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| Romney display cheers GOP but Florida debate watchers go for Obama | Romney display cheers GOP but Florida debate watchers go for Obama |
| (30 days later) | |
| If Mitt Romney was judged an easy winner of the first presidential debate, the opinion polling didn't take place in Brenda Bengis's house. | If Mitt Romney was judged an easy winner of the first presidential debate, the opinion polling didn't take place in Brenda Bengis's house. |
| Even the solitary Republican supporter present at her debate party, which attracted a room full of registered Democrats, decided the president had come out on top. | Even the solitary Republican supporter present at her debate party, which attracted a room full of registered Democrats, decided the president had come out on top. |
| "Romney just about brought me to my limit, and if he keeps this up I'm going to turn Democrat," said Jean Ezell, a chaplain and musician from Coral Springs, Florida, where Bengis's gathering took place. | "Romney just about brought me to my limit, and if he keeps this up I'm going to turn Democrat," said Jean Ezell, a chaplain and musician from Coral Springs, Florida, where Bengis's gathering took place. |
| Ezell said she connected more with Obama's "sense of purpose" and what he had to say during the debate, rather than Romney's repeated attacks on the president's first-term record. | Ezell said she connected more with Obama's "sense of purpose" and what he had to say during the debate, rather than Romney's repeated attacks on the president's first-term record. |
| "It's not about a party, it's about purpose – and it's not just about electing a president, it's about who is the best candidate who wants what's best for all Americans," she said. | "It's not about a party, it's about purpose – and it's not just about electing a president, it's about who is the best candidate who wants what's best for all Americans," she said. |
| Ezell, a Republican voter for 30 years, was a surprise visitor to the cheese-and-wine party hosted by Bengis, a Miami-based lawyer and part-time Democratic party fundraiser who counts Hillary Clinton among her friends and also receives Christmas cards from the Obamas. | Ezell, a Republican voter for 30 years, was a surprise visitor to the cheese-and-wine party hosted by Bengis, a Miami-based lawyer and part-time Democratic party fundraiser who counts Hillary Clinton among her friends and also receives Christmas cards from the Obamas. |
| The gathering was advertised – without Bengis's knowledge, as it turned out – on a Democratic party events website, and Ezell figured she would "just enter my zip code to see what was happening locally." | The gathering was advertised – without Bengis's knowledge, as it turned out – on a Democratic party events website, and Ezell figured she would "just enter my zip code to see what was happening locally." |
| The rest of the audience – a mixture of seniors, lawyers, party activists and young professionals with a Ferrari – all decided that Obama had the upper hand, despite Romney's aggressive approach and the president's subdued tone and unconvincing body language. | The rest of the audience – a mixture of seniors, lawyers, party activists and young professionals with a Ferrari – all decided that Obama had the upper hand, despite Romney's aggressive approach and the president's subdued tone and unconvincing body language. |
| "Both of them did fine, but I would have expected more from Romney given that the debate was more critical for him," said Mark Peikin, a business investment consultant who recently moved to South Florida from New Jersey to set up an executive real estate company. | "Both of them did fine, but I would have expected more from Romney given that the debate was more critical for him," said Mark Peikin, a business investment consultant who recently moved to South Florida from New Jersey to set up an executive real estate company. |
| "He appeared sincere and confident, but he was inconsistent on some things and didn't offer any solutions. He spoke about the regulation of investment banks and said he would repeal it without having any alternative." | "He appeared sincere and confident, but he was inconsistent on some things and didn't offer any solutions. He spoke about the regulation of investment banks and said he would repeal it without having any alternative." |
| Romney's attacks on Obama's flagship Affordable Care Act – dubbed 'Obamacare' – were shouted down by several of older attendees, some of whom are neighbours in the sprawling King's Point community for seniors in nearby Tamarac, where vice-president Joe Biden stopped by for a campaign rally last week. | Romney's attacks on Obama's flagship Affordable Care Act – dubbed 'Obamacare' – were shouted down by several of older attendees, some of whom are neighbours in the sprawling King's Point community for seniors in nearby Tamarac, where vice-president Joe Biden stopped by for a campaign rally last week. |
| The gathering, in fact, was largely subdued until the first mention of the word "Medicare" about 25 minutes in. | The gathering, in fact, was largely subdued until the first mention of the word "Medicare" about 25 minutes in. |
| "He's a liar," retiree Joey Ginsberg shouted at the screen when Romney insisted he did not support making changes to Medicare for seniors even as he defended his intention to repeal Obamacare. | "He's a liar," retiree Joey Ginsberg shouted at the screen when Romney insisted he did not support making changes to Medicare for seniors even as he defended his intention to repeal Obamacare. |
| And when Romney said that his proposed alternative retained several provisions of Obama's act, such as healthcare cover for pre-existing conditions and allowing young people to remain on their parents' policies, lawyer Jerry Schreiber's dander was up. | And when Romney said that his proposed alternative retained several provisions of Obama's act, such as healthcare cover for pre-existing conditions and allowing young people to remain on their parents' policies, lawyer Jerry Schreiber's dander was up. |
| "Romney's changed his mind again," he said. "Now he's going to keep all the good things in Obamacare. How's he going to pay for it?" | "Romney's changed his mind again," he said. "Now he's going to keep all the good things in Obamacare. How's he going to pay for it?" |
| Nobody said they had expected either candidate to deliver a game-changing performance, with Obama, in Schreiber's view at least, probably happy with how the debate had gone. | Nobody said they had expected either candidate to deliver a game-changing performance, with Obama, in Schreiber's view at least, probably happy with how the debate had gone. |
| "Romney has to strike to come out on top while Obama just wants the status quo," he said. "But nothing was going to change my mind." | "Romney has to strike to come out on top while Obama just wants the status quo," he said. "But nothing was going to change my mind." |
| Bengis, who had to make hasty preparations for an influx of strangers after local party officials nominated her as a party host, then omitted to tell her, thought Obama scored highly in his comments over healthcare. | Bengis, who had to make hasty preparations for an influx of strangers after local party officials nominated her as a party host, then omitted to tell her, thought Obama scored highly in his comments over healthcare. |
| "He's very confident and tempered," she said. "I have to say I often find him erudite and he sends me to sleep when he speaks but tonight I was really impressed." | "He's very confident and tempered," she said. "I have to say I often find him erudite and he sends me to sleep when he speaks but tonight I was really impressed." |
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