Interdisciplinary studies senior Adria Porsche summed up the first presidential debate Wednesday night in two words.
“I’m exhausted.”
President Barack Obama and Republican candidate Mitt Romney both talked over moderator Jim Lehrer and exceeded their allotted speaking times during Wednesday’s debate.
“They talked a lot, but didn’t say much,” computer engineering freshman Justin Kilpatrick said.
Students watched from the Holliday Forum in the Journalism Building and the Laville Honors residence halls as the debate spanned 90 minutes, covering issues from tax cuts to healthcare changes to domestic energy policy.
Obama and Romney did not differentiate themselves, and the Libertarian party candidate Gary Johnson would have lent a nice contrast to the argument, said Young Americans for Liberty president Kyle Aycock.
“If I had my back to the TV, I couldn’t tell a difference between the two candidates,” he said.
Aycock said he was unsure why news outlets viewed this as a victory for Romney.
Political science associate professor Belinda Davis said in a text message she thought Romney exceeded expectations.
“I think Romney stayed to his major points, and even though those points lacked details, staying on message is valuable,” Davis said.
Political science professor and director of Graduate Studies James Garand agreed with Davis, saying in an email that Romney held his own against Obama.
“This was the best presidential debate I can recall in my lifetime,” Garand said.
Discussing federal regulation on the economy, Romney said he wants to bring back housing and help America gain jobs. He cited repealing Obamacare because, according to the 10th Amendment, medical care should be run on a state-by-state basis.
Obama said the basic choices with healthcare are either to leave people uninsured and leave businesses unsupported until they give up insuring their employees, or to help healthcare become more effective. Obama claimed Romney “won’t tell us” what his plans are.
In their closing statements, Romney managed to fit in a jab at Obama’s plans to cut the military budget, saying he wanted to keep America strong.
Romney said he was concerned with the direction America has been taking over the past four years.
Obama also said he thought the debate was terrific, and his faith in the American people was undiminished.
“I promise I’ll fight just as hard for the middle class in my second term,” Obama said.
Much of the debate centered on the middle class and tax cuts.
Obama said Romney’s tax cuts, combined with his plans to lower deductions, were impossible if Romney also planned to reduce the deficit. Politifact.com backed up this claim.
“In 18 months he’s been running on this tax plan, and now five weeks before the election, he’s saying his big, bold plan is ‘never mind,’” Obama said.
In response to Obama’s healthcare claims, Romney drew a parallel between Obama and his five sons, saying the president kept repeating things in the hopes that they would eventually be true.
Garand said this kind of back-and-forth being allowed between the two debaters by the moderator was excellent.
Some commentators portrayed Lehrer’s lack of control as negative, but to Garand, it made the debate more interesting.
“This was the best presidential debate I can recall in my lifetime.”
