Next week's debate will decide the election

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buckshot24

Diamond Member
Nov 3, 2009
9,916
85
91
Why wouldn't they change their mind? Even if the polls aren't perfectly accurate, they still registered a major shift towards Romney (and away from Obama) as a result of one debate that wasn't really as much about content as style. Anyone who changed their mind based on the debate is clearly not a very dedicated voter for either side...so the end result is that Obama's soft support became Romney's soft support. It seems unlikely to me that people willing to switch to Romney at this stage of the election are now locked into voting for him.
I guess

"Another thing that is in Romney's favor is that people aren't going to suddenly decide to vote for Obama at this stage of the game."

Should read,

"Another thing that is in Romney's favor is that people are less likely to suddenly decide to vote for Obama at this stage of the game."

People are more likely to decide for the challenger than a sitting president a couple weeks outside of an election. If I was an Obama supporter I'd be very worried about that 46% number. Romney has easier ground to make up to get to a clear majority than does Obama.
 

tweaker2

Lifer
Aug 5, 2000
14,478
6,902
136
If Romney wins, my only regret is that he won the race based on a mountain of lies on top of a huge plateau of flip flops on top of a vast prarie of diversive double talk.
 

Thump553

Lifer
Jun 2, 2000
12,653
2,396
126
I'm a big fan of debates, but everything I have read of the history of Presidential debates has indicated that only twice have they had ANY effect on the outcome. First, the Nixon-Kennedy debates where one side totally ignored the concept of visual presentation to it's great deteriment and secondly, Ford's incredible Poland is free gaffe-which he stuck to for days afterward (this was in the era of the Iron Curtain and Poland was firmly behind it at the time).

Both times GWB ran he got pretty much stomped in the debates (actually, totally stomped except our general expectations of him were so low that he earned respect for merely remaining coherent for a whole debate).

It's possible that our society has become so influenced by the whole current American Idol type polling that debates may actually matter this time, but I doubt it.
 

Fern

Elite Member
Sep 30, 2003
26,907
173
106
-snip-
Both times GWB ran he got pretty much stomped in the debates (actually, totally stomped except our general expectations of him were so low that he earned respect for merely remaining coherent for a whole debate).

I don't agree, particularly WRT the debates against Al Gore. Gore acted like an arrogant jackazz in the 1st debate and then overcompensated in the 2nd and looked like an obsequious tool. While it's difficult for a Dem candidate to follow a two-term Dem who was President, I think it was do-able in Gore's case but he blew it.

It's possible that our society has become so influenced by the whole current American Idol type polling that debates may actually matter this time, but I doubt it.

There might be something to that. There are a plethora of reality type shows that are nothing more than popularity contests. I wouldn't be surprised if a fair chunk of people now respond to Presidential debates in that way.

Fern
 
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randomrogue

Diamond Member
Jan 15, 2011
5,462
0
0
Bush beat Gore soundly. I facepalmed through that first debate since what Gore did was the exact opposite of how one should present oneself. He was downright terrible. Presidential candidates for the next 100 years will use that first debate as a model for what not to do.

Lets face it, the vast majority of voters do not fact check. Therefore the candidates get up there, promise the moon, fudge statistics, and generally spray us with bullshit. Far more important is the color of their tie, their haircut, how tall they are, how strong they are, and how much charisma they can ooze out. It's a popularity contest. He who looks more "Presidential" wins. This is why Obama lost the first debate - he looked tired, beat up, and was non-engaged.
 

ericlp

Diamond Member
Dec 24, 2000
6,133
219
106
Yeah.

I think Obama needs to be careful. I recall Gore coming out and acting like an arrogant azz in his 1st debate with GWB, then in the 2nd he overcompensated and was too submissive. Obama needs to guard against overcompensating for his last performance. Following up Biden's rude performance with another by Obama may not go over too well.

Fern

Wow... Comparing Obama to Gore... That's reaching. Repubs will do anything ... I mean anything!