Who Won the Presidential Debate 2012: Twitter Wins Again

Post-Debate

Maybe it was my fault for being excited about waking up at 2:30 in the morning (in Denmark) to watch the final presidential debate. Frankly, I was a bit disappointed. Luckily, twitter provided entertainment and worthwhile commentary when Romney and Obama failed. 

After the first presidential debate, the Atlantic argued "Twitter Won the Presidential Debate" as it was the "most tweeted about U.S. political event in history." I would say, twitter wins again! Or, the Giants overtake the presidential debate for Californians, as my Facebook timeline would argue.

3 Debate Moments from the Twittersphere

1) Horses, Bayonets and Battle Ships

"It's not a game of battleship where we're counting ships, it's 'What are our priorities?'" Obama to Romney full clip on Huffington Post and Mashable reports that Obama's 'Horses and Bayonets' Zinger Sinks Twitter's Battleship. It is the most tweeted moment according to @gov twitter's official government twitter page.

2) We All Love Teachers

Turns out Obama and Romney both love teachers, or at least claim to. Wow. Maybe teachers beat out twitter?   

3) Romney says America is the "Hope of the Earth"

Surely Romney plans to release his new policy on climate change in a few days...

UPDATE:

10:30 Mitt - If Obama is re-elected the US will turn into Greece!

10: 15 Rise of China! Let's try answering the questions guys, and not just talking about the economy.

10:11 It is actually possible to have a debate on foreign policy without knowing anything. Romney as evidence.

10:10 Mitt - is it a failed state or fragile?

10:01 Polish friend to me - how can you listen to these guys sober?

9:59 What if questions are silly? I agree with Romney, we should not ask "what if" questions. Wow, I am agreeing with Romney.

9:50 Obama: highlights working with people in the diplomatic community.

9:37 Obama defends teachers in a foreign policy debate, and I like it.

9:34 Romney high-lights time zone and language opportunites in Latin America, what does that even mean?

9:32 Obama mentions clean energy. Yes!

9:30 America must be strong means the US needs a stronger military for peace... Romney will not cut the military budget. 

9:26 Mitt: Our purpose is peace... so let's shift discussion to the economy!

9:25 Regret's when it comes to Egypt? Obama harkens back to defending democracy in Egypt. Rights of women are critical to development. Entrepreneuship conferences for Egyptians. Nice.

9:12 Mitt wants to kill bad guys, how simple!

9:05 Mentioning Cuba and Libya... Romney is lookin' slick. Romney can't handle Muslim Brotherhood. Muslim equals terrorism?

Pre-Debate

In the third and final debate of the season, Governor Romney and President Obama faced off at Lynn University in Boca Raton, Florida. 

Florida: The Land of Swing Voters, Hanging Chads and Felons Who Can't Vote

Full disclosure: In 2008, I worked for Barack Obama's Campaign for Change in Lakeland, Florida. A central location in the I-4 corridor located in the middle of Florida, a prime swing state. Lakeland was featured in an article in the French newspaper Le Mond as being a "microcosm of the U.S.".

Florida as the back drop to this debate brings up memories of hanging chads, from the Florida recount of 2000, the seemingly never-ending media focus on the swing voter, as well as old-school voting laws, that do not allow former felons to vote. This time around, the focus is on foreign policy. 

Foreign Policy: Israel, Iran, Libya, China and Questions of Power

As Romney and Obama "cram" for the debate those of us who have halfway been paying attention to foreign policy in the present world order know that there are some key issues that may be up for the Obama-Romney remix. Questions regarding what should be done about Iran as a growing nuclear threat to Israel, the the region, and the world. What happened in Libya and "who is to blame" for the death of the U.S. Ambassador to Libya? Lastly, there is also a fear of China, as an emerging world power that could pose a threat to the U.S. as the global military and economic power house. And of course, there is always the military budget, but that remains more so a fact than a question.

Let us not forget that the final debate will be a question of personal power as well, who looks more powerful to prospective voters, will undoubtedly come in to play. 

Let's hope no one suffers from Romnesia tonight, and we can get through it, without too many interruptions.