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Subscribe to RSSMonday's final debate between President Obama and former Gov. Mitt Romney was to be focused on foreign policy, and largely was, but the place that horses, bayonets, aircraft carriers, submarines and other technology occupy in the nation's defense became the talk of Twitter after Obama brushed aside Romney's critique of his military spending priorities.
Romney: "Our Navy is smaller now than at any time since 1917. The Navy said they needed 313 ships to carry out their mission. We're now at under 285...We're headed down to the low 200s if we go through a sequestration. That's unacceptable to me."
Obama: "You mentioned the Navy, for example, and that we have fewer ships than we did in 1916. Well, Governor, we also have fewer horses and bayonets, because the nature of our military's changed. We have these things called aircraft carriers, where planes land on them. We have these ships that go underwater, nuclear submarines."
Scroll down for a social recap of the debate with the help of Storify.
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I hope Obama uses the same preparation he used from the first debate. You know, the strategy called "Drink a six-pack to relax."
Romney/Ryan
And up until this debate, I actually (seriously) considered voting for Romney, but he looked like a flip-flopping idiot tonight. We've all heard Romney rattling his imaginary saber for the last year, but when challenged, he didn't have the guts to defend his own positions. Then he turns around and calls Obama weak; if you ask me, he should have stayed home and played Battleship with Tugg.
You are really ignorant if you vote for Romney,,, As I'm sure you will.
By the way this debate went, it looks like Romney is going to copy Obama's foreign policy agenda verbatim, and then obviously try and take credit for conceiving it all on his own. He also mentioned repealing Obamacare on day 1 of his administration again, but I believe in the first debate he said he would only repeal parts of the legislation he signed in Massachusetts (aka Obamacare). Ironically, he was very proud of the job Massachusett Democrats did in his state while he was governor, even after the 800 vetoes he signed.
Thanks Willard...we always knew you were a closet Obama supporter, but tonight just drove that point home.
VOTE A STRAIGHT DEMOCRATIC TICKET AND GET ALL OF THE GOP HYPOCRITES OUT OF THE WAY!!!!
Obama/Biden 2012
I think it will be obvious tonight just how many National Security Briefings Obama has missed these past four years. Obama has attended 1 in 10 of these important meetings. Yet he has not missed a talk show, party, golf date or campaign event in that same time. Makes one wonder, doesn't it?
Mitt Romney will be victorious tonight and on November 6th!
I sure hope not if he gets in you will be saying what did I do that. Sorry
it will be to late. Your Dad or Mom will be living with you as the Social
Security and Medicare will be a voucher system
Romney just switched positions again, and McCain's campaign manager, Steve Schmidt, just agreed that it was smart for Romney to do so. He says the GOP has made the calculation that America will not remember that Romney has changed positions on almost every issue. Romney is one of the best used car salesmen I've ever seen. The guy could sell you a car with the rods knocking and convince you that it was an added feature worth more money. He's the biggest LIAR since Nixon, but Nixon couldn't hold a candle to Romney.
Victorius at skull f#cking Mitt....
I think that maybe some people have drunk too much kool aid tonight. Romney has lied and changed his positions a hundred times. Why would any thinking person vote for Romney to be President with this character flaw? Do you think he'll stop if he gets elected? Come on people! He will do anything to be President. Do you think that the big bankrollers are going to let him do some of the more liberal things he spouted out tonight. No way! He is beholden to a lot of really not so nice people.
BIgirl....
Yea he's got some big business loans to pay back to Adelson and the Koch brothers, among others. I think he's going to wish he never met those clowns the minute he loses this election, and they come looking for their money back!
Obama/Biden 2012
Lucille - VOUCHERS WILL NOT PAY FOR MUCH! Lucille - I capitalized that to hopefully catch your attention.
As for that voucher system? It will be block grants from each individual state. The law is the amount of coverage on these vouchers cannot go up beyond 1% adjustment for inflation each year.
So if that hip replacement starts out costing $xxx in January and it costs $xxx + 5% by November, you will pay the extra 4% out of pocket.
