The 1st Presidential Debate

I think that during tonight’s presidential debate, both candidates performed very well, though in very different ways.  The President was very calm and charismatic, for the most part staying on topic and addressing the issues in a clear and amicable way.   Governor Romney on the other hand, tried to keep his cool but oftentimes got caught up in the debate, speaking fast and passionately about the topics and against Obama’s policies. 

In addition, Governor Romney and President Obama spoke with many logical fallacies and empty rhetoric.  You can see quite clearly that each candidate came in with a set of things that they wanted to say, so they avoided the questions, simply saying what they wanted to but never really getting to the point.  To spice up their speeches, they oftentimes would refer to people they met on the campaign trail, telling relatable stories in order to make us connect with that candidate.  In addition, ideas were talked about in the abstract, never really getting into specifics but leaving you with only the idea of what they were going to do but not how they were going to do it. 

I think that debates are a mixture of political theatre and substance, this one in particular.  I find it very valuable to know what the candidates stood for, what they intend to do, and what their differences are.  However, the lack of evidence is striking: there are never any specific plans mentioned, not to mention the promises they make and the endlessly articulate warping of words, policies, and plans that leaves you not knowing where the truth lies.