The last debate: News Cut's Bob Collins live-blogs Obama vs. Romney
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Here are the topics of tonight's debate:
–America’s role in the world
–Our longest war – Afghanistan and Pakistan
–Red Lines – Israel and Iran
–The Changing Middle East and the New Face of Terrorism – I
–The Changing Middle East and the New Face of Terrorism – II
–The Rise of China and Tomorrow’s World
News Cut's Bob Collins will be here at 7:30 to moderate a discussion and provide commentary and analysis. -
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Greetings. I presume I'm the first one in the room here for the live blog of the final debate. I'll be honest with you: I'm here for the entertainment. It's not that I can't handle deep philosophical discussions about important issues of the day, it's just that this isn't NewsHour on PBS; it's two guys trying to get control of a media narrative, and you do that with an eye on theater, not policy. This debate tonight is about foreign policy. So we can pretty much figure that the Benghazi terrorist attack will be on the lips -- probably constantly -- of Gov. Romney. And we presume President Obama will remind us that Osama bin Laden is dead. -
But, of course, this will be about who stumbles or who provides the uncomfortable moment which will frame tomorrow's coverage. "Who won the debate?" will be the constant question because, after three years of this campaign, this isn't going to be the week the horse race coverage takes a back to seat to theater.
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At the hall in Florida now, the usual suspects -- the Presidential Debates Commission -- members are taking their bows and reminding people to shut off cellphones, and especially don't tweet. The Star Tribune, by the way, did an interesting article today that only thinly hid a "how social media is ruining political debates."
"People don't watch and react to debates in 2012 the way they used to," said Paul Levinson, a Fordham University professor and author of the book "New New Media," which examined social media and culture, including the 2008 election. "Now you're watching the debate and you have your smartphone, your iPad, your laptop in your hand and you're busy tweeting about what you're seeing and hearing."
He says it like it's a bad thing. -
Of course during the debate -- again -- we'll be tossing in links to fact-checking articles that are being put together as the debate proceeds. And we want to hear your comments -- preferably your perspectives. How does a particular issue affect your life. We really want to hear your stories. Got an opinion on an issue being discussed? How do you come to it?
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We are at the stage of the campaign where candidates are paying attention pretty much only to the swing state. That is to say: a voter in Florida is more important than you, assuming that you're in Minnesota. If you're in Wisconsin, though, it's a different story. On CBS this morning, a Republican strategist said whoever takes Wisconsin AND Ohio, wins. But... about that Florida voter...
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Towering over the candidates is the huge, and oddly inaccurate icon of the Great Symbol of the United States. They might as well have put the Bob's Big Boy statue up there.
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Sure. go here.
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@SEG, you can see a larger view of the blog here.
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Obama counters with an explanation of tens of thousands of Libyans marching after the attacks in Benghazi saying "America is our friend." "Your strategy has been one that has been all over the map," he says to Romney.
"My strategy is to go after the bad guys... to kill them...." Points to Obama for getting romney to say 'kill them" after his signature line was "we can't kill our ways out of this mess." -
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