like “spazzy” and “Freaked out”!
did you catch Mitt saying earlier that we’re a nation under the same God? I suppose that’s a pull from the current pledge of allegiance, and will be popular in the Bible belt, but I have numerous friends of various religions.
And now Rommney has a new Ad I saw on WHO TV tonight.
A picture of the oval office with an EMPTY chair, and a picture of Benjamin Netanyahu with the Star of David in the background. What is this suppose to mean?
Mitt: I won’t cut the military, and I’ll get the middle class working again.
Send them to work in the military, Mitt?
Think his sons will serve?
Did you catch Mittens say we are a nation that is under the same God earlier? Hmmmm….
Mittens will have to become all warm and fuzzy to end the debate, can he do it?
Nope.
Obama lost this one. Never mentioned killing Osama once. That’s your calling card.
he just did. =)
Mitt “Gov’t shouldn’t be deciding what healthcare people are going to receive”.
REALLY, MItt? Invoking the Death Panels?
That’s been done.
and Mississippi would provide health care how?
3rd party solutions…… medicare provide single payer universal like rest of modern nations and allow bargaining on drug prices. For social security lift cap so rich also pay their fair share into the system.
HoboJohn for president!
That whole state by state thing is insane. So many states are having to cut everything to meet their budgets and now Mitt wants them to take on running Medicare? With what money?
And here I thought one bottle of wine was going to be plenty…
lol Sour, be careful
Mitt sure is blinking a lot.
One of those psychological “tells” that says he ain’t feeling too comfortable.
NOW he gets to stay what he will keep in Obamacare….has yet to say what he would boot..back to those boards!
Considering that Mittz has been doing nothing but stump, and prep for this night…? It’s a good thing he likes to fire people who provide him services. He should start with his debate-prep team.
Now They are back to the ‘health boards’ which I am sure will bring out SP with her death panel comments…that is IF FOX gives her a chance.
this is why he is president and i will never be: i would be throwing down my pen, slamming my fist on the podium and shrieking, “You lie! You like! You lying sack of shit!!!!!”
“The American people don’t want Medicar….. err… Obamacare”
Freudian slip?
cadaver smirk
Romney citing Tommy Thompson who wants to end Medicare. And of course Tommy was the one who threw everyone in Wisconsin off off welfare. The poor left the state, moving to neighboring states to live.
Mitt’s WAY too aggressive. It might win over those who can’t follow the arguments ,or who don’t know what the issues are, but it appears desperate and he won’t win w/ it in the analysis.
Mitt’s rapid-fire delivery is going to turn off some southern independents. Too ‘Yankee’.
And he invokes AARP! Suck on THAT, Mittenz!
another good zing for Pres Obama. Ouch Ouch Mittens, you arent’ looking too good right now.
3rd party candidatates….. deficit caised by both corporate parties … tax cuts for millionaires and billionaires, tax rate insanely low on capital gains, banksters’ bailouts, unfunded illegal wars, and failed for -profit health care has caused the deficits.
I’m starting to see the President’s fire getting stoked… look out, Romney. Your fuses are gonna melt!
Sorry. Forgot Mitt’s a Mor-mon. Clearly he is not allowed to ingest meth.
Perhaps he soaked his magic underwear in it instead.
A legal loophole. Right up his alley…
It helps to mute Mittens when he speaks, otherwise I hear nails across a chalkboard.
Me too. I also cannot abide his smarmy facial expressions. He tries too hard to look pleasant. He must be a real jerk.
Yikes!!
Mitt: “I’m talking like a manic idiot and I can’t shut up!!:
Do you think he’s tweaking? Imagining him and Sarah Palin meeting up to do a little “deal” in a dark Taco Bell parking lot?
“My plan is to decrease rate and deductions.” What deductions, Willard? No details!!
Poor Lehrer… it’s like he’s wrangling a tortoise and an over-caffeinated hare.
“I like green energy…” But does Mitt like green energy more or less than he likes Big Bird?
I like big bird, I cannot lie
But if I win, I’ll made him die.
actually, a big part of what we need to do is get rid of the mortgage deduction (yes I benefit from that) and start raising the age for getting our social security benefits back (yes that will affect me) — neither of them is touching those tough issues
Jill Stein and Rocky Anderson are beating the two corporate clowns hands down. No contest when you remove corporate shilling!
He’s babbling. All over the place.
get rid of pbs? what, we give them a trillion or so a year? Get with it Romney, what are you talking about?
Mitt, looks a little bug eyes and weird tonight, too much lack of caffeine?
Yes, I think running the deficit up is a moral issue as well Mitt. Maybe we shouldn’t be starting wars we can’t pay for.
oh, good, Obama just made that point!
“I like Big Bird.” Dear god.
couldn’t believe that one.
But he’d do in PBS in a minute.
17:22- oh sweet merry
can’t do this listening to Mr Romney dealie, helmet or not. just can’t .
thought I could, just can’t
yurg
puttin on Fred Eaglesmith singing Get on Your Knees , rilly rilly loud and refreshin the page here instead
Go AKM!
Go Jim!
Good self-care, Pi. Sing it out, take care!
OOOH! Mitt: “Debt is not MORAL”.
What about the two wars that your party’s former president got us into to incur that debt??
simply not moral of you to add to the military when they don’t want it or need it.
This particular back & forth (jobs) was way too fast to follow. Good thing there will be transcripts.n
Don’t argue with Jim Lehrer, Mitt! Where’s the moderator’s zapper?
omg, what a big baby Mittens, gak, poor baby not getting his own way. I wonder if he’ll cry ?
ouch good zinger Pres Obama. Woot woot
Ooh, and the fireworks are exploding already!
Promises to be an exciting debate season
so true Jim
If abortions for non pregnant women are possible, clean coal is as well.
yeah Mitty, how ya going to do that? huh huh huh?
Clean coal? Not possible
“It’s math.” I heart you, Mr. President.
Wait, would that be the 47%, Mitt? Nice effort to look concerned.
Mitty looks nervous
That is not a stick. It is chronic constipation.
clap clap clap
I’m here
will Romney be orange color tonight?
I’m tuned into Democracy Now as Amy is allowing third party Jill Stein and Rocky Anderson equal times. This is really exciting. I otherwise wouldn’t have watch the corporate clown show.
For some reason Greg Palast is forcing us to watch it on Foxnews. Shoot me.
bang bang =)
Hi buddies! I second TanteF – thanks, Jeanne and Jim, for hosting this party!
I’m here, looking forward to the blog. I didnt pick out any drinking words, but I’m sure there will be lots of them.
Here and thankful to be in the virtual company of my two favorite Alaskans.