First Presidential Debate Predictions

As the general election enters the final phase, the time has come for presidential debates. The always-inclusive, open-minded, and infinitely-informative exchanges of information are an excellent medium form of communication for candidates seeking the high office. Tonight, we will hear from all candidates on the ballot in every state, unless you’re from New Mexico.

The focus of the first debate is domestic policy. With the economy being such an important issue in our present political discourse, it is likely to dominate the discussion. You just won’t hear President Barack Obama ask Mitt Romney why he once supported TARP or Romney ask President Obama why he now supports increasing the debt ceiling. Senator Barack Obama once stated that a raising of the debt ceiling shows a failure of leadership, before taking office. Romney once supported TARP, before the Tea Party movement came to town and forced the Republican Party to start being more conservative. Both points predictably, will be missing from action.

What else does our debate hold for our two candidates?

Presidential politics is always interesting. While this above is just of the many things these two individuals share views on, there are also some differences. Romney will likely run verbal circles around President Obama. Without a script, teleprompter, or other help provided, President Obama isn’t as quick or eloquent on his feet. Romney was seemingly invincible during Republican primary debates, smiling with the talk that was as smooth as the hair, as all his opponents fell trying to take a swing at him.

Of course, if President Obama was really trying, it wouldn’t be hard to hit him. Romney is lockstep with the mainstream Republican Party that is slowly being opposed by the grassroots within. He supports continuing the war on terror, increasing the police state, and essentially maintaining the status quo. If the President thought back a few years, he would realize that opposition to these issues led him to a massive victory over Senator John McCain in 2008.

Romney, however, could easily deflect those points. President Obama opposes the undeclared war on terror? Meet Libya and the skyrocketing drone strikes. President Obama opposes a lack of transparency? Meet the reauthorization of the PATRIOT Act and pushing to extend it longer than even Congressional Republicans wanted. President Obama opposes the status quo? We’re still in Afghanistan, building debt, increasing troop casualties, and plotting recessions with bad Keynesian economic policies.

If both individuals were really trying, this could be a strong debate. Policies could become a major focus instead of rhetoric. But what would politics be with actual facts?

While America watches these two individuals argue about who has brighter colors to display the stars and stripes, with some well painted rhetoric, former Governor Gary Johnson will be responding to the debate online. With the organization enough to appear on the ballots of all fifty states, he is still irrelevant enough to omit, polling in the single digits. But still, both parties are insecure enough to not allow him to enter and have his 89-seconds of fame, Ron Paul-style.

Maybe America will tune into these debates, watch the heated rhetoric fly back and forth, and realize that there is something wrong. They may realize that there is a serious substance deficiency in our political discourse. It’s not likely though, as now is the time to march behind your respective party line. Simply because politics is not about improving the world around us, but rather furthering party supremacy.

So ultimately, what is my prediction for the debates, as far as winners and losers go?

WINNER: Democratic and Republican Party, mainstream media, every political website on the Internet

LOSER: Americans for a better America.

Chris Dixon

About Chris Dixon

Chris Dixon is a libertarian-leaning writer and managing editor for The Liberty Conservative. In addition to his political writing, he also covers baseball for Cleat Geeks and enjoys writing on a number of other topics ranging on Medium.