Written by Zepp Jamieson   

Debate the Final
Romney blusters, Obama calls, but neither take the pot

© Bryan Zepp Jamieson
October 22nd, 2012


I remembered Bob Schieffer from prior debates in years past. He was awful. He still is. His first questions, about Libya, could have come off the Faux News crawl. He hinted darkly at coverups and failure, and asked if this was evidence that policy there was “unraveling.” Romney, oddly, side stepped the question, agreeing that Libya was a deplorable situation and then branching out quickly to Iran and al Qaida. He did get off a memorable line: “We can't kill our way out of this.” Can't argue with that.
Obama took credit for the overthrow of Qaddafi, and he's partially correct in that. He then accused Romney of “being all over the map” on his foreign policy, and Romney said we needed to go after the terrorist and kill their leaders, which sort of ruined the effect of his zinger in the first paragraph.
Obama noted that Romney recently said that Russia was the biggest policy threat to America, and dryly noted that the Cold War ended over twenty years ago. He noted that Romney had been wrong on numerous foreign policy issues—factually wrong, rather than just a matter of opinion, and noted that Romney was wildly inconsistent in his statements on nearly all elements of foreign policy.
Schieffer, obsequiously, offered Romney a few moments to respond. Romney, feigning outrage over being attacked. A generally confused exchange ensued.
On Syria, Obama noted that Syrians have to determine their own future. Allowing that the mess there is heartbreaking, he noted that getting entangled would be “a serious step”. Given the hints that the strife is spreading to Lebanon and Turkey, that is prudent. Romney, calling it “a humanitarian disaster” said that Syria was Iran's only ally in the Middle East and their route to the sea, and thus it was vital Assad be overthrown. He wants to work with insurgents in Syria, but “coordinate with Israel.” I doubt the insurgents are very pro-Israel. Yeah. Good luck with that.
Both candidates agreed that the US should not be involved militarily in Syria. Romney called for Syrians to get together with American help, but with a maddening lack of specifics. Unfortunately, Obama's answer, that we should show leadership, was no more convincing.
Obama did make points arguing that in Egypt, the US had to help them rebuild their economy in a transparent and non-corrupt manner. Easier said than done.
Scheiffer asked Romney if he would have supported keeping Mubarak, and Romney, stammering slightly, said he would not. I suspect he was frantically tring to remember what his latest position on Mubarak was. He then came out in favor of peace and a peaceful world. He probably likes kittens, too. Then he started babbling about the economy. The Mubarak question really threw him.
He said America had “forty-two allies”, whatever that means. Doesn't seem very impressive, given there's over 200 countries.
On the next question, Romney again made vague noises about peace, freedom and American leadership, and then pointlessly segued into the economy again. He said he “would not cut the military budget” although as usual, didn't note Ryan helped engineer those cuts, and that he has no way to cover those extra costs.
Obama decided to chase Romney into that area, arguing that America was stronger than it was four years ago, noting that the US had the best relations it has had with its allies for more than ten years, and warned that Romney would take us back to the days of Bush and Cheney.
Romney, claiming to be looking to the future, claimed that he would create 12 million jobs. It's a claim he's made often, but never given any specifics as to how.
Are they ever going to get back to foreign policy? Now the debate seems to be about education. Romney tried to take credit for education reforms in MA that actually took place ten years before he took office, and Obama accused him of unraveling them in his first year, but taking credit for the result that existed until then.
Now we're on Obamacare. Mittens doesn't like it, wants to get rid of it, except Medicaid, but he wants to give that to the states.
Romney repeated the wild whopper that the Navy is smaller than at anytime since 1917, and added that the USAF is the smallest it's been since 1947. Obama noted that the military also have less horses and bayonets.
Red Lines: Israel and Iran. That was Schieffer's breathless segue to the next segment. At least we're finally back on foreign policy. Obama said America “will stand if Israel” if it is attacked. He further said that as long as he was president, Iran would not get a nuclear weapon. He noted his sanctions was making a shambles of their economy. Trouble is, all that does is starve kids. North Korea's economy is far worse, but they went ahead and built nukes anyway.
Both candidates blathered on at length, pretending that Iran were madmen hell-bent on getting the Bomb, without mentioning that no intelligence agency on earth, including the CIA and Israel's Shin Bet, believe that Iran is trying to build a nuclear bomb. In short, both were subscribing to the utter chest-thumping unreality that has crippled the US in the middle east for 50 years.
Now Romney's doing his “apology tour” and claiming that Iran “has ten thousand centrifuges” to make weapons. Didn't we hear that same claim made about Saddam and Iraq ten years ago.
“Nothing the governor had said is true” Obama shot back. He noted that every fact checker in the country had debunked the “apology tour” crap. He then reiterated the effectiveness of his policies with Iran.
Romney tried doubling down on the lying, talking how we are “four years closer to a nuclear Iran”, and repeating the “apology tour” smear. Obama could have simply called him a liar, and did call that "biggest whopper of entire campaign," but instead settled for reaffirming his own record. It may have been a good move—Romney seems to be trying to get Obama to flat-out call him a liar. Even by his own miserable standards, he's pretty egregious tonight.
Obama instead is hammering away at Romney's inconsistencies in foreign policy in recent years. He has yet to come up with a single equation that the public can focus on, though/
What's this? Schieffer stood up to Romney and told him he may not respond to the Obama reply, noting that Romney had already engaged in his over scatterfire approach. Romney, beaten, grinned and backed down with some grace.
Pakistan: Romney says we can't divorce them because they have 100 nukes. He notes, quite correctly, that if it collapses, the nukes could end up with terrorists. But he thinks the US has to work with them “toward a more responsible course.” Ah, yes, if only they would see things Mittens' way...
Romney favors the use of drones, and notes that “Drones are often used in drone attacks.” Well spotted, governor. Romney promises to fix the entire Middle East with strong leadership. Now, where have we heard that before? Oh, yeah—just about every American presidential candidate since 1948.
Finally: China. Obama sees China as an “adversary and potential partner” and he wants them to play nice. He notes a little-known element of his policy: he has fought China vigorously in the international courts, and has secured a lot of victories against China. He dryly noted that on one tire case, Romney accused him of being “too tough” on China.
Mittens thinks a nuclear Iran is the biggest threat to the world. Overruling Shin Bet on that one. Incredible.
“We don't have to be an adversary in any way shape or form” with China Romney says. He says the Chinese are looking at America's actions and asking, will America be strong.
From there it went back to the economy, with Romney hammering away at the unemployment rate and deficit. Finally, even Bob Schieffer got tired of the tirade, interrupting a particularly fulsom Romney paean to teachers with a “Yes, yes, we all love teachers. Now to closing remarks.”
Closing statements were the usual stump speech stuff.
Conclusion: neither side did all that well, and nobody landed any knockout blows. It was a tie.
And so the debates are done. Personally, I don't feel any smarter, or any more assured that we have the best of all possible choices.