[King Gizzard]

Is anyone else watching? Obama seems quite stuttery and nervous

[Shaun]

He's being really out-rhetoricked

[Shaun]

I dunno, Romney seemed a bit more mudslingy than Obama, it all felt a bit cheap and his answers to some questions were vague (the partisan politics one towards the end, for example)... but overall he came off really well. Won't win, though.

[iRyan]

I was a bit disappointed in Obama tonight, he wasn't aggressive enough and ultimately it appeared as if he was "walked over" by Romney. Romney spoke pretty damn well but at the same time there was something about him that was sly and sleazy. There's something about him I don't trust.

[billy123]

Youtube video

It really doesnt matter who is elected.

Americas withdrawal from Iraq wasnt anything to do with job complete or a response to calls to bring them home it was forced upon them just by asking them to abide by the law and stop breaking the law.

From a CNN report on why the Iraqi Government rejected the Obama administration’s conditions for keeping U.S. troops in Iraq beyond the 2011 deadline:

U.S. Defense Secretary Leon Panetta and other top brass have repeatedly said any deal to keep U.S. troops in Iraq beyond the withdrawal deadline would require a guarantee of legal protection for American soldiers.

But the Iraqis refused to agree to that, opening up the prospect of Americans being tried in Iraqi courts and subjected to Iraqi punishment.

The negotiations were strained following WikiLeaks’ release of a diplomatic cable that alleged Iraqi civilians, including children, were killed in a 2006 raid by American troops rather than in an airstrike as the U.S. military initially reported.

That description from CNN of the cable’s contents is, unsurprisingly, diluted to the point of obfuscation. That cable was released by WikiLeaks in May, 2011, and, as McClatchy put it at the time, “provides evidence that U.S. troops executed at least 10 Iraqi civilians, including a woman in her 70s and a 5-month-old infant, then called in an airstrike to destroy the evidence, during a controversial 2006 incident in the central Iraqi town of Ishaqi.” The U.S. then lied and claimed the civilians were killed by the airstrike. Although this incident had been previously documented by the U.N. special rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions, the high-profile release of the cable by WikiLeaks generated substantial attention (and disgust) in Iraq, which made it politically unpalatable for the Iraqi government to grant the legal immunity the Obama adminstration was seeking. Indeed, it was widely reported at the time the cable was released that it made it much more difficult for Iraq to allow U.S. troops to remain beyond the deadline under any conditions

http://www.salon.com/2011/10/23/wiki..._the_iraq_war/

[Iceman]

Youtube video

[Roy Mars III]

Romney was better, Obama just seemed like he didn't care

[arista]

Originally Posted by Roy Mars III

Romney was better, Obama just seemed like he didn't care

Yes Round 1 goes to Romney

[Livia]

Really? I thought Romney came across like a pompous, arrogant prick.

[Niamh.]

Originally Posted by Livia

Really? I thought Romney came across like a pompous, arrogant prick.

I don't follow American politics but to me Obama has always come across far more dignified and mature than alot of his opponents, Romney in particular

[Roy Mars III]

Romney was better than usual, and they're all pompous and arrogant Obama included.

[lostalex]

There will be more debates, hopefully Obama was just having an off night and will show up in the next ones.

[Marc]

Surely you've got to have a sort of arrogance when trying to go against the reigning president.

[Livia]

Originally Posted by Niamh.

I don't follow American politics but to me Obama has always come across far more dignified and mature than alot of his opponents, Romney in particular

Agree. Obama always seems ready to roll up his sleeve, or have a dance... you know what I mean? He seems more... human, more grounded. Romney on the other hand seems like the stereotypical rich American politician. Mr Plastic Permatan.

[Livia]

Originally Posted by Marc

Surely you've got to have a sort of arrogance when trying to go against the reigning president.

I guess you could argue that there's a difference between confidence and determination, and arrogance and pomposity.

[michael21]

how many Debate will there be

on the advert it said 4 October ffs skynews

[Livia]

Originally Posted by lostalex

There will be more debates, hopefully Obama was just having an off night and will show up in the next ones.

I approve this message.

[lostalex]

Obviously Romney will always have the advantage in debates, because Obama has been president for 4 years, so he can't use the excuse "i'll change things if i'm elected", cause the automatic response is "well you are already president, so why havn't you done it yet?". Obama is automatically on the defensive.

[Niamh.]

I feel bad for Obama though, he became president at the worst possible time, when almost the whole world is in recession, I don't believe any president could have made things much better at that particular time.

[joeysteele]

I find Romney irritating, I hope the USA re-elects Obama and I hope he steps up in the next 2 debates.
I still think he,Obama, looked the more Presidential of the 2.

[Nedusa]

Maybe he was deliberately starting slowly, knowing that Romney would come out all guns blazing, maybe he was hoping Romney would slip up as he is gaffe prone. Either way Obama will come out on top in these debates.

[MTVN]

I watched the first hour of it, I don't think either were all that impressive, Romney's answers seemed quite scripted and he looked like he was constantly a bit concerned he was about to mess up, Obama was a bit more enigmatic and natural but I didn't think he got the better of Romney in terms of policy or content of his answers

[Brother Leon]

The thing Obama has going for him is that he is up against Romney.

[Vanessa]

Originally Posted by Brother Leon

The thing Obama has going for him is that he is up against Romney.

That's true! He has to win surely?

[MTVN]

Romney was the best of a bad bunch of Republican candidates though, at least he's competent enough and he's more capable of appealing to moderates and disillusioned Democrats than any of the Tea Party lot would have been

Obama relies too much on his personality imo