Vivvo CMS 4.1 http://www.pri.org/ &copy;2010 Spoonlabs d.o.o. http://www.pri.org/files.php?file=rss_682409203.gif http://www.pri.org/ http://www.pri.org/stories/politics-society/romney-obama-set-to-meet-in-first-of-three-debates-wednesday-night-11663.html Politics and Society Wed, 03 Oct 2012 09:26:00 -0500 Mitt Romney and Barack Obama will both try to score points, convey a vision and push their candidacy closer to winning on Election Day in November. While the election is still some 30 days away, early voting is already going in a number of states. Politics and Society Wed, 03 Oct 2012 10:30:17 -0500 Would it really be a debate? I don&#039;t really see it, because I don&#039;t expect anything new to come up. Both candidates have actually covered so far every subject imaginable that was thrown at them, and there is nothing new left to sink their teeth into. The candidates have been preparing for this debate by checking their menus, and re-spicing or re-portioning issues descriptions to make their answers more palatable and easier for the audiences to swallow. I don&#039;t expect, therefore, to see any jaw-dropping in the national audience, but I expect a lot of shrugging and listeners recalling: &quot;I heard that before!&quot;<br /> <br /> What do I expect from tonight&#039;s debate? A lively rehash! I predict plenty of smirking by the weakling Romney, an Obama trying to look presidential, and the national audience struggling to make sense of the unavoidable flip-flapping by the candidates! <br /> <br /> Whereupon, I view the debate as the confetti of the presidential campaign, with the balloons to come later - after November 6! Nikos Retsos, retired professor PRI: Public Radio International