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| US election: Obama and Romney begin Denver debate | US election: Obama and Romney begin Denver debate |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| By Adam Blenford BBC News, Denver | By Adam Blenford BBC News, Denver |
| US President Barack Obama and Republican challenger Mitt Romney have begun the first of three crucial presidential debates. | |
| The pair began by sparring over taxes, with Mr Romney denying that his proposals would add to the US deficit. | |
| The president called for raising taxes on upper income Americans to reduce the deficit and pay for infrastructure investment and education. | |
| Mr Obama has opened up a narrow lead in the race over the past month. | Mr Obama has opened up a narrow lead in the race over the past month. |
| The president opened the debate by saying Mr Romney would "double down on the top-down policies" pushed by former President George W Bush. | |
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| href="http://search.twitter.com/search?q=%23debates" target="_blank">#debatesRather like the Clinton speech, I wonder how many people can follow the details of this debate without pen and paper href="http://twitter.com/BBCNewsUS" target="_blank">@BBCNewsUS | |
| href="http://twitter.com/BBCMarkMardell/status/253672021085536257" title="View this Tweet on Twitter">4 minutes ago href="https://twitter.com/intent/favorite?tweet_id=253672021085536257" title="Favourite on Twitter" class="wi_favourite"> href="https://twitter.com/intent/retweet?tweet_id=253672021085536257" title="Retweet on Twitter" class="wi_retweet"> href="https://twitter.com/intent/tweet?in_reply_to=253672021085536257" title="Reply on Twitter" class="wi_reply"> | |
| #debatesRomney speaking directly to Obama, first real exchange. President looks uncomfortable as he's lectured href="http://twitter.com/BBCNewsUS" target="_blank">@BBCNewsUS | |
| href="http://twitter.com/BBCMarkMardell/status/253669096485445632" title="View this Tweet on Twitter">16 minutes ago href="https://twitter.com/intent/favorite?tweet_id=253669096485445632" title="Favourite on Twitter" class="wi_favourite"> href="https://twitter.com/intent/retweet?tweet_id=253669096485445632" title="Retweet on Twitter" class="wi_retweet"> href="https://twitter.com/intent/tweet?in_reply_to=253669096485445632" title="Reply on Twitter" class="wi_reply"> | |
| RT href="http://twitter.com/LizMair" target="_blank">@LizMair: Interesting watching the women vs. men dial test lines. Women really do dig Obama more, men really do dig Romney more. | |
| href="http://twitter.com//status/253668304101728257" title="View this Tweet on Twitter">18 minutes ago href="https://twitter.com/intent/favorite?tweet_id=253668304101728257" title="Favourite on Twitter" class="wi_favourite"> href="https://twitter.com/intent/retweet?tweet_id=253668304101728257" title="Retweet on Twitter" class="wi_retweet"> href="https://twitter.com/intent/tweet?in_reply_to=253668304101728257" title="Reply on Twitter" class="wi_reply"> | |
| #debatesObama blames Bush, without naming him for debt href="http://twitter.com/BBCNewsUS" target="_blank">@BBCNewsUS | |
| href="http://twitter.com/BBCMarkMardell/status/253668120890331138" title="View this Tweet on Twitter">20 minutes ago href="https://twitter.com/intent/favorite?tweet_id=253668120890331138" title="Favourite on Twitter" class="wi_favourite"> href="https://twitter.com/intent/retweet?tweet_id=253668120890331138" title="Retweet on Twitter" class="wi_retweet"> href="https://twitter.com/intent/tweet?in_reply_to=253668120890331138" title="Reply on Twitter" class="wi_reply"> | |
| target="_blank">#debatesFederal debt now - Romney says it is a moral issue href="http://twitter.com/BBCNewsUS" target="_blank">@BBCNewsUS | |
| href="http://twitter.com/BBCMarkMardell/status/253667472195059713" title="View this Tweet on Twitter">22 minutes ago href="https://twitter.com/intent/favorite?tweet_id=253667472195059713" title="Favourite on Twitter" class="wi_favourite"> href="https://twitter.com/intent/retweet?tweet_id=253667472195059713" title="Retweet on Twitter" class="wi_retweet"> href="https://twitter.com/intent/tweet?in_reply_to=253667472195059713" title="Reply on Twitter" class="wi_reply"> | |
| Content from Twitter. Learn more about content from Twitter. | Content from Twitter. Learn more about content from Twitter. |
| Mr Romney, the former Massachusetts governor, denied he would cut taxes on wealthy Americans and said Mr Obama had distorted his proposals on the campaign trail. | |
| Clashing repeatedly with moderator Jim Lehrer over the time clock, Mr Romney said that in order to reduce the US budget deficit he would repeal Mr Obama's 2010 healthcare law and cut subsidies to US public television, among other unspecified programmes. | |
| "You raise taxes and you kill jobs," Mr Romney warned. | |
| Mr Obama characterised Mr Romney's approach to deficit reduction as "unbalanced" because he had previously ruled out tax increases. | |
| "There has to be revenue in addition to cuts," Mr Obama countered, calling for an end to "corporate welfare" tax breaks for oil companies and corporate jets. | |
