This article is from the source 'guardian' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.
You can find the current article at its original source at http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2012/oct/04/romney-obama-debate-live-gifs
The article has changed 8 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.
| Version 2 | Version 3 |
|---|---|
| Romney and Obama debate for the first time – as presented in live GIFs | Romney and Obama debate for the first time – as presented in live GIFs |
| (30 days later) | |
| Let the giffing begin | Let the giffing begin |
| Welcome to a bold new way of watching the debates. No more will you be forced to sit and wait for zingers, eye-rolling and funny faces. With live-GIFing, Tumblr and the Guardian bring you the very best moments of the debate, in easily consumable GIF form. | Welcome to a bold new way of watching the debates. No more will you be forced to sit and wait for zingers, eye-rolling and funny faces. With live-GIFing, Tumblr and the Guardian bring you the very best moments of the debate, in easily consumable GIF form. |
| If you believe what the Obama and Romney campaigns are saying, then both candidates are awful, AWFUL debaters. In fact, Obama will be lucky if he manages not to fall off the stage, while poor Mitt has been struggling to sleep due to freight trains. | If you believe what the Obama and Romney campaigns are saying, then both candidates are awful, AWFUL debaters. In fact, Obama will be lucky if he manages not to fall off the stage, while poor Mitt has been struggling to sleep due to freight trains. |
| Anyway. Let's go! | Anyway. Let's go! |
| Handshakes, arm-grabbing | Handshakes, arm-grabbing |
We're off! Look at that firm handshake. Look at those false smiles. Is that hand-on-arm an alpha-male attempt by Obama? | We're off! Look at that firm handshake. Look at those false smiles. Is that hand-on-arm an alpha-male attempt by Obama? |
| Let's hope he doesn't go all Al Gore on us. | Let's hope he doesn't go all Al Gore on us. |
| More arm-grabbing | More arm-grabbing |
| A woman grabbed Mitt Romney's arm once, you know. It was back in 1963, when he was trying to cut off the hair of an effeminate classmate. Not really. The woman was complaining that her husband had had three part-time jobs in the past four years and couldn't hold down a permanent position. (Couldn't she try to find work?) Anyway, this is clearly a failing of the Obama administration. | A woman grabbed Mitt Romney's arm once, you know. It was back in 1963, when he was trying to cut off the hair of an effeminate classmate. Not really. The woman was complaining that her husband had had three part-time jobs in the past four years and couldn't hold down a permanent position. (Couldn't she try to find work?) Anyway, this is clearly a failing of the Obama administration. |
| Obama had opened by saying Romney would introduce a $5tn tax cut. That is not the way to go, Obama says. | Obama had opened by saying Romney would introduce a $5tn tax cut. That is not the way to go, Obama says. |
| Laughter, weirdness | Laughter, weirdness |
gifwich: "Remember, there's a third party; you don't have to vote for Mirack Obamney." | gifwich: "Remember, there's a third party; you don't have to vote for Mirack Obamney." |
| Not entirely sure what this means, and I'm also quite scared by it, but THIS IS LIVE-GIFFING | Not entirely sure what this means, and I'm also quite scared by it, but THIS IS LIVE-GIFFING |
| Lehrer neck works | Lehrer neck works |
Your host, Jim Lehrer, there, displaying a fine range of neck movement. | Your host, Jim Lehrer, there, displaying a fine range of neck movement. |
| Mitt Romney + Coal + Zoolander | Mitt Romney + Coal + Zoolander |
Mitt Romney likes coal. But he thinks he's got the black lung, pop. | Mitt Romney likes coal. But he thinks he's got the black lung, pop. |
| Pins, hatred | Pins, hatred |
Flag pins. Is that a blemish on Mitt Romney's? Does he HATE AMERICA? More as we get it. | Flag pins. Is that a blemish on Mitt Romney's? Does he HATE AMERICA? More as we get it. |
| Killa swag | Killa swag |
gifwich: "swag" | gifwich: "swag" |
| Swag indeed. Over at the Guardian's debates live blog, Richard Adams has this: | Swag indeed. Over at the Guardian's debates live blog, Richard Adams has this: |
