Obama, Romney Tackle Sensitive Issues In #Debates

Incumbent US president Barack Obama (@BarackObama) and Republican contender Mitt Romney (@MittRomney) faced off last October 3, 2012 to start the first of three #debates for the upcoming presidential election on November 6. The debate was held in Denver and lasted 90 minutes and covered a variety of topics. The presidential debates are a vital part of the entire election process as they give citizens a chance to place candidates side-by-side and hear them out live on a number of key issues.

#Debates Trends

Naturally, the first of three debates generated buzz on the Twitterverse, with users either expressing support or criticising the contenders. Despite the polar opinions, however, one thing's for sure -- the hashtag #debates is doing very nicely on the micro-blogging platform. Here's the activity so far.

Quotes From Part 1 of the US Presidential Debate

Here are some of the best exchanges between the two candidates.

What Romney Had to Say

On the economic plan of Barack Obama, Romney expressed his concern that the country is currently on a route that was proven to be ineffective. Romney stated that Obama had the very same vision and objective when he was on the way to becoming President 4 years ago. The approach that intends to tax, spend and regulate more from the people does not seem to be doing any good for the country. On the federal deficit, Romney said that it is immoral for the current generation to continuously spend more than what it?s earning. The future generation will be the one to get hit the hardest because they will be the ones inheriting the debt and interest. Romney further talked about education by saying the schools can be more competitive by grading the institutions. On taxes, Romney shared his inclination to cut huge taxes and minimize the money going to the government. He intends to lower the taxes of middle-income Americans. He also showed his interest in helping middle-income Americans in terms of healthcare.

What Obama Had to Say

Obama countered Romney?s seemingly good intentions for middle-class Americans by saying that his plans were very vague and incomplete. Lowering the rates and taxes will not solve the problem because all other aspects of the nation will also be affected by budget cuts. It is generally impossible to maintain the focus and expect the benefits to be derived by the middle class Americans only without affecting the rich citizens. Jobs will not be available by reducing the rates. According to Obama, there wasn?t excessive oversight and regulation of Wall Street. On education, Obama said that options are not freely available for students to get the type of education that they?re aiming for. As for healthcare, Obama said that he and Romney basically have the same plan and approach. The system that Romney prepared in Massachusetts was due to the absence of a more reliable means to address a problem that was already existent for a long time. Did you follow the first of three debates? What did you think about both candidates' platforms? Tell us in the comments!