Locals React to First Presidential Debate

San Diegans had strong feelings about Wednesday night's Obama vs. Romney debate

Locals from both the Republican and Democratic parties gathered around town Wednesday night to watch the first debate of the campaign season between President Barack Obama and Governor Mitt Romney.

Republicans met for a viewing party at a restaurant in Mission Valley, while Democrats watched from their campaign center in Kearny Mesa.

Of course, both parties felt their candidate won the debate, which mainly focused on the economy.

The candidates seemed to set the tone for each viewing party. The GOP supporters were aggressively vocal and lively, much like Gov. Romney’s presentation at Wednesday night’s debate.

Meanwhile, the Democrats seemed a bit less enthusiastic about the president’s performance.

San Diegans for Romney felt the candidate showed his true colors for the first time.

“The reality is he's actually showing people himself, and that's what American people need to know. Who Gov. Romney is and what he stands for,” said Romney campaign volunteer Pamela Hendrickson.

“In my opinion he's hit a homerun. We could stop right now and the deal would be done,” added Romney supporter John Rossito.

On the other side, locals who turned out in support of President Obama felt that he went into more detail about his plans, while Romney skirted the issues.

“The crowd has been very responsive to what Mitt Romney has said. I can just feel the tension and some of the anger that's in the room,” said Obama campaign volunteer Gabriel Romero.

“He's able to explain himself, explain the reasons he's made the decisions that he's done. [He] made the decision to fight for affordable health care,” added Obama campaign volunteer Sharon Morton.

After the debate, members from both local parties said they planned to work into the night on volunteer sign-ups. They also spent hours after the debate on the phones, trying to generate more support for their respective candidates.
 

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