| Obama picked out the tax breaks for the oil companies as something to be abolished and for some reason Romney - who seems to want to rebut everything that Obama says, and thus sounds hectoring – wants to defend it: | Obama picked out the tax breaks for the oil companies as something to be abolished and for some reason Romney - who seems to want to rebut everything that Obama says, and thus sounds hectoring – wants to defend it: |
| Romney: It's actually an accounting treatment that's been in place for a 100 years. | Romney: It's actually an accounting treatment that's been in place for a 100 years. |
| Obama: It's time to end it. | Obama: It's time to end it. |
| Pia-pia-piano, piano, piano | Pia-pia-piano, piano, piano |
I'm playing The Road To Spain | I'm playing The Road To Spain |
| Big Bird | Big Bird |
MITT ROMNEY LIKES BIG BIRD. Is this one of the famous zingers he's been working on for TWO MONTHS? | MITT ROMNEY LIKES BIG BIRD. Is this one of the famous zingers he's been working on for TWO MONTHS? |
| The revelation came up in a chat about tax cuts that took a weird turn and ended up on Sesame Street. Obama likes Big Bird as well, BTW. Ah, Big Bird. | The revelation came up in a chat about tax cuts that took a weird turn and ended up on Sesame Street. Obama likes Big Bird as well, BTW. Ah, Big Bird. |
| Three-headed beast | Three-headed beast |
"Expensive things hurt families," Mitt Romney said. That's Mitt Romney, the man with a car elevator and multiple homes. And he has a lovely family! Five bouncing boys, who eagerly lick Paul Ryan's face and slobber all over his jacket, as per the Onion. | "Expensive things hurt families," Mitt Romney said. That's Mitt Romney, the man with a car elevator and multiple homes. And he has a lovely family! Five bouncing boys, who eagerly lick Paul Ryan's face and slobber all over his jacket, as per the Onion. |
| There's Mitt Romney with three heads by the way. "A head for every stance he's taken on abortion," a more cruel man than me might say. | There's Mitt Romney with three heads by the way. "A head for every stance he's taken on abortion," a more cruel man than me might say. |
| WUT is this | WUT is this |
WUT. Not entirely sure what moment this refers to. Big Bird? Obamacare? | WUT. Not entirely sure what moment this refers to. Big Bird? Obamacare? |
| Have some analysis, courtesy of Richard Adams. | Have some analysis, courtesy of Richard Adams. |
| The Mitt Romney we are seeing tonight is pretty much the steamroller Mitt Romney we saw during the Republican primaries: disciplined and stuffed full of lists and lines of arguments. | The Mitt Romney we are seeing tonight is pretty much the steamroller Mitt Romney we saw during the Republican primaries: disciplined and stuffed full of lists and lines of arguments. |
| It's effective enough as a debating style but it won't do anything to burnish his public image as a warm, personable type of guy. "That's one example, here another," is a repeated trope of Romney's. | It's effective enough as a debating style but it won't do anything to burnish his public image as a warm, personable type of guy. "That's one example, here another," is a repeated trope of Romney's. |
| Obama is typically cool but more relaxed, frequently smiling, speaking more slowly and more calmly than Romney. | Obama is typically cool but more relaxed, frequently smiling, speaking more slowly and more calmly than Romney. |
| Romney and moderator Lehrer have had a couple of jousts as Romney keeps trying to talk over his limit, and Lehrer finally wins a couple of those. "Let's talk about…" says Romney. "Let's not," says Lehrer firmly. | Romney and moderator Lehrer have had a couple of jousts as Romney keeps trying to talk over his limit, and Lehrer finally wins a couple of those. "Let's talk about…" says Romney. "Let's not," says Lehrer firmly. |
| The force is strong with this one | The force is strong with this one |
This bit was brilliant. Obama just whipped out this lightsaber, waved it around for a bit while talking about how Romney and Ryan would decimate Medicare, then, with one fell blow, cleaved Mitt Romney's head from his shoulders. Everyone in shock. | This bit was brilliant. Obama just whipped out this lightsaber, waved it around for a bit while talking about how Romney and Ryan would decimate Medicare, then, with one fell blow, cleaved Mitt Romney's head from his shoulders. Everyone in shock. |
