Last updated on February 7th, 2013 at 06:52 pm
As Barack Obama and Mitt Romney get set to square off in the first presidential debate of 2012, watch it live, and let us know who you think will win.
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Three things to consider while watching the debate:
1). Mitt Romney is a very unpopular nominee. One of the incredible phenomena of 2012 is that the more Romney has campaigned the more his popularity has dropped. Romney saw his popularity drop after every major Republican primary debate, and after the Republican convention. Will Romney somehow get voters to like him during the first presidential debate?
2). The conventional wisdom has been wrong so far.
The conventional political wisdom has said that since the economy is bad, Romney would win. Conventional wisdom said that an incumbent can’t win with a bad economy. Conventional wisdom also believed that Romney would get a bounce in the polls after he clinched the nomination, selected Paul Ryan, and the Republican convention. All of this conventional wisdom has been wrong, so why would anybody believe the conventional wisdom about this debate?
3). Will President Obama play it safe or go for the win?
Obama has a chance tonight to all but put Mitt Romney away. If Obama delivers a solid performance, and Romney struggles, the president could see his momentum actually grow. Obama is leading, so he has a choice. Will he play it safe and view this debate as the first leg of a three phase marathon, or will he go for the knockout?
While you watch keep these things in mind, and feel free to share your predictions in the comment section.
Jason is the managing editor. He is also a White House Press Pool and a Congressional correspondent for PoliticusUSA. Jason has a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science. His graduate work focused on public policy, with a specialization in social reform movements.
Awards and Professional Memberships
Member of the Society of Professional Journalists and The American Political Science Association
