Last updated on October 18th, 2012 at 06:36 pm
Romney had a very awkward, possibly seriously damaging Libya moment in the second debate in which he claimed that President Obama had not called the attacks in Libya a terrorist attack for 14 days, only to be immediately fact-checked by the moderator Candy Crowley. After Crowley fact-checked Romney, Obama shouted out, “Can you say that a little louder Candy?”
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ROMNEY: I think it’s interesting the president just said something which is that on the day after the attack, he went in the Rose Garden and said that this was an act of terror.
OBAMA: That’s what I said.
ROMNEY: I want to make sure we get that for the record, because it took the president 14 days before he called the attack in Benghazi an act of terror.
CROWLEY: He did in fact, sir.
OBAMA: Can you say that a little louder, Candy?
CROWLEY: He — he did call it an act of terror.
#RomneyExposed – What Folks are Saying on Romney’s Libya Moment:
Taegan Goddard @politicalwire That exchange on Libya was Romney’s Gerald Ford moment. He was lost and not presidential at all.
Chuck Todd @chucktodd Team Romney is going to wish they had that Libya moment back.
daveweigel @daveweigel How the hell does Romney lose a round on Libya? And lose that badly?
The Washington Post @washingtonpost Moderator corrects Romney. Day after attack, Obama did call #Libya an act of terror.
Jon Ralston @RalstonReports Romney looks deflated, realizing what just happened on Libya, as he rotely answers gun question.
Blake Hounshell @blakehounshell Hey Zeus that Romney meltdown on Libya was amazing.
Ben Domenech @bdomenech Worst answer of the night. RT @NKingofDC: Romney just lost a lot of ground on the Libya front.
Josh Greenman @joshgreenman Romney lost this Libya exchange badly.
Blake Hounshell @blakehounshell Romney blew his big chance on Libya. Now compounding his mistake. Obama: “Get the transcript.”
Philip Klein @philipaklein Romney really blew the Libya exchange. Shocking.
David Corn @DavidCornDC Romney didn’t read the NYT today, which noted Libyan eyewitnesses said some attackers did say they were mad about YouTube video. #debate
Sabrina Siddiqui @SabrinaSiddiquinow The audience is clapping, Candy is correcting Romney, Obama is roasting his opponent. Libya not going Romney’s way at all. #debates
jasoncherkis @jasoncherkis It’s come to this. Romney now debating with Crowley.
Ari Melber @AriMelber Romney was faltering in this debate, and then at the end he reminded everyone that his opponent is the Commander in Chief.
Reid Epstein @reidepstein Lots of unauthorized cheering in the crowd there for Candy’s factcheck of Romney.
Chuck Todd @chucktodd Another potential tense moment. Obama stares down Romney on Libya. Rough moment there for Romney; “act of terror” line was in there
Michael Cohen @speechboy71 Weak answer by Romney here. Surprised; figured this Libya answer would be teed up
Josh Greenman @joshgreenman Obama expressing umbrage now, and it’s believable. “That’s not what we do.”
jeremy scahill @jeremyscahill RT @jstrevino HUGE MISS by Romney on Libya. Huge.
Daniel Drezner @dandrezner Romney just stepped in it, and stepped badly.
Michael Cohen @speechboy71 This Libya exchange is horrendous for Romney
Josh Greenman @joshgreenman Romney lost this Libya exchange badly.
The Washington Post@washingtonpostnow Moderator corrects Romney. Day after attack, Obama did call #Libya an act of terror.
Ben Domenech @bdomenech Again, Romney is at his weakest on foreign policy. Just not strong, not ready. Which is why Obama’s strongest debate will be last one.
msnbc @msnbc The moment from tonight everyone will remember: Candy Crowley fact-checking Romney on Benghazi. #msnbc2012
Anthony De Rosa @AntDeRosa FACT CHECK: Obama called Benghazi attack an “act of terror” during Rose Garden address http://soup.ps/SZdMQA #debates
Blake HounshellVerified @blakehounshell Romney is just flat wrong. “Am I incorrect in this regard?”
George Zornick @gzornick Obama in the Rose Garde, 9/12: “No acts of terror will ever shake the resolve of this great nation” http://1.usa.gov/UKvx5p #boom
Josh Barro @jbarro That exchange went badly for Romney and was an own goal.
Neil King @NKingofDC Romney just lost a lot of ground on the Libya front.
Matt O’Brien @ObsoleteDogma Fact-checking back and forths have not been good for Romney. He should move on.
Mike O’Brien @mpoindc Not. A. Great. Moment. For. Romney.
Charles M. Blow @CharlesMBlow Romney lost this debate 20 minutes ago… #debate
Chuck Todd @chucktoddnow Team Romney is going to wish they had that Libya moment back.
Ryan Lizza @RyanLizza1m Bit of a train wreck for Romney there.
Marc Caputo @MarcACaputo Obama’s get-yout-shinebox moment: “Get the transcript.” When Crowley agrees w/him, says “can you say that a little louder.”
Jon Ralston @RalstonReports Is it possible Obama turned the best question of the night for Romney into a win? Be fascinating to see reaction from real people.
Andy Carvin @acarvin Crowley just fact-checked Romney on Benghazi. Audience clapped.
David Firestone @fstonenyt Who briefed Romney on Obama’s remark? Amazing that he would blow it this badly in a major debate.
John Heilemann @jheil The Hillary followup allowed Obama to step up — and win the final exchange. The right will trash Candy tmw like crazy, but she was right
Don Lemon @DonLemonCNN That was actually brilliant. Maybe the line of the night.#PleaseProcedeGovernor #Debate2012 #CNNDebate #CNN
daveweigel @daveweigel How the hell does Romney lose a round on Libya? And lose that badly?
The Washington Post @washingtonpost Moderator corrects Romney. Day after attack, Obama did call #Libya an act of terror
Jeffrey Goldberg @JeffreyGoldberg Obama leading from the front on that “who’s responsible” answer.
Joel Gehrke @Joelmentum Really surprised Romney handled the Libya question so badly.
Matt Yglesias @mattyglesias “The president’s policies in the Middle East began with an apology tour”—just straight-up lying right?
Joe Scarborough @JoeNBC Romney is fumbling through a question on Libya that he should be owning.
Daily Intel @DailyIntel Obama seems legitimately angry at the notion that members of his administration would play politics with the Benghazi attack.
Jonathan Weisman @jonathanweisman Ooh, Obama was ready for this. Suggestion that anyone would play politics with ambassador’s death is offensive.
Brutal, just brutal. Romney was planning on telling President Obama to “man up” on Libya but instead, Romney lost his pants.
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