Scarsdale Dems React To First Debate

Editor's Note: To hear the Republican reaction, read the Patch story here.

In Scarsdale, and across the country, the first Presidential Debate is the talk of the day and the Dems are sharing their strong opinions.

"I think (Gov. Mitt) Romney probably won, unfortunately," former Scarsdale Democratic Committee Chair and current Westchester County Democratic Committee Chairman Mark Lewis told Patch today. "I think he kind of bullied the moderator, and therefore, a lot of topics weren't covered because he just kept going on and on."

Lewis, a Scarsdale resident, said what stood out from last night's debate was the fact that former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney "lied about his positions."

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"I think Romney definitely lied about his position on Medicare for future generations," he said. "What happened to the 47 percent of people that...he doesn't care about?"

Overall, Lewis said he believes President Barack Obama "missed a lot of opportunities to hit back hard on Mr. Romney, which was unfortunate."

The main question remaining after the debate is how will Romney cut taxes and the tax rate, he asked, wanting to know what deductions he will make and what programs will be eliminated.

"I have a lot of problems with where Romney stands I know where Obama stands," Lewis stated.

Fellow Scarsdale resident and current Scarsdale Democratic Committee Chairman Alan Goldston agrees. 

"It did seem to me that Romney was stepping away from the program that he has been campaigning on," Goldston told Patch. "I thought that was unfortunate because it one, was dishonest, and two, prevented honest discussion of the issues."

"That has been characteristic of that campaign," Goldston said. "I disapprove of being dishonest with the voters."

When asked about Romney's planned tax cuts, the chairman said he finds it difficult to digest.

"The notion of forever talking about reducing taxes" without talking about programs and cuts and what "taxes pay for is silly," Goldston said. "Nobody wants to pay taxes. But stuff needs to get done."

Bridges need to be repaired, water needs to be sanitary and roads need to be repaved, he noted. "The single-minded focus on cutting taxes without addressing what we are going to do to pay for the things we need seems very shallow," Goldston said.

What is your opinion on the debate & the issues? Share your thoughts in the comments section.