In second debate, Obama faces challenges on key issues
October 15, 2012 at 3:44 pm in Grand Forks Herald
Losing ground to Republican Mitt Romney on a host of issues, President Barack Obama faces a serious challenge to put his re-election bid back on track when the two men face off Tuesday in their second debate. Continue Reading

“passive performance”? Seriously, that’s what the writer witnessed? Passive performance. Holy crap!!
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What I saw was “Etch-a-Sketch” Mitt Romney, taking positions he didn’t hold the previous week.
My wife and I were both hollering at the TV “Come on Obama…call him out for his lies”
Now for the VP debate, Biden calls out Ryan on some of his positions and all that Fox News (can you really call it that) can do is deem Biden as suffering from dementia, possibly drinking, smug, angry…
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The sad part is the influence the media has on this election. Both sides are so riduculous that it is very hard to find the truth. Idealogically, I am a republican at heart but I do not trust Romney. I also do not think that Obama is qualified to lead this country back to prosperity. It is sad what the media is doing to this process and in the end, our country. I have been listening to the radio and they are following these two derfs around like they are playing the superbowl. I could care less how either are preparing and what they are eating before to get ready, they are both going to give such a distorted view that it really doesn’t matter in the end.
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This election is all about the policy not the personality. If the Repubicans are elected, get ready to kiss social security and medicare goodbye. They have been trying to get rid of these programs for decades. If the Republicans get elected, women had better get ready to take a back seat as anti-women policy is enacted. If the Republicans get elected, get ready for huge debt and war which is what they have done every time they get elected. Once elected, they will forget everything they said about decreasing the debt and we will end up invading Iran. Obama needs to make sure he call Romney out on all of this.
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21 days to go.
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Winner…. /shrug
Loser….. American citizens
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Romney stated he wanted “free trade on a level playing field” which we have not had. We have been a dumping ground for everyone.
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Until China or India overtakes us, we have the largest economy in the world. In other words we hold all the cards. Trying to insinuate that some big bad bully is holding us down & stealing our cookies is ludicrous.
If there is unfair trade, it is because we allow it. We are the 800 pound gorilla. Any mistakes are ours alone.
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Ya, dumping ground for imported junk. Problem is Romney won’t do anything about it, most likely make things worse. Plus I don’t want him pushing his or Ryan’s religious views on everyone else in this country.
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Obama clearly won the debate last night. He had command of the facts and was able to dispute most of Romney’s phony numbers. The signs of recovery are all around us. More building, more housing starts, more people working and more taxes being collected because of increased spending. Nobody said this recovery was going to be easy and instant. It took two terms of bad management by Bush to get us into this mess and I don’t think it’s unreasonable to expect that it will take 2 terms to get us out of it. An obstructionist GOP house has stalled much of the additional progress that could have been made. It’s time for them to get off thier asses and work with Obama to get something done. If it doesn’t happen there will be big GOP losses in the next congressional election. That’s what it will most likley take to get the congress working again. Romney would be like a journey into the past. Past policies that got us in the mess we’ve been in for over 6 years.
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So you advocate for beating people with MS???
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Only if they agree with Always Correct on 99% of the issues
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Romney lost the debate last night and I will tell you why. One simple fact is he did not gain support from the key demographic that will leap frog him over obama in the polls. Women voters and more importantly middle class women swing voters. “He may have folders of women” but he lost any support from women in his statement.
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So because he was proactive in finding women to fill tops posts in government while he was Gov. he has lost the vote of women. Sorry but the women who were offended and outraged by this made up issue would never have voted for Mitt in the first place.
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Mitt has lost the womens vote for so many reasons that I can’t even list them all. “Binders full of women” just reinforces his tone deafness when it comes to issues important to women. Kinda like water torture, drip, drip, drip…..
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Trumped up issues that do not exist other than in the minds of Democrats. War on women?? Created to distract from the Administrations attack on religious organizations and violation of the Constitution. Forcing them to do something against their religious beliefs.
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You must be basing your belief on old polling. Recent polling show a considerable shift towards RomneyRyan, almost a 50-50 split. If old polling was your reason for the gender gap, you have an intellectual obligation to look at recent polling that is now contrary to your older belief!
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BHO didn’t gain any ground in this debate. He copied Pulgs Biden by rudely interrupting Gov. Romney each time he had an important stat to share. Being a bully didn’t sway any voters towards Obama’s side. President Romney has a good ring to it.
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Yeah, it has a ring to it alright; a ring of alarm.
