Wednesday, October 03, 2012

Live Blogging the Very 1st Mittens VS BarryO Zinger-Showdown 2012

Here's our thread for tonight's Live Blogging event! As we did back in the glorious early housing bust days of 2008, it will work like so: Comment away - say your piece, and as quickly as possible, our crack team moderators (John) will pull pieces into the post itself as much as he can - so to keep up, view the post page (rather than the full blog page) and refresh for new comments!

 That's that - oh, and enjoy!

9:20pm - if you're not in the comment stream, you've missed the genesis of a new Austin Powers villain: COALFINGER!!!!!

88 comments:

Placer said...

so both campaigns have tried to down play their candidates performance... so do we expect a good debate or more of the same? I'm pretty sure that regardless of the content, O will be declared the winner on most media outlets :)

John said...
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John said...

I'll be honest: I am not sure what to do when it comes to watching this debate. I feel like I need a fantasy debate team to help me stay engaged throughout the action - but I really don't know how that would work. Would I add issues to my roster and grab points for the amount of time they get during the conversation? Would I pick buzzwords to make up my team and then every mention of "I built that" is worth 2 points?

Anyway... the show's less than an hour away. I guess I'll have to figure this out at some point.

Placer said...

2 points or we could turn it into a drinking game :)

Venice said...

Here's a question: why do you think this election is so different? Last time we were blogging up a storm. and it wasn't just us, each one of the internets was abuzz with political bloggery. You got the sense water coolers across the nation were surrounded by concerned citizens taking a break from their work day to talk about politics. This time no one seems nearly as interested. is it that no one actually believes Romney has a chance?

Matt said...

Did you read that Yahoo article that was making the rounds today? Something along the lines of "Lies the candidates will tell tonight and the truth behind them." Okay, maybe the title wasn't anything like that, but it was an interesting read.

Matt said...

Oh my Venice, you clearly don't live in the South, where this election is considered to be of prime importance and Romney definitely seems to have a chance. But there is definitely a more invigorated base behind the challenger this year, at least in Alabama.

Venice said...

I am watching this debate on Fox News so if you hear an oven opening and a head going in, that's because I'm putting a shotgun in my mouth.

John said...

Wow... it's early in the evening for heads with shotguns in them going into ovens.

Venice said...

Wow, I live in a swing state where Romney probably should be winning. But he's down in double digits. And no that I have met, Republicans included, believes that Mittens has a even the remotest chance.

Matt said...

Once the debate begins, I guess it doesn't matter much where you're watching it.

Venice said...

It's Obama's anniversary? A liberal conspiracy, that! But seriously, he is the luckiest politician alive.

Venice said...

"Economic patriotism." Sounds like Pat Buchanan. I don't mean that in a bad way.

Matt said...

I can't wait for the conservative spin on that "we won't be spending it next year in front of 40 million people" comment.

Venice said...

Romeny's acknowledgement of Obama's anniversary was actually pretty cool.

Matt said...

Indeed, Romney with the humor to start his response!

John said...

Shoot - last minute dinner prep, I missed Romney's happy anniversary message. But "trickle down government" is a weird muddled concept... to me, at least.

Venice said...

Trickledown government is also a good zinger. unfortunately, the moderator butchers it in the follow up question. I note that Obama also thinks the corporate tax rate is too high. Triangulation, my friends.

Matt said...

Whoa, why the laundry list Obama?

Venice said...

John: it's not meant to make sense. just grab the headline on Drudge.

Matt said...

Damn you Facebook for making me keep trying to "like" your comments.

Venice said...

It only took a few minutes for them to use the "middle class is buried" meme. thanks Joe.

Elsa Worth said...

it is really hard for me to focus on these guys with the music from apple phone support in the other ear.

John said...

Yeah... Drudge/Breitbart pandering, right... I forget about that.

Matt said...

I like COAL!

Unknown said...

'by the way, I like coal.'..... Everyone is getting CRUSHED.

John said...

It's weird how well crafted the idea of "energy independence" is - it sounds clean, somehow, even to me - someone who knows Romney's advocating for terribly, irreversibly dirty policies.

Venice said...

For some reason, I get the sense that they both like the middle class. They must be an important demographic or something. but seriously, kudos to Obama for saying we should cut military spending.

John said...

I kinda feel like Mitt is insistent on people believing that he has some kind of magic...

Matt said...

So... how does a tax cut not increase the deficit?

Venice said...

Matt: sounds like a T-shirt. I heart COAL!

Venice said...

Because Romney said it won't! I would explain but it would take too long to go through the math.

John said...

New Austin Powers villain: COALFINGER!!!!!!!!

Matt said...

What's that circle in the middle of Romney's flag pin?

Unknown said...

Why is romney's flag pin bigger than obama's??

John said...

Fake bullet hole sticker? Pandering to the custom car/flag pin demographic?

Venice said...

Obama is still running against Bush.I don't see why Romney doesn't. He should present himself as the anti-bush. Maybe he just doesn't want to remind people?

John said...

Can anyone confirm the existence of a custom flag pin demographic???

John said...

What does the flag of the Cayman Islands look like?

John said...

I wonder if Mitt cares about jobs at all? Anyone? Bueller??? Bueller???????

John said...

"I actually like you too." Gee, thanks Mitt. That makes the pink slip go down real smooth.

Venice said...

Ok, Romney lost me on the whole borrowing money from China thing. If you don't want to have to borrow money from China, you should probably rethink you position on military spending. PBS is just a distraction.

