So, How About That Debate?

So: That debate last night, huh? The New York Times has the entire video of the debate broken down with fact checks here, which is pretty nice.

Two quick things: I was immediately engaged when the debate started off with a question by Jeremy, a college student worried about his job prospects after he graduates — an obviously relevant question to the sort of things we talk about on this site. The answers weren’t too satisfying (we’ll create jobs, and high-paying ones!). Jeremy had a pretty sad look on his face when President Obama talked about focusing on rejuvenating manufacturing jobs (his look read: I’ll have to work in a manufacturing plant?). I would have really liked both candidates to talk about fixing the student debt problem — perhaps next time (but, unlikely?). The Seattle Post-Intelligencer says the president had a missed opportunity to counter Gov. Romney’s desire to keep the Pell Grant program growing (Rep. Paul Ryan wants to slash funding for Pell Grants).

In the discussion about pay equity, Gov. Romney talked about “binders full of women,” which instantly became a meme, and the president talked about the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act, but The Nation says he could have pushed the discussion even more.

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