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Um buy american. Obama just followed romney’s step from the first debate. Romney ran off topic over time and cut in and insisted on the last word all the time. America set the bar and said this rudeness won the debate and obama lost because he wasn’t responding to romney. Obama is just debating the way america want’s a debate.
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Yet Obama was give more total time in the first and second debate.
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Barry is using the same tactics the he mocked 4 years ago. But 4 years ago he was right. When your record in office is so dismal… ignore it and attack the opponent. Just like all his negative ads, nothing about why we should elect Barry, just lies and distortions why we shouldn’t vote for Mitt. His last 4 years have been a complete failure. It can’t get any worse unless he gets 4 more years. As long as the press is corrupt, we will have no choice in quality candidates. The fact that Ron Paul is portrayed as a loon for wanting govt to abide by the constraints of the Constitution says it all. Gary Johnson is also running for Pres but who knows it.
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Yep, romney and his “binders of women” comment will kill any momentum he had. Romney states he asked why are we hiring so many men? Answer because they are the most qualified. He goes on to say he specifically went out to womens groups to find potential applicants. “They came back with binders full of women”. He than goes on to say that there were so many qualified women as if it was a shock. He furthered distanced himself from women in another example where he states an employer had to be flexible with the woman he hired because she “had to be home by 6 to prepare dinner for her family”. And in his economy employers will be able to be flexible for women to allow them to balance their family. Mr romney I thought we left this train of thought behind us in the mid 70′s.
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This debate is not set up for republican or democrats. It isn’t even set up for an “independant” like you flying nurse. It is set up for the worst kind of voter… an undecided voter. Someone who has had 10 months to form an opinion, someone who has the internet, television, and radio to inform themselves, someone who is unable to or doesn’t care to find out what each canidate stands for. Yes our country’s fate lies upon the dumbest or laziest people in america.
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until I watched the view today,I had not heard about Romney’s son stating that he wanted to smack President
Obama.Is this not a threat toward our President !!Ann sat saying how much mitt and her family love this country.,but
apparently not enough for mitt ,his father or any of their 5
sons to serve in the military to protect it.
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Non issue since Obama can not claim military service or that he even supports our military with his unilateral disarmament.
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Gone over the edge on this one, Glen. Obama is the commander in chief and supports the military in all ways including getting us out of wars of choice and supporting veterans when they come home. His foreign policy is far better than what Bush implemented getting us into foreign wars without paying for them. Your partisan glasses are skewing your vision.
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Well I know lots of current and former military person…. and not one believes our current President supports them or will. As for the other Bush was wrong in not having the war, declared by congress, on the books. But I ask how did Obama get us out of Iraq?? By following through with a plan agreed to and put in motion by BUSH before he left office. All Obama did was follow a plan already in place so he did very little other than follow Bush’s plan. Do not forget that Obama has used US troops without getting congressional approval. He has ordered the assassination of citizens of this country. Granted they were wanted persons but is that the new practice? When do we start sending drones after citizens who are wanted inside this country?? He has repeatedly pushed the constitutional powers of the presidency to the limit and some believe beyond.
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Glenn, if Obama gets another term, our Constitution will be a blank piece of paper!
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yes,Issue, Romney was all for the war in Vietnam to the point that he marched against protesters.then went over seas to school. This is a fact . Anne bragged that Mitt & sons did missionary work over seas,That was how they
served their country,No, that was how they served other
countries and their religion . this is a fine thing but,in my
opinion it is not serving this country.
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October 19, 2012 Gallup Poll of likely voters Romney 51%, Obama 45%
October 19, 2012 Rasmussen Poll Swing State Tracking: Romney 49%, Obama 47%
“A new poll shows Republican Mitt Romney leading in Pennsylvania, a state that Republicans had all but written off just weeks ago but which is now listed as a toss up by the Real Clear Politics website.”
Late Thursday, the Pew Research Center, the poll that has been toughest on Romney’s favorability, released results showing that Romney is ahead of Obama by a point, 50 percent to 49 percent. That is a stunning turnaround from March, when Obama’s favorable rating in Pew was about twice Romney’s, 55 percent to 29 percent.
Even the liberal DailyKos/SEIU/PPP poll has Romney beating Obama on the fave rating, 49 percent to 47%.