Matt said...

PBS is also a drop in the bucket.

Venice said...

John: he's got a lot of experience firing people and it shows.

Matt said...

"Aircrafts"? That's not a word, Mr. President.

Venice said...

Imagine telling the President to stop talking? takes guts.

John said...

Ooooooooh I want to go down the path to Spain! That sounds like a great path

Matt said...

Romney really had me going there until he said 42% of our economy is government.

Venice said...

Good for Obama calling out corporate welfare. He's definitely making a play for the Venice demographic.

Venice said...
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John said...

Yeah - let's cut that 42% a whole bunch - don't worry, that won't cost any jobs, wait, what!?!?!

Venice said...

Does the path to Spain lead to Barcelona? Because Barcelona is fucking awesome.

Venice said...

When did Obama give $900 billion to green energy? Did I miss that?

Matt said...

I'm giving Romney the win so far. There, I said it.

John said...

Some stimulus $ went to Green Energy, but... not that much, I don't think.

Venice said...

I like the shout out to Obama's grandma.

Venice said...

yeah, I'm sure some did. But $900 billion? I bet he at least added a zero there. I hope someone calls him on that.

John said...

"Hey 90yr olds, it's Mitt - turn your hearing aids off now, I've just told you all that you need to know."

John said...

Obama's grandma seems like she was a pretty awesome lady. I told Kim my brief version of the story of Obama's grandma when she became a bank manager.

Venice said...

Matt: I agree. He's doing a great job. But he's spend 6 years and hundreds of billions of dollars to get the American people to like him. It's been an abject failure, so I don't think a 90 minute debate will matter.

Matt said...

That $716billion cut meme was in the Yahoo! article I referred to. It should have been a rule that you have to drink every time you hear the number "716".

John said...

That's what I was just saying to Kim - I think Mittens is doing ok, but I can't see how anything happening tonight would actually CHANGE anything that someone thought about either candidate coming in.

John said...

Romney will repeal all laws and start from scratch - Paul Ryan will write a new constitution using ink derived from the ashes of Ayn Rand and the tears of a bald eagle.

John said...

Great comment I just saw on Facebook: "What if we replaced Jim Lehrer with a robot that says, every four or five minutes: 'talk about something. Whatever you want. 2 minutes.' "

Matt said...

The only time that Obama has looked good has been when he addressed the camera.

Venice said...

There're getting testy aren't they? Obama should be careful. There's no reason for him to risk it.

Matt said...

Those small regional banks are getting killed by their involvement in the financial crisis, not over-regulation.

Matt said...

Kristi wants to know if Mitt has had plastic surgery. We are thinking that he's definitely had botox in his forehead. Look at all those wrinkles, and yet none of his forehead moves!

Venice said...

I saw one comment on facebook: "did Obama just say Socially Security is structurally sound?" I believe they have a point. Not that Romney seems to have much of an alternative.

John said...

I think Mittens has been altered, and I'm not making one of my standard issue robot jokes.

John said...

Ha ha - another great post from Facebook, "Obama's smiling cause he knows at the end of the night he's gonna get some cause it's his anniversary"

Venice said...

And Obama goes after the moderator! Does it make him look assertive or nasty? I tend towards the former.

Venice said...

I hear a lot about how the ACA makes companies weary of hiring new people. I wonder if there is anything to that, or if it's just a Republican talking point.

John said...

Wait wait wait... Mitt wants the GOP to be the party of reaching across the isle? Is there slapping happening at the end of the reach? Perhaps gut punches? It's hard to watch these conversations and feel like they're so pulled out of context.

Matt said...

My question would be, if 30% of companies are considering dropping people from coverage, how many companies are considering that option at any given time regardless of Obamacare?

Venice said...

It's funny to hear Obama refer to "Obamacare."

Matt said...

What just happened back stage!?!!

John said...

Really curious about who dropped a wooden block back stage!

Matt said...

So, it's okay for the state to decide what treatments a patient gets, but it's not okay for the federal government to make those decisions?

Venice said...

Well, I should probably head to bed, having managed to avoid putting my head in the oven thus far. I give this round to Romney but Obama is so far ahead I don't think it matters.He hit a single and he needed a home run.

Venice said...

This was fun though. We'll have to do the next one too!

John said...

I really like where Obama was trying to go, but I think he bungled the delivery on his line about Romney's promises stacked together being just unbelievably too-good-to-be-true. Tax cuts! With no growth in deficits! Plus HUGE new military spending! Now with easy trimming of those terrible unnecessary frivolous government programs.

John said...

Goodnight, Señor Venice! Nice to chat with you... kinda feel like we should just give in and do this in some kind of Facebook forum or something.

John said...

I'm invested in this, but it's pretty darn hard to watch this debate.

Matt said...

I went over to watching CNN and, as always, Men <3 Romney while the ladies <3 Obama.

John said...

Both <3 when either candidate compliments the American people.

John said...

Van Jones had a good line on CNN just now: the Etch-a-sketch came out tonight - Mitt Romney has erased everything he ever said in the campaign to simply be pro-everything that polls well. I think he did well, but it did seem like he was talking up a whole bunch of ideas magically after having trashed similar things to get where he is, as the GOP nominee.

Scott said...

I think low-info voters (i.e., don't know enough to call Romney on his BS) who are easily wooed by an alpha male personality would be very much swayed by Romney tonight. He pulled a lot of rope-a-dope moves that I couldn't believe Obama didn't call him out on. A solid win for Romney, IMHO.