DEBATE JUNCTION, ROUND ONE

Governor Romney’s animation and aggressiveness may have won him the first debate but it may have also lost him the battle.  He jettisoned his right wing conservative alliance by steering towards the center on President Obama’s health care plan and moderate regulation of the financial industry. He questioned Dodds-Franks and said he would repeal portions of it, but which portions he had not as yet decided.

Those viewing the debate may not have been closely following the campaign and may have been hearing about the complexities of the issues for the first time and therefore confused style over substance and credited Governor with the win.  The Governor was at his best Etch a Sketch moment however when he denied that he planned to reduce taxes for the wealthy or reduce benefits for present day Obamacare recipients when he has repeatedly promised that he would repeal Obamacare on day one of his administration. Romney has proposed cutting all marginal personal income tax rates  by one fifth, with the top rate coming down to 28% from 35 % and making up the huge revenue loss by  eliminating loopholes and tax breaks, but of course he has not said which tax loophole and tax breaks he would eliminate. He has said that the taxes for the wealthy would not be diminished and at the same time the taxes for the middle income would also not rise.  For some reason the Mittster used the words middle income instead of the word middle class.  In the October 4th article in the Los Angeles Times article by Michael Hiltzik, the simple math of this program does not add up according to the Tax Policy Center operated by the Brookings Institute and the Urban Institute

 The Mittster reverted to his campaign speeches by attacking the President, changing the topics to the topic he wanted to discuss, and the moderator, Jim Leher was much too polite and allowed the mittster to run rough shod over him.  Mitt knowing his information was a total fabrication attacked the President on cutting $716 billion dollars from Medicare to bolster Obamacare when he knows that his running mate’s budget also calls for the same cuts, $ 716 billion but that this money will instead not be used to bolster Obamacare but to reduce the deficit caused by the tax cuts for the rich.

President Obama mainted a presidential demeanor throughout the campaign, using some sarcasm from time to time but it was so subtle that it might not have been noticed by the general public.

CNN immediately put out the results of a poll that found that 67% of registered voters found that the Mittster had won, vs. 25% for the president. Information from CNN revealed that the voters polled numbered more republicans than democrats. History of presidential debates has shown that many incumbent presidents have lost the first debate. John Kerry handily won the first debate and in fact may have won all three debates against George W and still lost the election.

The issues of the 47% video, Women’s Rights,  abortion, legitimate rape, contraception, the auto industry, Bain Capital, Romney ‘s taxes , and his Swiss  and Cayman Island bank accounts  as well as foreign policy ,have yet to be discussed.  The continued   repetition of his stump speeches will be of little value in the subsequent debates.

FIST BUMP