Republicans should feel very good about the direction of these polls. We now have a good chance. In spite of the moderators erronious correction of Romney, saving Obama from his serious lie about claiming he called the Benghazi attack a terriorist attack early, which he, his UN ambassader, his Secretary of state repeatedly called a demonstration to a movie. He went in front of the UN and appologized for our anti-Islam movie. I hope Romney goes after him on this issue. After a week at the Democratic convention using insensitive phrases like “Osama is dead and GM is alive”, I suppose it was inconvenient to admit that al Qaeda is strong and still a threat.
Simply, this lie will probably result in a new president!
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Read Nate Silver’s predictions and weep. The polls you cite do not make any difference in this race. The GOP is frantic to create an impression they make a difference, but they do not. Obama is still ahead in this race.
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Polling is an art and many polls are not worth reading. Polls change quickly and become more valuable closer to the election. I trust Rasmussen and Pew polling as their ending polls have good correlation to actual results. I have included a link to polling accuracy in previous elections. http://blog.chron.com/txpotomac/2008/11/the-list-which-presidential-polls-were-most-accurate/
I know nothing about the accuracy of the Penn. poll but am pleased with the movement of many polls, even in swing states, towards RomneyRyan. Our topic is about who won the debates. Polling tells us RomneyRyan helped themselves considerably in my oppinion. Does it not bother you our President could and did not acknowledged terrorism, but took the tactic of blaming a movie for three weeks?
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You are right about the polls, but please do yourself a favor and google Nate Silver’s blog. As of last night, Obama’s chances of winning is 67.9% and Romney’s is 32.1%. As I said, read it and weep. Nate doesn’t rely on just one poll or even all of them. He uses statistical techniques.
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Realist, believe what makes you happy. I have given you a link to polls that have accurately forcast the outcome of previous elections. This will be a close election but if polls keep moving romneyryans way it will be a blowout for republicans at all levels, giving Republicans control of House and Senate. If you rely on Nate Silvers Blog, you should cite his previous success. I have not heard of him and I love political science. Now if you referenced someone of stature like Larry Sabato, I would check it out. We are both confident in our sources so I look forward to discussing this subject with you after Mitt Romneys assumes status as President Do not loose too much sleep, I am not, as we have just 18 days until election!
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Who think President Obama fibbed about our recent terrorist attack on 911, 2012? How many believe he blamed it on a movie to save political face?
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Read the CIA documents. There was no lying, no coverup just information coming out as it was reported. This is a big election year red herring that has not really gained any traction for Romney.
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John, if you love political science and haven’t heard of Nate Silver, then you must not love it very much. He was within 1 percentage point of predicting the 2008 election and has accumulated masses of credentials since then. Read his blog; as a lover of political science, you’ll enjoy it.
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By the way, your guy Sabato has Obama winning the electoral college by a bunch. He hasn’t even updated his prediction since Oct. 17th so the spread will probably increased based on Obama’s increases. So it’s not just Nate Silver who is projecting Obama to win, it is your own guy. But, hey, just keep whistling past the grave yard.
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Realist read what Sabato wrote today, “The problem for the president is that in the current average — 47.4% for Romney and 47.0% for Obama — Romney is closer to his peak than Obama is to his. This points to an enthusiasm gap for the president, as does the persistent registered voter/likely voter gaps in public opinion polls, which almost always show the president doing better among the registered voter pool than the smaller likely voter pool.” This is a close election and Republicans will work hard to get rid of president obama. I hope, believe the polls will continue to move away from obama because he fibbed about the 9-11, 2012 terrorist attack for 3 weeks just so he could pretend he had eliminated terrorists! Political reasons! Did he? As the truth comes out, not you but more Americans will vote RonmeyRyan happily for truth!
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Realist to keep it simple, he uses averages of polls for his electoral map that show it close with obama up a few electoral votes, but he believes they are not accurate by his statement today! Tomorrow his map will show RomneyRyan up because it has been close. Reality for a realist the polls are moving RyanRomney ROMNEY RYAN so open up your mind to a possible LOSS FOR OBAMABIDEN!
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The question for you will “hope and change” yield the results you, Axelrod hoping for? But for myself a president that takes false credit for what Seal Team Six did, and fibbing about the 9-11, 2012 terrorist attack and calling it a demonstration to a movie even in front of the UN will disgust most Americans, perhaps even you also as an Obamafile as your defense is inaccurate, but to be reported sincerely on election day by turn-out on your side! In case you did not watch the sworn testimony by the official CIA report, they all knew it was a terrorist attack, although inconvient to the man that personally killed Ossama but created 10.000 more willing to die! I felt the rejoice of a bullet to the back of his head at Obama’s convention offensive as reported by his daughter! Was his killing used as the only “success” in his foreign policy and was it for his reelection? Please Realist tell me why you would endanger our state department employees to elect this president? Frankly, I do not expect a credible defense from you!
uestion
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Glen, of course the military is unhappy with the current administration. An idle marine is an unhappy marine. It is not our job to police the world! That is what the u.n. is for. You can see in the current military recrutment numbers that the younger generation does not support the wars bush pushed us in to. The only people joining the military either have nothing else going for them in their life or are born from conservative military stock.