| Rabbiting, on | Rabbiting, on |
Ah, gestures. | Ah, gestures. |
| They're on to discussing education in Denver, by the way. Mitt Romney says he "loves good schools", after Obama accuses him of not wanting to hire more teachers. | They're on to discussing education in Denver, by the way. Mitt Romney says he "loves good schools", after Obama accuses him of not wanting to hire more teachers. |
| Romney says education should be handled at state level, not by the federal government. | Romney says education should be handled at state level, not by the federal government. |
| The verdict from most political reporters on social networking websites is that Romney is doing well here, with Obama struggling. (Read into that what you will). Romney has seemed more passionate than Obama though, which is saying something given the former Massachusetts governor is usually renowned for his wooden-ness. | The verdict from most political reporters on social networking websites is that Romney is doing well here, with Obama struggling. (Read into that what you will). Romney has seemed more passionate than Obama though, which is saying something given the former Massachusetts governor is usually renowned for his wooden-ness. |
| While Romney speaks, Obama tends to look down at his podium, jotting notes, which doesn't come over too well on television. | While Romney speaks, Obama tends to look down at his podium, jotting notes, which doesn't come over too well on television. |
| Zooming | Zooming |
ZOOM! | ZOOM! |
| Closing statements in Denver now. Obama mentions a concerned woman he met in North Carolina. He says when he took office he said he is not a perfect person, and he "wouldn't be a perfect president". He said he would fight every day, though, and by jove he has, Obama says. | Closing statements in Denver now. Obama mentions a concerned woman he met in North Carolina. He says when he took office he said he is not a perfect person, and he "wouldn't be a perfect president". He said he would fight every day, though, and by jove he has, Obama says. |
| Romney says if Obama is re-elected health premiums would go up for everyone. Not under him. Romney is looking straight into the camera, while Obama spoke to the hall. Romney's tactic looks better. | Romney says if Obama is re-elected health premiums would go up for everyone. Not under him. Romney is looking straight into the camera, while Obama spoke to the hall. Romney's tactic looks better. |
| Face-off | Face-off |
This is the most beautiful thing to come out of tonight, including anything Mitt Romney might have said about Big Bird. | This is the most beautiful thing to come out of tonight, including anything Mitt Romney might have said about Big Bird. |
| Lehrer, conducting | Lehrer, conducting |
Lehrer might as well have been doing this at times, to be honest. | Lehrer might as well have been doing this at times, to be honest. |
| "There's not a lot of love for Jim Lehrer," says the Guardian's Richard Adams. | "There's not a lot of love for Jim Lehrer," says the Guardian's Richard Adams. |
| End game | End game |
Who won? WHO WON!? | Who won? WHO WON!? |
| I started typing this as a rhetorical question, but basically it looks like the answer is Romney. You can look forward to the night being dissected by the media for the next two weeks, until the next presidential debate. (The vice-presidential one is next week of course). | I started typing this as a rhetorical question, but basically it looks like the answer is Romney. You can look forward to the night being dissected by the media for the next two weeks, until the next presidential debate. (The vice-presidential one is next week of course). |
| On NBC people are saying Obama should have "gone on the attack". They must have missed the lightsaber. | On NBC people are saying Obama should have "gone on the attack". They must have missed the lightsaber. |
| Gifs created by Topher Price, Bobby Finger, Lacey Micallef and Mr Gif | Gifs created by Topher Price, Bobby Finger, Lacey Micallef and Mr Gif |
| Our editors' picks for the day's top news and commentary delivered to your inbox each morning. | |
| Our editors' picks for the day's top news and commentary delivered to your inbox each morning. Enter your email address to subscribe. |