What They Are Saying

ROMNEY HAS BETTER VISION FOR THE COUNTRY THAN OBAMA

CBS’s Charlie Kaye: “In the @CBSNews Instant Poll, 65% say Romney won on the issue of the economy. 34% say Obama won on the economy.” (Charlie Kaye, Twitter Feed, 10/16/12)
CNN’s Wolf Blitzer: “Look at this. 58%, 58% of debate watchers say Romney would better handle the economy, 40% say President Obama would. That’s issue number one.” (CNN’s “Debate Night In America,” 10/17/12)

• CNN’s Wolf Blitzer: “59% say Romney would do a better job on the deficit, 36% say President Obama would do a better job on the deficit.” (CNN’s “Debate Night In America,” 10/17/12)

• CNN’s Wolf Blitzer: “We also asked who would better handle the issue of taxes. 51% say Romney. 44% say president Obama.” (CNN’s “Debate Night In America,” 10/17/12)

• CNN’s Wolf Blitzer: “49% say Romney would better handle health care, compared to 46% for president Obama. 49-46.” (CNN’s “Debate Night In America,” 10/17/12)

• CNN’s Wolf Blitzer: “We also asked who seemed to be a stronger leader. 49% said Governor Romney, compared to 46% for President Obama.” (CNN’s “Debate Night In America,” 10/16/12)

• CNN’s Wolf Blitzer: “We also asked who spent more time attacking his opponent. 49% said President Obama. 35% said Governor Romney.” (CNN’s “Debate Night In America,” 10/16/12)

• CNN’s Wolf Blitzer: “45% say Romney answered the questions more directly, compared to 43% for President Obama.” (CNN’s “Debate Night In America,” 10/16/12)

Pittsburgh Tribune-Review’s Salena Zito: “I’m sorry but all day every reporter was talking about the Obama Team saying Obama would talk about his vision. Yet not once, not once did he.” (Salena Zito, Twitter Feed, 10/17/12)

CNBC’s Larry Kudlow: “You know I still don’t know what President Obama’s economic growth vision is, I don’t think he outlined it. You know I think Obama was a pretty good counterpuncher tonight. He had a lot more energy going, there’s no question about that. Both these guys had a lot of energy going but at the end of the day, I still don’t know what the president is intending if he’s reelected. I don’t think he made the case. I don’t think he provided a vision. I think he was mostly a counterpuncher and Mitt Romney wouldn’t let him have the counterpunch without the counter-counterpunch. So in that sense it’s a push but I still don’t see what the Obama case is for reelection. I just don’t see it; I didn’t hear it from him.” (CNBC, 10/16/12)

OBAMA’S DEBATE DEMEANOR NOTED

CNN’s Piers Morgan: “Obama’s new aggression may be over-played. I don’t think women voters, in particular, like this kind of thing.” (Piers Morgan, Twitter Feed, 10/16/12)

NBC’s Chuck Todd: “While that Q was a gift to Obama; Romney playing his best card on this front; his record on appointing women is impressive.” (Chuck Todd, Twitter Feed, 10/16/12)

NBC’s Chuck Todd: “But I would say the president was also pretty aggressive trying to run over Candy at times.” (MSNBC, 10/16/12)

CNN Situation Room: “Undecided voters didn’t like it when Obama interrupted Romney.” (The Situation Room, Twitter Feed, 10/16/12)

The Associated Press’ Ben Feller: “Fighting For His Political Life, President Barack Obama Re-Emerged In Blistering Form In An Interruption-Filled Debate Rematch, Trying To Diminish Mitt Romney’s Rising Stature By Accusing Him Of Dishonesty And Extremism.” (Ben Feller, “Analysis: In Blistering Form, Obama Rebounds,” The Associated Press, 10/16/12)

Reno Gazette-Journal’s Ray Hagar: “Obama sometimes comes off as an egotistical university professor.” (Ray Hager, Twitter Feed, 10/16/12)

Focus Group Mostly Made Up Of Former Obama Voters Praise Mitt Romney’s Debate Performance. FOX NEWS’ FRANK LUNTZ: “I want to know a word or phrase to describe Mitt Romney’s performance tonight.” VOTER: “Forceful, compassionate, presidential.” VOTER:”Confident and realistic.” VOTER: “Presidential.” VOTER:”Presidential and enthusiastic.” VOTER: “Our next president.” VOTER: “Knowledgeable and sincere.” VOTER: “Dynamo, winner.” (Fox News, 10/16/12)

Pittsburgh Tribune-Review’s Salena Zito: “Obama goes for the long long long long answer and he lost folks on lack of end of sentences[sic].” (Salena Zito, Twitter Feed, 10/16/12)

