Politics
Election 2012: Obama attacks Romney at 2nd debate – Obama wins
U.S. President Barack Obama (r) speaks as Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney (l) and moderator Candy Crowley (c) listen during a town hall style debate at Hofstra University October 16, 2012. PHOTO/Getty Images
President Barack Obama lashed into Mitt Romney on Tuesday over the Republican’s criticism of his handling of a deadly attack on the U.S. diplomatic mission in Libya and sought to cast him as unfit to become commander-in-chief.
Obama fought back against his rival’s accusations that he had played down the September 11 assault by Islamist militants in Benghazi that killed the U.S. ambassador and three other Americans. Romney, appeared stunned as Obama launched a finger-wagging counterattack over an issue that has become a flashpoint with just three weeks to go in a presidential race considered too close to call.
Obama, vastly more animated than in his first debate, accused Romney of misleading voters about his record on China, the U.S. auto industry and U.S. energy production.
“What Governor Romney said just isn’t true,” Obama said in one of several exchanges. He was referring to Romney’s description of the 2009 bailout of General Motors and Chrysler, when Romney opposed the heavy infusion of federal funds to help the companies survive bankruptcy.
Obama used similar language to describe Romney’s assessment of U.S. oil production, and the president’s immigration policies.
Romney took his own whacks at the president’s trustworthiness. But Romney was at his best when he kept things simple and forward-looking. He said Obama’s four-year record is the best indicator of what a second term would bring.
“If you were to elect President Obama, you know what you’re going to get,” Romney said. “You’re going to get a repeat of the last four years. We just can’t afford four more years like the last four years.”
