Just Being Blunt

The most recent debate between President Obama and Governor Romney was probably the most tense presidential debate I have ever seen. There were times where I thought they were going to lose it and have it out on national TV. In the beginning, it was clear that both Romney and Obama wanted to try to intimidate the other but they just ended up talking over one another; at times I thought I was watching a scary episode of The Real Housewives. The tide really shifted after questions about social issues started being asked. When it comes to social issues like abortion/contraceptives, gay marriage, and illegal immigration, Mitt Romney's far-right beliefs puts him on the opposite side of the majority of Americans. Since Mitt's beliefs gave him a disadvantage in the debate, he simply pretended that they didn't exist. Not only did he completely evade the question on equal pay (probably because he has repeatedly said that he was against the Lily Ledbetter act that requires companies to pay women the same as they pay male employees doing the same work), but he flat out lied when asked if he thinks a woman should have to ask her boss if they can get contraceptives. Mitt endorsed the Blunt Amendment which does not allow contraceptives to be covered on insurance policies. Under the Blunt Amendment, women have to ask their boss's to give them access to contraceptives. When asked about this amendment in the debate, this was Mitt's response, "I don’t believe employers should tell someone whether they could have contraceptive care of not. Every woman in America should have access to contraceptives". I imagine that this statement made Romney's senior advisor, Eric Fehrnstrom slap his forehead. 

Romney's performance went completely downhill for the rest of the night. What I think happened was he wasn't really prepared for Obama to be as strong a debater this time as he was, he started feeling insecure with his policies, and this sense of impotency made him start to lie.