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Ron, your only excuse about your ig….t belief about soldiers, is you have never been placed in combat serving your country. Do not be soo judgemental about those that serve as it speaks so negatively about your intellect! This perhaps the most insensitive post I have read on this site and if I had made such a stereotypical statement, I would be beyond embarased. If you have not served????????????? Do not judged those that do and have! I have, have you???
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Ron, do you agree the death at our Embassy Americans in Afganistan were “not optimal. With your respect for Americans serving, I bet you do.?? Was that an appropriate expression by “our” or perhaps only your commander in chief? That I would not have given for losses to my unit, but some Americans have seen loss and as a Captain in the Army I wrote a couple sad letters. I can not expect empathy from some Americans, probably you, but our president was in outer space when he said thatit was “not optimal” and that is why military persons do not like him nor do they respect him for his superficial title as a comander in what ever. You are welcome to state your oppinion on why I have served, but expect a heartfelt disdain for your total ig…ce, or as this site permit being an insensitive homo sapien! I have no resppect for you and expect a thumbs down on just seeing ron!
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The recent polls only reflect that you can not flip flop consistantly and become president of the united states. The undecided voters are getting wise to romneys changing of stances over the past year.
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It isn’t sexist to hire women. It is sexist to say I went out of my way to find qualified women canidates…. I was shocked at the qualifications of the canidates in the binders full of women… she had to be home by 6 to fix dinner for her family… and in my economy we will be flexible to allow for women to balance their family life. To actually say these things in the context romney used is sexist.
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Oh yeah obama is winning in the war of the battle ground states plus the electoral college.
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I don’t know what you are talking about john. Real clear politics have the race at a dead heat. Last week romney had a slight edge for the only time in the election. He lost that edge and will probably lose more ground. President obama is leading the race in key battle ground states and is leading the race in the electoral college.
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Ron, you are a partisan as I. Real politics polling RyanRomney, RomneyRyans way, so do not be so confident! You need to get out more and look for objective polls and in your case recent polling averages, Real Politics. Biden Obama, obamaBiden have lost considerably perhap the debates but more likely because according to Biden they did not know we were attacked by terrorist on 9-11,2012. I, many Americans they fibbed so they did not have to admit killing Osama was the end of terrorism. After bragging about their only foreign policy success, a bullet to the back of his head, perhaps inconvenient failure to a campaign. “Ossama dead, GM alive” does not work for most Americans! Is that his, your only foreign policy success. News report today the CIA, if Obama attended his foreign policy dailly reports, saw the murder of these 4 Americans live. He, Obama, killed Osama but was on a talk show when he could have watched our Ambassaer and 3 soildier murdered. Liberals are not very honest???
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Bush was reading to children when the towers were hit.!
what does that have to do with anything ??
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John, I am sorry I offended you. I did not word it well and I see where you could view it the way you did. I know many people from all walks of life joining up straight out of highschool to going to ocs after college. All these people came from conservative military supporting families. People who are not from conservative backgrounds are not joining up. Why is this? My point is recruitment numbers are down and standards have been lessened to keep adding new recruits. The wars we are fighting right now are not well supported and people do not want to fight wars we cannot win. During world war 2 young men were lining up outside the recruitment centers because it was a war that was supported by the general public.
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Romney is using the embassy attack for his own political gain. Romney made a statement for political gain during the attacks. Obama called it an act of terror in his first staatement. It was a bunch of whacko extremist attacking the embassy and that is it. Unfortunatly innocent victims were caught in the middle of this tragedy.
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I watched the debate tonight and give Obama the edge on foreign policy but Romney won on economic policy, just my oppinion. Obama looked angry with “little ideas” He was petulant and insulting to Romney. Romney had a big view of solving our complex problems. I am a partisan Republican but believe the Romney momentum will continue!!. Romney may not have won on debate points but he certainly won the likability, competency battle.
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That’s exactly what Fox News was saying.
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Nate Silver has Obama’s chance to win at 70. 2% with Romney’s chances at 29.8%. That says it all.
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