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Romney faced Obama on TV; bobbyb3 & dr. harvey differed online.
“Dr. harvey” waited more than 90 minutes for the president to drop the “the 47 percent” bomb.
“uhht oooo,” cringed bobbyb3.
“Dr. harvey” is the online handle of Jenadra Harvey, an aspiring doctor and Obama supporter. “Bobbyb3” is Bobby Bynum, a 17-year-old basketball player and Mitt Romney fan. The students (pictured above) are seniors at James Hillhouse High School.
As President Obama and Republican contender Romney faced off Tuesday for their second presidential campaign debate, dr. harvey and bobbyb3 held a debate — and pizza party — of their own inside Jack Paulishen’s AP Government class on the second floor of their school on Sherman Parkway.
Seventeen students joined their teacher and principal for an online discussion hosted here by the Independent as they watched the debate beamed in from Hofstra University on Long Island. Scroll down to the bottom of the story to re-play the live blog and read what the students wrote.
Before the debate began, dr. harvey popped a question on the blog: “Will the 47% be addressed?”
She wanted to see Obama hold Romney to the remarks he let slip at a private fundraiser, where he dismissed the 47 percent of the nation that doesn’t pay federal income tax as “victims” and moochers on the government dole who would never vote for him. Obama didn’t mention the remarks in his decidedly lackluster first debate performance against Romney; Hillhouse’s decidedly pro-Obama class was hoping the president would use the weapon to deliver a more forceful performance Tuesday.
As the debate began, the class began to root for Bobby, too.
Hillhouse senior Trevá Perry.
“We sound like Democrats …We need our classmate Bobby here to loosen the strings, he’s leaning republican,” wrote treva, aka Trevá Perry (pictured).
Bobby, hustling off the basketball court, showed up mid-way through the debate.
“Our Republican classmate is here. YAY!” announced dr. harvey.
“someone give him a computer!!” wrote “a walters.” Paulishen brought Bobby one of the Dell computers from the school’s laptop cart.
Bobby announced his presence as well as the result of the basketball games he had just played: “We won.”
“I came in late was that 47% that Romney fails to care about brought up yet???” he asked.
The answer was no.
“I am the 99 and 47 percent,” declared a walters.
“Oh, and Bobby. You might be a part of that 47%!” wrote dr. harvey.
When an audience member lobbed a softball as the final question — correct a misperception people have about you — Bobby rooted for Romney to clear the record on the 47 percent.
“Set Them STRAIGHT Romney,” pleaded bobbyb3.
“I care about 100 percent of the American people,” Romney pledged.
Dr. harvey crossed her fingers. “Obama neeeeeds to come back with a 47% stance!!!”
A cry of “yes!” — in person, not just on the blog — burst out, with real-life applause, as the president delivered dr. harvey’s wish.
“When he said behind closed doors that 47 percent of the country considered themselves victims, who refuse personal responsibility, think about who he was talking about,” Obama remarked. “Folks on Social Security who have worked all their lives. Veterans who have sacrificed for this country. Students who are out there trying to hopefully advance their own dreams, but also this country’s dreams. Soldiers who are overseas fighting for us right now. People who are working hard every day, paying payroll tax, gas tax, but don’t make enough income.”
“I want to fight for them and that’s what I’ve been doing for the last four years,” Obama declared, winding up for his closing statement.
“47% Was FINALLY Brought Up !” wrote jameisha.
“I’m [psychic] I knew he would use it at the end,” wrote kevin55.
“I am the 47%,” declared dr. jenadra harvey.
“uhht oooo,” wrote bobbyb3.
“We won!” announced a triumphant dr. harvey.
After the debate, Jenadra Harvey, who lives in Newhallville, said she counts herself among the 47 percent. Her sister is raising a kid on WIC and state health care, she said. And her grandparents are on Medicaid.
“How can you be president” and write off 47 percent of the country? she asked.
Bobby Bynum downplayed the remarks. For the record, he said he’s not a Republican. But he would vote for Romney if he could. (He’s only 17.)
He said he thought Romney made the remark because he “needed to reach out” to the diners at a $50,000-per-plate fundraiser, who appeared to be wealthy. He said isn’t offended by the remark: Obama “feels too much for the old and the needy,” he said. Despite his classmates’ urgings, Bobby said, “I don’t feel as though I am the 47 percent.”
Bobby conceded that Obama “seemed to assert himself more” in this debate. But Bobby still gave Romney the win.
A Different GOP Face
Elser gave Paulishen lawn signs to add to his classroom collection.
A different Republican — this one from New Haven — scored more points from the Hillhouse class Tuesday night.
Richter Elser, the chair of the local Republican Party, spoke before the debate along with Democratic Alderwoman Angela Russell.
Asked to describe why he supports Romney for president, Elser made a splash with his candid remarks.
He started with a surprising revelation: “I was not disappointed” when Obama was elected four years ago, Elser said. “I’m not going to talk about who I voted for last time,” he said, but he hinted that it wasn’t Republican John McCain.
This time around, Elser has switched camps. “The real reason I’m supporting Romney is that I’m disappointed” in Obama, he said.
“I’m a gay Republican,” Elser explained. Obama “has not been particularly forthcoming on issues of same-sex marriage and the Defense of Marriage Act.”
Obama shied away from supporting gay marriage for years. He did so only this May after the state of North Carolina, where he was set to hold his party’s national convention, overwhelmingly approved a constitutional amendment barring same-sex marriage. Though Obama and the Democratic party now embrace gay rights, Obama’s support for same-sex marriage came only when it was politically convenient, Elser noted.
“There hasn’t been the degree of change that I had hoped there would be,” he said.
Alderwoman Russell represented Democrats.
Elser’s remarks surprised the Hillhouse crew.
“Rick Elser is really open with us!!” wrote ddozier.
“Richter is the first republican who I actually can sit and listen to without zoning out,” said treva.
Kevin55 was skeptical. “Does he believe that Romney will support gay marriage?”
After the debate, Elser again surprised the room with non-partisan analysis.
“Pres Obama made a much more forceful presentation of his ideas” than he had before, Elser noted. Both candidates “avoided questions,” Elser said, but “Romney had more non-answers than President Obama did.”
Elser noted that according to the CNN graph charting real-time opinions of undecided voters, the only time ratings dipped was when the candidates failed to show each other respect.
Students welcomed his remarks.
“I think you should be running for president, because you represent the republicans very well,” Trevá told Elser.
“This debate watching party and live blogging was a great idea.. got us more involved in politics and allowed a republican speaker to reach out to a biased class. I understood his points, clearer than Romney’s.. i Loved this !!!” she wrote on the blog.
“You can count on my vote if you run for mayor,” piped up another student, who had discussed gay marriage with him over pizza brought in from Yorkside.
Or as dr. harvey blogged: “Rick Elser for the Republican Candidate 2016.”
Elser, who has run unsuccessfully for mayor and U.S. Congress, said he didn’t intend to make a political visit as a candidate Tuesday night. He welcomed the students’ interest in politics.
“We should have more Republicans come to speak,” wrote brandiful, aka Brandi Fullwood, a Hillhouse student and New Haven Independent intern, as the live blog wound down. “I don’t think they are portrayed well in the media. This definitely added to a positive light.”
Click “enter” below to read the full live blog.