The headlines in the local New York newspapers made it sound like they were reporting on a boxing match or a football championship game. The New York Times claimed Rivals Bring Bare Fists to Rematch and For the President, Punch, Punch, Another Punch. The front page of the Daily News told how Bam Boom Obama Lands Punches in Fierce Round 2 Comeback. Inside, we learned Recharged Obama, Mitt Romney tangle in contentious duel at Hofstra. The New York Post, which barely qualifies as a newspaper, told readers how Mitt, Bam go blow to blow.
http://www.nydailynews.com/...
http://www.nydailynews.com/...
But the second 2012 Presidential Debate at Hofstra University should have been about more than political theater. After all the United States will be electing the most who is supposed to lead the nation and the world out of its current economic doldrums and will head the most powerful military force in the history of the globe.
But politics in the United States seems to be increasingly a spectator sport. While the television numbers were strong, off campus the crowds were light. Police and private security lingered with little to do. Most students stayed home and those that attended on campus events were largely intent on grabbing the “swag” provided by candidates and media outlets to add to the festive nature of the happening.
On Hempstead Turnpike and at the free-speech stage in the School of Education parking lot there were only a few hundred protesters and they had no coherent message. Groups ranging from 10 to 20 people each were pro and anti-abortion, pro and anti-war, demanded student debt relief, support for people with HIV, and the legalization of marijuana. There was one creative giant puppet portraying Romney’s Bain Capital as a Incredible Hulk like monster. The Green Party candidate for President who was barred from the debate was arrested when she tried to crash the party at about 2 o’clock in the afternoon. Unfortunately it was before the media was really set up to record the event.
The Gallup organization chose 82 uncommitted voters from the New York area to ask questions at the 2012 Hofstra Presidential Debate, although it is unclear how they found 82 uncommitted voters at this point in the campaign.
As a teacher and teacher educator, I have been trying to direct students to look less at the pageantry and the attitudes of the candidates and more at what they actually said, which frequently had little to do with the questions that were asked. I put together an activity sheet for classroom use. Here are the questions and partial answers by the candidates with some minimal editing for the sake of coherence. I always show Mitt Romney’s reply first although during the debate they took turns.