Wednesday night marked the beginning of four of the most influential weeks of the presidential 2012 election. The first presidential debate pitted Democratic nominee President Barak Obama against GOP nominee former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney.
The two hopefuls faced off in a 90-minute debate moderated by Jim Leher and aired live, both on television and online. While the actual “winner” is debatable, Romney was clearly the more prepared of the two.
“I think Romney had a lot more practice coming in than President Obama,” said Dr. Ben Voth, SMU chair of Communication Studies and director of the debate team. “He looked confident-less defensive-than President Obama.”
Voth explained, however, that such is typically the case. The challenger usually has the advantage as the incumbent has four years of choices to defend. He said Romney “capitalized on some of that natural advantage” by preparing far more than most past candidates ever have.
“[Romney] showed himself to be presidential and I think that’s the main thing a challenger needs,” Voth said.
Nonetheless, Voth says Obama held his own, but his lacked articulation and performance. Voth believes Obama will probably spend the next two weeks improving.
“I think he is going to walk away from this wanting to prepare more…and try to recover some of what he lost,” Voth said.
Despite common sentiment that both candidates have vague plans to improve the economy, solutions to the economic crisis dominated the debate. Leher’s opening question on the economy set the tone for the rest of the night.
“We’ve begun to fight our way back.” Obama said of America’s recovery process over the last four years.
Romney was not one to agree.
“I’m concerned that the path that we’re on has just been unsuccessful.” Romney said.
Both candidates volleyed back on forth on economic policies, but were unsuccessful in offering concrete, executable plans of action. The deficit became a hot button issue for both Obama and Romney as they accused the other of planning to increase it or cut it by reapportioning government funds.
“The overhead is overwhelming; we have to get those dollars back to the states.” Romney said. “It’s a moral issue… These burdens are going to be passed down to the next generation.”
Obama was quick to call his opponent out on a lack of follow through as to where money would be cut or how it would be rearranged.
“The problem is [Romney’s] been asked over a hundred times how he’s going to close those loop holes…and he hasn’t been able to answer,” Obama said.
Healthcare reform also filled the latter portion of the debate. Most of the argument focused on how much of a difference actually exists between Obamacare and Romney’s healthcare in Massachusetts.
“We use the same advisors and they say it’s the same plan,” Obama asserted.
But Romney held firm that Obama’s healthcare plan hurts Americans.
“For the tax, for Medicare… for the people losing their insurance…that’s why people don’t want Obamacare,” he said. “Something this big, this important, has to be done bipartisan.”
Obama retorted with a reminder of Romney’s lack of action, saying that while Romney may be determined to destroy Obamacare, he hasn’t exactly described a replacement plan. He argued Romney’s initial, basic plans for healthcare does not solve the problems that Obamacare originally sought to address.
“[Romney’s plans are] already the law and that doesn’t help the millions of people with pre-existing conditions,” Obama said.
In the closing statements, both candidates gave America their idea of the leader needed here and now for the country.
“We need to have leadership that will get the job done,” Romney said.
Obama used his end note to press a point he stressed all night.
“Part of being a leader is…being able to describe exactly what you are going to do,” he said.
SMU students had their own opinions on how well the candidates delivered during the first debate. Some felt the evening’s session lacked the progression they really wanted at this point in the presidential race.
“I would have liked to see the candidates talk more about social issues rather than just go back and forth about each other’s previous statements,” said sophomore Aria Cochran. “I just felt like the debate kept going in circles.”
Jonathan Vance, who attended a live streaming in O’Donnell Auditorium, noted how “it was interesting to see the personality dynamics in place.” However, he wasn’t convinced either way.
“I’m an independent voter,” Vance said. “I’m going to continue to see how these debates play out.”
The vice presidential nominees will participate in the second debate on Thursday, Oct. 11. The next presidential debate is a Town Hall meeting on Oct. 16.
