An Independent Take On Last Night’s Debate

 By Debra Smith 

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An Impartial View By An Independent
With the timer-keeping track on the bottom-right part of the screen, I could not help but notice where Obama’s lead was throughout the majority of the debate. Though Romney was the first to answer a question, Obama managed to get and keep the lead in the time spent talking. The debate ended with Obama having spoken for 44.04 minutes, as opposed to Romney’s 40.50. That’s a lot of extra time when one realizes just how much can be said by a well-rehearsed candidate in three minutes.


And Obama was just that, well-rehearsed. While Romney began the debate smoothly, directly responding to the person asking the first question, Obama pulled out a typical campaign speech from his bag of things-to-say if this-or-that is asked. It was clear who was relaxed and who wasn’t.
The debate moderator, Candy Crowley, appeared and sounded a bit frazzled throughout most of the debate, several times seeming to have lost control of things. However, I would not be able to say if she favored one candidate over the other, if you paid me for my thoughts on it.
Each candidate had his lowest moment. Romney’s lowest point of the night was when he spoke down to Obama in a disciplinary manner, saying, “You’ll get your chance in a moment. I’m still speaking.” Obama had his lowest point when he played the wounded thin-skinned, you-hurt-my-feelings card, saying, “And the suggestion that anybody in my team, whether the Secretary of State, our U.N. Ambassador, anybody on my team would play politics or mislead when we’ve lost four of our own, Governor, is offensive.” While disrespecting an opponent during a debate only served to make Romney look rude and mean, aiming for sympathy votes made Obama look pathetic.
The highs were there, as well. Romney read off his economic plan to create such a business-friendly environment in this country that it would make American companies grow beyond our wildest dreams and even attract companies from other countries to come here and set up shop. Obama beamed with pride when he read off what he had done in these four years, claiming to have reined in Wall Street, created millions of jobs, and saved an auto industry. Basically, Romney wants us to believe that he will turn this country into an American business utopia, while Obama wants us to believe he has already achieved that goal.
The question both men answered very much alike was on immigration. They gave the usual politician’s answer: secure the boarders, stop the illegals from coming because many other people are waiting to come here legally, and do something to help the children stay.
Both men failed miserably with the ”equal pay for women” question. Obama still believes that equal pay can be legislated. And Romney will most likely never live down having pointed out the obvious, that often women need more flexible hours.
Then there were the zingers. Each candidate only had to bring up the other candidate’s past record to get the zingers in, which they both did quite well. Perhaps the zingers were the only times during the debate that we heard what they both have in common, as well as any truth. With that said, I have to call this debate a draw and wish everyone happy voting, whether you cast a vote for Obama, for Romney, a write-in, or not at all.