Big Bird, the economy and a presidential boxing match got students riled up Wednesday night for the first presidential debate of the 2012 election cycle.
Democrats and Republicans gathered across the city to listen to President Barack Obama and Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney. From their respective watering holes, students and residents listened, cheered and jeered as the candidates discussed their policies and jabbed their competitor.
About 150 students and residents crowded into a room in the Reitz Union to sit on chairs and on the floor when the space was filled to watch CNN on a projector screen at the Gators for Obama event.
About 100 students and residents gathered at Outback Steakhouse on Archer Road to watch CSPAN on flat-screen TVs and munch on burgers and Bloomin’ Onions, hosted by the Alachua County Republican Party.
“Nothing is really more American than a presidential debate,” said Gators for Obama co-chairwoman Christina Ford, a 20-year-old economics and political science sophomore.
Voters on both sides of the aisle said this election feels personal.
For Jakeila Stringer, UF College Democrats Black Caucus chairwoman, it hits home. The 25-year-old journalism freshman credits her opportunity to attend college to the Pell grant.
State Representative Dennis Baxley, a Republican, said he thinks a lot of young voters have become disillusioned with Obama, and he doesn’t want to give the next generation a diminished future.
“The future is everything to me,” he said.
As the debate neared, the Republican group counted down the last 10 seconds until the words started flowing.
Early in the debate, Obama did a shout-out to the first lady on the evening of their 20th wedding anniversary, causing the Democratic side to swoon and the Republican side to “aww.”
“There are a lot of points I want to make tonight, but the most important one is that 20 years ago I became the luckiest man on Earth, because Michelle Obama agreed to marry me,” he said. “And so I just want to wish, sweetie, you, happy anniversary, and let you know that a year from now we will not be celebrating it in front of 40 million people.”
The debate quickly heated up as topics ping-ponged from the economy to health care to small businesses.
When the debate turned to government funding, Romney said he plans to stop subsidies to Public Broadcasting Service.
“I’m going to stop the subsidy to PBS. I’m going to stop other things. I like PBS. I love Big Bird,” Romney said. “I’m not going to keep on spending money on things to borrow money from China to pay for.”
Republican supporters hooted and cheered, drowning out the blaring televisions. Democrats gasped, laughed and jeered at the comment.
But between jabs about Donald Trump, Obamacare and Romney’s tax plan, students rallied their respective candidates side-by-side with their fellow supporters and on social media.
Political science senior Rafael Escobedo, 22, watched the television screen with enthusiastic attention. He said he’s been waiting for this day since May.
“This is my Super Bowl,” he said.