Mitt's plan means you better get critically ill in January and forget about being ill the rest of the year.
Nobody is talking about this. I am totally amazed as it will affect seniors all over the country. If they knew they would flock to vote for Obama!
obama has done nothing to help this country, except raise gas prices,help muslim brotherhood get into the presidendcy in egypt,give guns to the drug cartel in mexico so they could kill americans, fought the gov of arizona because his adminastration will not do the job of our gov;to protect this countrys borders'
Lucille you're full of BS. Romney/Ryan have said REPEATEDLY that Medicare will be available and an alternative -- it's up to the SR to decide. Stop LYING or at least stop getting your talking points from someplace other that the left wing media.
Can you read? Or do you only look at FOX an listen to the "blow heart Rush". You have every right to your beliefs, but you are so very disrespectful, just like your canidate.
You're silly.
missykeys
seems as if you're missing more than your keys.
We have become a lot more tolerant of not-quite-literate writing?
Olavetta...
They asked both candidates what the single greatest threat to national security was tonight, but based on the way people in this country speak, write, and act.....the obvious answer is ignorance. Home grown ignorance. It seems empires can be built in so many different ways, but they all seem to collapse in generally the same way, under the weight of their own ignorance.
Dems: don't go on insulting right wingers on here if you can't use proper spelling, vocabulary, and grammar to make your point. It only reinforces that you are exactly the same as those you disparage.
Obama/Biden 2012
We get it. Danny hates brown people.
Finally, talking about foreign policy.
here as i see it that obama has done for our country. 1. let gas prices go higher2.help elect muslim brotherhood to the office of egypt 3.given guns to the drug cartel in mexico to kill americans 4.fighting gov. of arizona becasue in the constitution it si the u.s. governments job to protect our borders, not be left up to states.5has not done anything to help Israel, he wont even invite thier prime minister here for a talk but he has had members of the muslim brotherhood to the White House
So you are blind and just making stuff up then
Rick....
Danny is just an angry white male, repeating the talking points of other angry white males afraid of losing yet another election to a smart, educated, well spoken, and responsible black man. I guess nothing really changes, except the excuses the right uses to justify their ignorance. Fortunately, based on the polls, the women and younger educated voters in this country, from a variety of backgrounds and cultures, seem to embrace leaders like Obama. Let's hope this trend continues, and helps prevent right wing extremists from being elected into office now and for the foreseeable future.
Obama/Biden 2012
if we dont get a new president in this country we are doomed because i dont like his hope and change and damm sure dont want to go forward with him.it does not matter if your an republican or a democrate . the american people need to vote american. also mr.bama why do you give money to buisnesses that file bankrucy, kill an oil line that would have brought thousand of jobs to america. the epa has too much power. the u.n should be disbanded, becasue they want to tell american people and other citizens of other countries that you cannot own guns
Come on you have already made up your mind months ago. You are not even listening to all the lies Romney is spewing. You are just on this website to start trouble!!!! Please go to Fox's website!
Sounds better to switch to the No Hope and Change to what has never worked..... Yeah smart move
I really hope that all Repubs are doomed if Romney doesn't win.
Here's goes the fear mongering again. You can spot a fox/rush conspiracy theory fan a mile away.
alpha9439 - How true!!! Not just by the content but also by the fact that they don't know when to use a capital letter or punctuation. Funny thing is... MY browser is smart enough to tell me when I've done something like that. ROFL!!! I guess those computers are just more left-wing propaganda trying to tell danny/moron how to spell gooder (sic). LOL!!!!!
Obama is doing a great job, and Romney is just repeating what Obama is saying. Romney says he has a plan to balance the budget in 8 to 10 years, but yet he criticized Obama for not getting the job completed done in 3 and a half years!
yes mr. obama we need to take care of our veterans. I am a veteran and i love the v.a. and the care my wife and i recieve for she is a 100 percent disabled veteran and we need to quit hiring doctors from other countries that can barely speak english to tak care of our veterans at the v.a. hospitals. and Mr. obama why has the u.s. government bought a huge prision why!!!! God bless America and please forgive us.
forgive who for what?