OBAMA GOT HIS FACTS WRONG AND IGNORED HIS OWN RECORD

Coal

Forbes’ John Dobosz: “Obama Had A Perfect Opportunity To Whip Out An Iphone And Ask Siri For Annual U.S. Coal Production, But That Would Not Have Helped His Case.” “Romney does have a case that coal production is in retreat. Obama had a perfect opportunity to whip out an iPhone and ask Siri for annual U.S. coal production, but that would not have helped his case. EIA figures show annual U.S. coal production in 2008 of 1.171 billion short tons, declining during Obama’s term to 1.095 billion tons in 2011.” (John Dobosz, “Romney Hits Obama With Dead Birds And Cheating China, President Pokes Back On Taxes,” Forbes, 10/16/12)

Budget And Deficits

The Detroit News’ Nolan Finley: “Obama hasn’t passed a budget in four years. That’s not leadership.” (Nolan Finley, Twitter Feed, 10/16/12)

New Hampshire Union Leader’s Drew Cline: “Obama: ‘If we’re serious about reducing the deficit…’ says the president who gave us four $1 trillion deficits in a row.” (Drew Cline, Twitter Feed, 10/16/12)

OBAMA STILL DODGED ON LIBYA

The Washington Post‘s Fact Checker: Obama “Did Not Say ‘Terrorism’-And It Took The Administration Days To Concede That That [sic] It An ‘Act Of Terrorism’ That Appears Unrelated To Initial Reports Of Anger At A Video That Defamed The Prophet Muhammad.” “What did Obama say in the Rose Garden a day after the attack in Libya? ‘No acts of terror will ever shake the resolve of this nation,’ he said. But he did not say ‘terrorism’-and it took the administration days to concede that that it an ‘act of terrorism’ that appears unrelated to initial reports of anger at a video that defamed the prophet Muhammad.” (Glenn Kessler, “Fact Check: Libya Attack,” The Washington Post‘s Fact Checker, 10/16/12)

Politico‘s Mike Allen: In The Rose Garden, Obama Said “Very Generally, We Will Not Let Acts Of Terror Go Unpunished.” POLITICO’s MIKE ALLEN: “There’s going to be a bunch of fact checks, but just to do a fact check here. When Governor Romney said that Obama had been slow in calling the Libya attack terrorism and the President said ‘oh wait a minute, in the Rose Garden, the day after, I referred to an act of terror’, Candy Crowley stepped in and said that he was right. It’s actually arguable. And I’m looking at the transcript of that White House event the day after and he started by referring to them as selfless acts, which is casted very differently than the sort of very planned action that we now have. Later toward the end, he makes a reference to 9/11 and he says, very generally, we will not let acts of terror go unpunished. So that’s going to be an arguable point.” (Presidential Debate Wrap-Up, Politico Live, 10/16/12)

Politico’s Byron Tau: “Obama’s Debate Night Comments Are In Stark Contrast To The Official White House Line On The Benghazi Attack.” “Obama’s debate night comments are in stark contrast to the official White House line on the Benghazi attack. White House press secretary Jay Carney said in a recent press briefing that no one at the White House was notified about requests for additional security – and that those things were handled at a lower level.” (Byron Tau, “Obama: Hillary Clinton ‘Works For Me,’” Politico, 10/16/12)
 
NBC’s Chuck Todd: “I Think That The Increased Coverage Of It Will Still Cause Questions, Right, The President Didn’t Answer Why Was The Film Being Used To Still , As Part Of The Blame Of What Happened In Benghazi.” NBC’s CHUCK TODD: “There is some perverse good news for Romney on this Libya topic. I think that the increased coverage of it will still cause questions, right, the president didn’t answer why was the film being used to still, as part of the blame of what happened in Benghazi, number one, and number two, guess what, the third debate is foreign policy. Romney has an opportunity to clean up, frankly, his mess, in the next debate since that’s the topic area and my guess is we know what the first 15 minutes of the next debate is going to be. It’s going to be on a back-and-forth on Libya.” (PBS, 10/16/12)

The Washington Post’s Charles Lane: “This suggests O did not flatly call it terror attack on day after: A detailed timeline of Libya statementshttp://wapo.st/VKRtxO #debate” (Charles Line, Twitter Feed, 10/16/12)

New Hampshire Union Leader’s Drew Cline: “Obama’s completely dodged the question: Who refused Libya staff’s request for added security before 9/11?” (Drew Cline, Twitter Feed, 10/16/12)

Hartford Courant’s Rick Green: “O dodges Libya question. Ugly.” (Rick Green, Twitter Feed, 10/16/12)

The Washington Post’s Ed Rogers: “Also, Specifically Regarding Benghazi, The President Appears To Have Offered A New Take On What He Thought And Did Immediately After The Attacks. If The President Is Changing His Story Again, It Could Confirm That He Is Being Deceitful, And It Could Be Very Harmful. Everyone Will Be Watching This.” (Ed Rogers, “Obama Needed A Better Debate And He Had One,” The Washington Post, 10/16/12)

The Washington Post’s Jennifer Rubin: “On Libya, Obama Ducked On The Failure To Provide Security To Our People.” (Jennifer Rubin, “Romney Vs. Obama, Round Two,” The Washington Post, 10/16/12)