Things to Watch in Tonight's Debate
The Philadelphia Inquirer's Thomas Fitzgerald covers politics and political animals under the big tent.
Things to Watch in Tonight's Debate
Thomas Fitzgerald, Inquirer Politics Writer
President Obama and Mitt Romney are set to meet at 9 p.m. EDT at Hofstra University in Hempstead, N.Y. for a 90-minute debate that, since the president was so listless in their first encounter two weeks ago, has assumed outsized importance in the campaign. Since the Oct. 3 clash in Denver, Romney has seized the momentum. The debate has a town-hall format, with questions, probably around a dozen, posed by a pool of undecided Long Island voters chosen by the Gallup polling organization.
Here are a few things to watch for:
Free Range Moderator?
Advisers in both campaigns have been freaking out at the possibility that the debate moderator, journalist Candy Crowley of CNN, might “go rogue” and ask follow-ups to the voters’ questions.
A detailed memorandum of understanding between the campaigns, which spells out who can stand where and other rules of conduct and personal space, says the moderator is forbidden to ask follow-up questions or in any way comment on the candidates’ answers. But neither Crowley nor the Commission on Presidential Debates itself is part of that agreement. So is the moderator bound by it? Crowley says she won’t be a “fly on the wall.”
Will Romney be warm or robotic with the town-hall questioners?
The town-hall format rewards empathy and relatability, two qualities that Romney has sometimes struggled with on the trail. Some of his experiences with audience questions are legendary for their awkwardness.
For instance, at the Iowa State Fair in the summer of 2011, Romney said, “Corporations are people, my friend” in response to a heckler who was pestering him about his record as a private-equity executive. He was trying to say that when business does well, stockholders and employees benefit, but never mind. It fed into the out-of-touch, rich guy narrative Democrats have been pushing. Interacting with regular voters at a coffee shop in Florida later that year, Romney joked to some out-of-work voters, “I’m unemployed too.” (He’s also worth an estimated $250 million.) And at a town-hall forum in Youngstown, Ohio in March, Romney told a young man who asked him about the high price of college that he should “shop around” for the best tuition prices.
Can Obama recover his mojo without alienating people?
By far, this is the biggest question hanging over the debate. Everybody knows that Obama has to be more aggressive than he was last time – he let the challenger get away with softening some of his more conservative positions and avoiding details of proposed policies, such as a plan to cut incomes taxes 20 percent beyond the Bush-era rates. Obama and his aides believe that Romney is, not to put too fine a point on it, a liar.
But it’s awfully hard to rip your opponent in that way – and to do it with a smile, all the while showing proper respect and deference to your regular-citizen questioner. Obama will need to guard against over-compensating as he tries to undo the damage from the first debate.
Courting of the ladies
Obama’s long longstanding lead in the national and battleground state polls, though narrower at some points than others during this campaign, has been built largely on a huge advantage with women voters. But a recent Gallup/USA Today poll in battleground states found Romney has closed the gender gap considerably after his Denver performance.
Obama advisers say that the poll has methodological failings. At any rate, many strategists expect Obama to try to draw a sharp contrast with Romney on abortion, contraception, education and other issues aimed at women – whether somebody asks about them or not.
Obama Big Winner... Romney Falters... Comeback Kid on way to ReElection..Why wait to for debate, the story is already written.— sillybilly
Comment removed.- Repeat after me, "President Romney." "President Romney." "President Romney." Once you get that down, try "Vice President Ryan."
Enjoy the debate!— OrvalEugeneFaubus - Sounds like Michelle Obama wrote your story, Billy. Maybe she reads it to the kids at night so they can sleep.
BTW, when you have already read a story, don't give away the ending to those who want to see how it turns out. In many ways, this will be a duel between two chameleons, so truth will suffer from collateral damage. We don't have Abraham Lincoln or Thomas Jefferson here. The closest we get it George Jefferson driving up in a Lincoln.— r a leon - I see Obama playing tough guy but looking like a fool in front of the live audience. The live audience doesn't care about villifying and "small things". Romney will cruch Obama if he uses the audience to gang up on Obama. Most of the people will be disappointed in Obama and Romney could pounce on it.— Phillies2008WSChamps
- Watch Romney Lie through his teeth! He will cut Medicare, Medicaid, Women's Rights, Union Jobs, then cash in when he sells company assets and send his money to a foreign Country to avoid paying taxes!— jerzeedivr
- FACT CHECK! Just wanted to say it.— FletcherT
- Watch two losers lying about how they are going to fix things their parties messed up.
Vote the ins out!
One term for all politicians.
Vote Independent and they will hear you.— MODEREATER - Oboma did a fantastic job debating McCain in a townhall setting and he'll do the same tonight. Obama will expose Romney for the dishonest, untrustworthy used car salesman that he is. Will the Do Nothing, obstructionist Republican strategy succeed or will they be punished for blocking policies that creates jobs at the expense of millions of the middle class. If anyone believes that Romney and the Republicans will fight for the middle class, you have not been paying attention. There has not been a Republican president that benefited the middle class in the last 60 years.— MikeP
- This one has to go to President Obama. Glad to see that "he's back".— peterjacques
- Romney didn't pounce like I predicted but Obama went after Romney like I predicted. Romney had to spend time defending himself after Obama used his rebuttal time to launch untrue attacks about Romney. That was his strategy because when Romney tried to answer Obama's lies, Obama got all defensive.— Phillies2008WSChamps
You can reach Tom Fitzgerald at 215-854-2718 or tfitzgerald@phillynews.com.
Reach Thomas at tfitzgerald@phillynews.com.