Forgive Danny for being willfully ignorant during a rough time in our country's history. It sounds like he would rather the Republican controlled congress get off of their a$$es and get to work on helping this country, instead of trying to install their version of Bush 2.0, at the expense of people like himself and his wife. Time to let the Democrats finish cleaning up the mess Republicans created with their last 2 terms in office.
Obama/Biden 2012
Maybe since you don't like foreign doctors you should support a democratic ticket that will improve education so you have more english speaking doctors.
the greatest threat to our country in my opinion is mr. obama being reelected and Iran having nuclear weapons.
how about romney being elected and pissing off 1.5 billion muslims? I'm more worried about that to be honest.
you mean not kissing the muslims butt and apologizing all over the place -- yeah real presidential selling the America people down the road in favor of muslims. I am in favor of brokering peace with muslim countries just not showing preferrential treatment because we're afraid of them!
Vermont Guy
Most of those 1.5 Billion Muslims think we are doing them a favor by eliminating radical elements they have to pay to stay away.
If Romney is elected, Iran will have nuclear weapons. Romney has the same imbeciles as foreign policy advisors that Bush did. Iran did very well on that front with those idiots in charge.
How about Romney being elected and pis$ing off China? China has said that if Romney won and did what he says it will be very bad for the USA. Wal-mart would be out of business because all the Chinese goods costs will go through the roof! Oh, and if Romney is so wise on how to deal with the middle east then why doesn't he know that Syria doesn't border Iran?
This debate is basically about fear vs. optimism. I wish that the League of Women Voters still ran the debates; they would be a lot more interesting!
"The people of Detroit don't forget!!!"
How much debate practice time did Romney spend pronouncing the word "tumult"?
"Mr. Romney, you keep trying to airbrush history!" "We do not use horses or bayonets anymore."
The marines still use bayonets, guess you didn't serve either.
... and I thought aircraft carriers are ships, too. Right?? Guess someone hasn't spent the last 4 years on many military bases ... just tosses them some last-minute platitudes. Cares for the military but has been working for months to have their votes not counted (TEAMS of Democratic volunteer attornies). Strange way of showing you care.
Romney is too much influence by Clint Eastwood and Romney doesn't know any better than using bayonets.
Romney is starting to stutter!! He is putting his foot in his mouth!! He said we do not need more teachers!!!
Somebody is jamming President Obama's Video Transmission. :-0
Romney threw in the towel tonight....whether he intended to do so or not.
This man would be a disaster dealing with foreign leaders and dignitaries, because contrary to popular belief, being a CEO of a business is not good experience for being POTUS.
As CEO, you get to be a dictator. As POTUS, that is not an option. That being the case, Romney has zero experience in diplomacy as he never needed any....his wealth and position made it unnecessary....and it shows.
The wealthy will vote for him because they know he will protect their interests, as he will be protecting his own. That is why they don't care what he says,..as long as he wins.
Everyone else who intends to pull the Romney lever...careful what you wish for as your interests will be the very last on his list...if they ever make it to his list at all.
the policys of the last 4 years have been a disaster mr.obama and all you do is blame everthing on the last stupid adminstration. when are you going to say you have screwed up this country worst then george Bush did. you said if you couldnt take care of america's problems in one term, you said you didnt deserve to have a second term.well when you are not reelcted i hope george soros will still have a job for you.
President Obama still represents you even though you're part of that 47% that Willard isn't gonna ever be responsible for including as an important part of America.Obama will win by double digits,if this really frightens you,imagine how the rest of us felt when Bush-lite ascended to a second Cheney term.You'll live and America will prosper and the wealthy will be wealthier,and the poor will still be poor.Just as you wish.
President Obama won on foreign affairs. Mitt just mimicked what the President said. He did not have any original ideas.
More Romnesia tonight. Mitt just lied his Arse off, again, and the GOP is calculating that America won't realize that he did it.
What's with the Masons symbol Romney had on top on the USA flag on his lapel? What message does that send?
