People who say this debate will be less interesting than the previous ones because it has to do with foreign policy are arrant fools. This is the most crucial debate of all. The main reason why the possibility of a Romney presidency scares me is that I believe he will start military actions against Iran. If that happens, Iran will immediately retaliate against Israel, and we all know that Israel will strike back. As important as the taxes, the economy, the abortion and the repeal of DOMA are, the possibility that we might end up on the brink of World War III trumps all that. Romney will invade somebody for sure because the Republicans always invade. And that somebody is very likely to be Iran, so I’m terrified. Aren’t you?
Another fiercely pro-Republican moderator, yip-dee-do. He immediately allows Romney to roll out his only foreign relations talking point with the attack in Libya and the resulting brouhaha about who said the word “terrorist” first. Both the attack and the brouhaha will be forgotten in two days, yet here we are discussing it like it’s the most pressing issue of the moment. Romney says we need “a strategy.” How very specific of him. Again, he repeats that we need “a strategy.”
Obama again forgets to say the word “Bush.” Does he suffer from Obamanesia?
Romney explains that his strategy is to “go after the bad guys.” That’s a very condescending way to speak to American citizens.
Romney wants to bring gender equality to the Middle East. But, as we all know, he will start by destroying gender equality at home.
Obama stuck the comment about Russia into Romney’s chest. The attack of Obamanesia is finally over.
Obama finally says that Romney wants to take us back to the past. For the first time in this election, I love Obama.
Romney is losing his cool. “Don’t attack meeeee,” he whines.
OK, I hate Putin more than anybody in the US possibly can but he is not “Mr. Putin.” He is President Putin. A hateful president, yet a president. Elected in a landslide that neither Romney nor Obama can even begin to hope for.
The moderator is very professional but he is very obviously a passionate Republican. If that’s OK, why didn’t we see Rachel Maddow moderating one of the debates?
Obama seems to promise that the US will not be invading Syria. More than it has already, I mean.
Obama is trying to prove that he is hawkish enough to persuade the American exceptionalists of his worth. And just when I was starting to love him again.
Romney keeps being vague. “We should have taken A leadership role” he repeats. What does that even mean?
Egyptians are just like us, Obama says. I’m sure that is a novel idea to many. Of course, it would be great if the American foreign policy started recognizing the humanity of all those weird foreigners.
Just talk about Iran already!
Romney says, “We want a peaceful planet.” Coming from an American presidential candidate, that sounded very funny. Who was it who said, “Want peace? Prepare for war!” That’s what Romney just said.
If I hear one more sentence about the exceptional role of the US in the world, I will throw up.
Romney will not cut the military budget. This is the most important thing he said. I wish he repeated it. I want everybody to hear it.
“America remains one indispensable nation,” Obama says. That’s an extremely terrifying sentence. Are there any dispensable nations??? Jeez. . . These guys are trying to outdo each other in this disgusting hawkishness that scares the bejesus out of me.
Romney says he knows how to create 12 mln jobs. That’s kind of very specific. Why 12 mln and not 12 mln 500?
Romney, stay the fuck out of Latin America!!! It is NOT a huge opportunity for you any longer! Your party has destroyed Latin America time and again since 1898. You need to stop. Latin America is not your playground any longer. You can not invade again.
Do we really still need to discuss if class sizes impact the quality of education? What next? Will we discuss whether basic literacy is important for education?
The passionately Republican moderator does all he can to give more air time to Romney. He must really want that tax cut for millionaires.
Romney still can’t explain his budget ideas. But he says that he will destroy Obamacare immediately. At least, he is honest.
Obama now boasts of spending more on the military. Jeez.
Romney has so little to say that he trots out the tired old Olympics meme. How painfully boring.
Romney wants to fight two conflicts at once. I now desperately need to hear what those conflicts are. He wants to attack Iran and WHO ELSE? He’s been buzzing a lot about Latin America. Does he want Venezuelan oil?
Obama slaughters Romney with explaining to him that the number of ships compared to 1917 is not important because the technology has changed. This is the absolute core of the Republican approach: it worked a bizillion years ago, so let’s go back in time and do what our dinosaur-hunting ancestors did.
“If Israel is attacked, we will stand with it, ” Obama says. OK, what does that mean? Is he planning to declare war? What does “stand with it” mean in this context?
At least, Romney can pronounce Ahmadinejad’s name. That’s more than we ever got out of Bush.
Romney confirms he will attack Iran. “As a last resort, blah, blah.” This can end up being the very last thing we all see happen on this planet. The hypocrisy is killing me. Two representatives of the only country in the world that has unleashed a nuclear Holocaust against human beings are discussing high-handedly how they will prevent others from having nuclear weapons.
Oh, not the “apology tour” meme again. If ONLY Obama had made an apology to somebody on behalf of his country.
Obama says Romney spreads “whoppers” about him. Funny.
“America has not dictated to other nations. America has freed other nations,” Romney said. I’m beating my head against the desk in laughter. The guy is incredible. He doesn’t even begin to realize that every single dictator has used and does use these very words. The only people who can determine if they have been dictated to are those people themselves.
Yes, Pakistan is important. Which is why it should be left alone.
God, Romney wants to be “helpful” to Pakistan. God help Pakistan because we all know what that “help” means.
Why are they picking on Pakistan all of a sudden? Pakistan has put up with a lot from the US in recent year. What more could it have done?
Again, Romney speaks of “the bad guys.” I’m starting to understand why my students bug me with endless questions as to who were the bad guys in every conflict we discuss in class.
Gosh, if China played by the same rules as the US has been, as Obama suggests, we would all be embroiled in a nuclear crisis a long time ago. Whom exactly did China invade in the past few decades? Except Tibet that the US doesn’t care about, I mean.
Both candidates have agreed on everything so profoundly that they have nothing left to say and just repeat what they said before to fill up the time.
Romney blames outsourcing of the US jobs on. . . China. Jeez. Lotsa lotsa China-bashing.
Obama hits Romney with Romney’s personal contribution into outsourcing jobs to China. I wish he had some stats to offer.
Romney says, “I’m a son of Detroit.” Is he trying to be funny?
Romney addresses the moderator as Mr. President. I wonder why the moderator deserves this title while “Mr. Putin” doesn’t.
I’ve never seen anybody as rude as Romney. He would probably even outdo “Mr. Putin” in terms of extreme rudeness.
Romney says he loves teachers. The teachers are now running away screaming because we don’t want his lovin’. He loves teachers like a caterpillar loves a mushroom or like I love a sausage.
Romney says he will “continue to promote principles of peace.” What does continue mean in this context? Who has started upholding these principles that he wants to continue promoting?
Romney ends with promising to torch the country. I believe him.
I hate hawkishness, I hate American exceptionalism, so I feel desperate after this debate. Just desperate. In the USSR, I got so fed up with this propaganda of “we need to bring freedom to other nations and stuff it down people’s throats” that I can’t take it any more. You can’t bring freedom to people. It doesn’t work this way. People can only liberate themselves if that’s what they want to do. Romney, who is supposed to be for self-sufficiency, pulling yourself up by the bootstraps, against state protectionism, against forcing people to eat broccoli for their own good, that same Romney is all for freeing others instead of letting them handle their own lives. I don’t get this!
However, as much as I don’t want anybody to win this debate, Obama won it. He was more specific, he got in some good jabs. Romney was vague and kind of boring, repeating old meaningless memes.
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