| He said Mr Romney's plan would result in "severe hardship for people" and "would not help us grow". | |
| Mr Romney, meanwhile, said Mr Obama's proposals had rewarded "losers" like a failed solar power company. | |
| The president is ahead of Mr Romney in national polls and in many recent polls conducted in the swing states that will decide the election. | |
| Virtual strangers | |
| The latest national survey, released on Tuesday by NBC News and the Wall Street Journal, shows Mr Obama leading, but by just 49% to 46%. | |
| Mr Romney has struggled in the polls since a secretly filmed recording emerged of him telling a private fundraising event that the 47% of Americans who did not pay income tax viewed themselves as "victims" and were dependent on government help. | Mr Romney has struggled in the polls since a secretly filmed recording emerged of him telling a private fundraising event that the 47% of Americans who did not pay income tax viewed themselves as "victims" and were dependent on government help. |
| Wednesday's debate at the University of Denver is the first time voters across the US have the chance to see Mr Obama and Mr Romney on stage together. | Wednesday's debate at the University of Denver is the first time voters across the US have the chance to see Mr Obama and Mr Romney on stage together. |
| Despite the long presidential campaign, the pair are virtual strangers and have met just three or four times in the past. | Despite the long presidential campaign, the pair are virtual strangers and have met just three or four times in the past. |
| They took the stage in Denver for a 90-minute face-off divided into six 15-minute segments. Moderator Jim Lehrer of US public broadcaster PBS has said the economy will dominate the night, with the role of government and the prospect of governing also up for discussion. | They took the stage in Denver for a 90-minute face-off divided into six 15-minute segments. Moderator Jim Lehrer of US public broadcaster PBS has said the economy will dominate the night, with the role of government and the prospect of governing also up for discussion. |
| Republicans in Denver suggested Mr Romney might attempt to turn the discussion to foreign affairs, amid continuing anger over a deadly attack on the US consulate in Benghazi, Libya. | Republicans in Denver suggested Mr Romney might attempt to turn the discussion to foreign affairs, amid continuing anger over a deadly attack on the US consulate in Benghazi, Libya. |
| A large national audience is expected for this first debate: the opening head-to-head of the 2008 election attracted more than 50 million television viewers across the US. | A large national audience is expected for this first debate: the opening head-to-head of the 2008 election attracted more than 50 million television viewers across the US. |
| The candidates' body language will be heavily scrutinised, as will their tone of voice and how they handle themselves under pressure. Media pundits and campaign spin doctors will seize on any gaffe or mis-statement in an effort to claim victory. | The candidates' body language will be heavily scrutinised, as will their tone of voice and how they handle themselves under pressure. Media pundits and campaign spin doctors will seize on any gaffe or mis-statement in an effort to claim victory. |
| Both candidates' messages are well-honed, and their sharp words for each other are familiar to millions of swing-state voters who have faced an onslaught of mostly negative TV advertisements in recent months. | |
| Running mate jibes | Running mate jibes |
| Mr Romney's campaign message is that Mr Obama's stewardship of the US economy has been a dismal failure. He points to an enduringly high unemployment rate (currently 8.1%) and poor job growth, and says his experience in business will turn the US economy around. | Mr Romney's campaign message is that Mr Obama's stewardship of the US economy has been a dismal failure. He points to an enduringly high unemployment rate (currently 8.1%) and poor job growth, and says his experience in business will turn the US economy around. |
| Mr Obama, by contrast, says his opponent offers little except a rehashing of the "failed" Republican policies that caused the economic crash of 2008. | Mr Obama, by contrast, says his opponent offers little except a rehashing of the "failed" Republican policies that caused the economic crash of 2008. |
| The president proposes tax rises for the wealthiest Americans to help reduce the federal budget deficit, and says his opponent's plans would hurt the middle class. | The president proposes tax rises for the wealthiest Americans to help reduce the federal budget deficit, and says his opponent's plans would hurt the middle class. |
| But critics say neither man has fully fleshed out his economic policies, and doubts remains about how either Republican or Democrat will tackle the $15tn (£9.3tn) US deficit. | But critics say neither man has fully fleshed out his economic policies, and doubts remains about how either Republican or Democrat will tackle the $15tn (£9.3tn) US deficit. |