OMG Romney is with the illuminati!
dude, that is emblem of the US Secret Service that Romney's agents gave to him.
DB Akron...
So why doesn't the President wear one as well? And why is the secret service emblem a black mark on the American flag? I haven't seen that "emblem" until Romney started displaying it. Care to share the link to an official Secret Service statement validating what you just said?
DB Akron is correct the dot on Romney’s oversize American flag pin is the Secret Service star logo imposed over the stripes, it is a custom flag pin created for secret service agents and fans.
I need a "99%" t shirt, and a "99%" sticker to put on my car! Rock it!
Dear NBC Execs,
I just can't take anything Andrea Mitchell says seriously. Her analysis is suspect... at best. I just don't trust her!! Why force her on us?
Obama called Romney out on his lies again time after time tonight. So at least there is plenty of work for the fact checkers lol. It seems he lies so often he cannot keep track of what he says, how he truly feels, or where he stands on any issue, what is wrong with this man? He does not seem to know his own mind, how did he ever become a presidential candidate?
Did anyone else notice the initial booing from the audience as Romney walked out and waived to them?
yeah just like O said the sequestration was not going to happen -- the O camp is already walking it back saying it "should not" happen. They already have 2 fact checks to Romney's credit -- read it and weep.
Dotties girl....
It won't happen because Republicans aren't stupid enough to push us over the cliff. They tried to use the strategy to show Obama can't "get along" with the Republicans, but its a bipartisan bill passed by Congress. Then again, Republicans and Tea Baggers these days are pretty stupid, and generally fail to act on anything that could keep this country from entering another recession, created by their brilliant upcoming star Paul Ryan. Fortunately, the President was smart enough to create a commission that made it clear, this is how low Congressional Republicans will stoop, in order to get their way. When Obama wins again, it will just prove that Americans aren't as ignorant as Republicans would like to hope.
VOTE A STRAIGHT DEMOCRATIC TICKET AND RID THE HOUSE AND SENATE OF ALL THAT SEEK TO OBSTRUCT PROGRESS!!!
Obama/Biden 2012
You're exactly right. Here's Romney's problem, he's really not a conservative. He's a liberal. To win though, he's been brainwashed by the GOP. This puts him in an awkward position because his "beliefs" are not his own. Romney is the biggest puppet in the history of puppets. He's not very good at hiding it. It means he'll pander to the loudest voice. That loudest voice is special interests and their money. It's all telling. He's got no soul. He's a shell of a human being with no personal positions on anything. Only what he's been told. It comes across as lying because he has no idea what he's fighting for. He's just fighting blindly to WIN. Not serve the USA and it's people, simply WIN.
Did anyone else notice the Masonic symbol Romney wore on top of the USA flag on his lapel? What was that about?
It's a secret service emblem given to him by his security detail. They also sell them at the gift shops in DC.
Who caught the statement that Medicaid should be run by the States, because the States do that better than the Federal Gov't?
Mr. Romney the States already run Medicaid. It's Medicare we want to know about, and when you said you would "get rid of ObamaCare as soon as you got into office", I knew that Medicare as we know it is dead. Get ready for the voucher system folks, and bad medical care for anyone except the very rich that can afford it.
Also, he is doing so much on his very first day in office, he will probably have a heart attack by morning. He is still a human being and cannot possibly do all those things in one day!
Your likes are closely related to the content of your comments.
Pennsylvania couldn't run a lemonade stand let alone Medicare.
"Bayonets" as the best line?? Tht's a desperate attempt to award the "best line" trophy to a languishing Obama. The quip revealed that 1)the president thinks the Navy is obsolete (... think about it ...) and 2) he doesn't realize that aircraft carriers ARE ships. I don't think a cheap shot that failed to land was the best line; I think it was this, the final statement of Mr Romney, which is a neat package for the heart of who America is, "hope of the earth."
Since you're obviously too obtuse to understand the point, let me explain it to you. Our military isn't about quantity of ships, it's about their abilities. The point about aircraft carriers was to illustrate that modern ships have greater capabilities.