Carson area partisans see wide divergence on debate

Carson City area partisans saw Wednesday evening's presidential debate through different eyes and had quite divergent reactions, particularly over Medicare and Obamacare.

When Mitt Romney, the GOP challenger, said it is "time for a new path" the GOP faithful at Romney headquarters on California Street in Carson City cheered.

When President Obama said five weeks before the election Romney seems to be bailing on his tax plan favoring the rich with a belated "never mind," Democrats at the AFSCME union offices laughed and applauded.

But it was Medicare and Obamacare that got the troops going, as much as anything, both at the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees place and in the local Romney headquarters.

Patrick McGuire of Carson City, a retired casino worker, said he wasn't hearing specifics from Romney about Medicare.

"I'm not sure that he has a plan," said McGuire at the Democrats' debate gathering in AFSCME's building at Robinson and Roop streets. "I haven't heard it. It's all rhetoric. There's no substance to it."

Meanwhile, at the Romney gathering, David Cogley of Gardnerville said the debate was going "brilliantly" and he liked the specifics.

"Mitt's ideas are very solid," he said, speaking about jobs.

At age 43, he said, he likes the part of Romney's Medicare plan that shifts things for folks under 55 to something he termed more competitive.

Romney's idea is that those under 55 would have the option of a premium support plan in the private sector or sticking with the current method.

"I like the idea of putting competition in that marketplace," Cogley said. And Cogley gave Romney a blanket endorsement on the debate scorecard.

"I'm loving everything that he has to say," Cogley said.

Lona White, a Carson City Republican who has a few years on Cogley, said Medicare is likely to cost her more if Obamacare stays in place. She said Obamacare also has 21 new taxes embedded in the law.

But back at the gathering to support Obama, the AFSCME 4041 chief of staff was having none of that. Keith Uriarte went right at Romney's ideas.

"The Romney-Ryan plan is a dismantling of Medicare," he said, tying Romney to his vice presidential nominee, Wisconsin Rep. Paul Ryan. Nor did he shrink from questions about Medicare cost.

"It's funded, and we need to continue to fund it," Uriarte said.