美国总统大选奥巴马罗姆尼辩论稿

(APPLAUSE)JIMLEHRER:Thirtyseconds,folks.Let'shaveaterrificevening,forallofyouandforourcountry.GoodeveningfromtheMagnessArenaattheUniversityofDenverinDenver,Colorado.I'mJimLehrerofthePBSNewsHour,andIwelcomeyoutothefirstofthe2012presidentialdebatesbetweenPresidentBarackObama,theDemocraticnominee,andformerMassachusettsGovernorMittRomney,theRepublicannominee.Thisdebateandthenextthree--twopresidential,onevicepresidential--aresponsoredbytheCommissiononPresidentialDebates.Tonight's90minuteswillbeaboutdomesticissuesandwillfollowaformatdesignedbythecommission.Therewillbesixroughly15-minutesegmentswithtwo-minuteanswersforthefirstquestion,thenopendiscussionfortheremainderofeachsegment.ThousandsofpeopleofferedsuggestionsonsegmentsubjectsorquestionsviatheInternetandothermeans,butImadethefinalselections.Andfortherecord,theywerenotsubmittedforapprovaltothecommissionorthecandidates.ThesegmentsasIannouncedinadvancewillbethreeontheeconomyandoneeachonhealthcare,theroleofgovernmentandgoverning,withanemphasisthroughoutondifferences,specificsandchoices.Bothcandidateswillalsohavetwo-minuteclosingstatements.Theaudiencehereinthehallhaspromisedtoremainsilent--nocheers,applause,boos,hisses,amongothernoisydistractingthings,sowemayallconcentrateonwhatthecandidateshavetosay.Thereisanoiseexceptionrightnow,though,aswewelcomePresidentObamaandGovernorRomney.(APPLAUSE)Gentlemen,welcometoyouboth.Let'sstarttheeconomy,segmentone,andlet'sbeginwithjobs.Whatarethemajordifferencesbetweenthetwoofyouabouthowyouwouldgoaboutcreatingnewjobs?Youhavetwominutes.Eachofyouhavetwominutestostart.Acointosshasdetermined,Mr.President,yougofirst.PRESIDENTOBAMA:Well,thankyouverymuch,Jim,forthisopportunity.IwanttothankGovernorRomneyandtheUniversityofDenverforyourhospitality.TherearealotofpointsIwanttomaketonight,butthemostimportantoneisthat20yearsagoIbecametheluckiestmanonEarthbecauseMichelleObamaagreedtomarryme.AndsoIjustwanttowish,Sweetie,youhappyanniversaryandletyouknowthatayearfromnowwewillnotbecelebratingitinfrontof40millionpeople.(LAUGHTER)Youknow,fouryearsagowewentthroughtheworstfinancialcrisissincetheGreatDepression.Millionsofjobswerelost,theautoindustrywasonthebrinkofcollapse.Thefinancialsystemhadfrozenup.AndbecauseoftheresilienceandthedeterminationoftheAmericanpeople,we'vebeguntofightourwayback.Overthelast30months,we'veseen5millionjobsintheprivatesectorcreated.Theautoindustryhascomeroaringback.Andhousinghasbeguntorise.Butweallknowthatwe'vestillgotalotofworktodo.Andsothequestionheretonightisnotwherewe'vebeen,butwherewe'regoing.GovernorRomneyhasaperspectivethatsaysifwecuttaxes,skewedtowardsthewealthy,androllbackregulations,thatwe'llbebetteroff.I'vegotadifferentview.Ithinkwe'vegottoinvestineducationandtraining.Ithinkit'simportantforustodevelopnewsourcesofenergyhereinAmerica,thatwechangeourtaxcodetomakesurethatwe'rehelpingsmallbusinessesandcompaniesthatareinvestinghereintheUnitedStates,thatwetakesomeofthemoneythatwe'resavingaswewinddowntwowarstorebuildAmericaandthatwereduceourdeficitinabalancedwaythatallowsustomakethesecriticalinvestments.Now,itultimatelyisgoingtobeuptothevoters,toyou,whichpathweshouldtake.Arewegoingtodouble-downonthetop-downeconomicpoliciesthathelpedtogetusintothismess?OrdoweembraceaneweconomicpatriotismthatsaysAmericadoesbestwhenthemiddleclassdoesbest?AndI'mlookingforwardtohavingthatdebate.LEHRER:GovernorRomney,twominutes.GOV.MITTROMNEY:Thankyou,Jim.It'sanhonortobeherewithyou,andIappreciatethechancetobewiththepresident.I'mpleasedtobeattheUniversityofDenver,appreciatetheirwelcome,andalsothepresidentialcommissiononthesedebates.Andcongratulationstoyou,Mr.President,onyouranniversary.I'msurethiswasthemostromanticplaceyoucouldimaginehere--herewithme.SoI...(LAUGHTER)Congratulations.Thisisobviouslyaverytendertopic.I'vehadtheoccasionoverthelastcoupleofyearsofmeetingpeopleacrossthecountry.IwasinDayton,Ohio,andawomangrabbedmyarm,andshesaid,I'vebeenoutofworksinceMay.Canyouhelpme?AnnyesterdaywasatarallyinDenver,andawomancameuptoherwithababyinherarms,andsaid,Ann,myhusbandhashadfourjobsinthreeyears,part-timejobs.He'slosthismostrecentjob.Andwe'venowjustlostourhome.Canyouhelpus?Andtheansweris,yes,wecanhelp,butit'sgoingtotakeadifferentpath,nottheonewe'vebeenon,nottheonethepresidentdescribesasatop-down,cuttaxesfortherich.That'snotwhatI'mgoingtodo.Myplanhasfivebasicparts.One,getusenergyindependent,NorthAmericanenergyindependent.Thatcreatesabout4millionjobs.Numbertwo,openupmoretrade,particularlyinLatinAmerica,crackdownonChina,ifandwhentheycheat.Numberthree,makesureourpeoplehavetheskillstheyneedtosucceedandthebestschoolsintheworld.We'reafarwayfromthatnow.Numberfour,getustoabalancedbudget.Numberfive,championsmallbusiness.It'ssmallbusinessthatcreatesthejobsinAmerica.Andoverthelastfouryears,small-businesspeoplehavedecidedthatAmericamaynotbetheplacetoopenanewbusiness,becausenewbusinessstartupsaredowntoa30-yearlow.Iknowwhatittakestogetsmallbusinessgrowingagain,tohirepeople.ROMNEY:Now,I'mconcernedthatthepaththatwe'reonhasjustbeenunsuccessful.Thepresidenthasaviewverysim