Couldn't agree more. And the infamous "Lockbox/Strategery" SNL parody was classic as well. :lol:

 

Good times.

 

Will Ferrell had GW's look of befuddlement down pat. I smile just thinking about those skits.

I'll lay my reaction down before I listen to the pundits and commentary.

 

Think it's hard to argue Romney didn't come away with the better half of that one, especially at the beginning which might be the most important part. He seemed a lot more polished and animated than I've seen him on the trail. Obama seemed to be hedging his bets and playing it safe. Romney was a lot more aggressive as well and pushed around Lehrer quite a bit, which is fair game. Obama was much more tentative in that regard. I think Obama had a much stronger half on healthcare, but Romney didn't make any errors.

 

Basically I think Romney won the perception battle and did what he hoped to do. Obama made no obvious blunders or gaffes but wasn't particularly strong. We'll see what the polls say. I imagine they tighten a bit, but it's hard to say it's a game changer.

Slam dunk for Romney... Took the fight to Obama early then held his advantage to the end..

I am someone who has been more behind Obama, however I must admit Mitt Romney did very well tonight. However the President did well enough to, to where it was not like Romney blew it out of the water.

 

Romney presented a lot of good ideas, but what concerns me is the fact on how he seems to flip flop on things. He is not even President and tonight he started to preach a little bit of a different plan that what he had been saying. It was like he was trying to say just what the people would want to hear. Also in Romney's plan it all depends on creating new jobs, his whole plan on everything seems to go back to that. So if he is unable to create a lot of new jobs, his whole plan basically sinks. So that is worrisome.

 

The same could have been said about Obama 4 years ago though, saying things that people just wanted to hear but no way he could follow through on all of it. So for me I still at the moment am going with Obama, because I believe he is the lesser of the two evils. He at least knows now what it is like in office, and how you can't get all the plans you want to happen. Romney I feel like won the debate tonight just based on how he presented himself, while the President just played it safe. However I don't feel like Romney won it enough to change really anyones minds on who they are voting for yet. I feel like the President would be better in his 2nd four years, than Romney would be in his first 4 years.

I'll lay my reaction down before I listen to the pundits and commentary.

 

Think it's hard to argue Romney didn't come away with the better half of that one, especially at the beginning which might be the most important part. He seemed a lot more polished and animated than I've seen him on the trail. Obama seemed to be hedging his bets and playing it safe. Romney was a lot more aggressive as well and pushed around Lehrer quite a bit, which is fair game. Obama was much more tentative in that regard. I think Obama had a much stronger half on healthcare, but Romney didn't make any errors.

 

Basically I think Romney won the perception battle and did what he hoped to do. Obama made no obvious blunders or gaffes but wasn't particularly strong. We'll see what the polls say. I imagine they tighten a bit, but it's hard to say it's a game changer.

 

I think Romney was very strong. Do you think it will seem bigger than it actually was because the people expected Obama to "win" this debate?

Surprised that Obama didn't use the 47% comment. He wasn't in attack mode.

I think Romney was very strong. Do you think it will seem bigger than it actually was because the people expected Obama to "win" this debate?

 

That and it appears the consensus reaction has been overwhelming in Romney's favor. That seems to matter quite a bit more than the debate itself. I imagine Obama will do considerably better in the next two debates, since those are formats and topics that cater to him, but he took a hit tonight.

I think Romney was very strong. Do you think it will seem bigger than it actually was because the people expected Obama to "win" this debate?

 

People expected Obama to win the debate tonight? Romney has always shown that he does very well at debates, and besides that history has shown that the challenger in the first debate usually always wins.

I'll lay my reaction down before I listen to the pundits and commentary.

 

Think it's hard to argue Romney didn't come away with the better half of that one, especially at the beginning which might be the most important part. He seemed a lot more polished and animated than I've seen him on the trail. Obama seemed to be hedging his bets and playing it safe. Romney was a lot more aggressive as well and pushed around Lehrer quite a bit, which is fair game. Obama was much more tentative in that regard. I think Obama had a much stronger half on healthcare, but Romney didn't make any errors.

 

Basically I think Romney won the perception battle and did what he hoped to do. Obama made no obvious blunders or gaffes but wasn't particularly strong. We'll see what the polls say. I imagine they tighten a bit, but it's hard to say it's a game changer.

 

Agree.

 

Romney was effective in making jobs his theme for the night. He scored his biggest points, IMO, on the Green Energy argument.

 

Obama's high point of the night was in health care, but he could have done even better in that regard. He should have went harder at Mitt.

 

Pretty convincing victory for Romney, and as you stated I expect Obama to be much stronger.

A poll I saw afterwards showed Romney won by a sizable advantage with undecideds. Something like 48% to 22% for Obama.

A poll I saw afterwards showed Romney won by a sizable advantage with undecideds. Something like 48% to 22% for Obama.

 

46% Romney

22% Obama

32% Tie

Agree.

 

Romney was effective in making jobs his theme for the night. He scored his biggest points, IMO, on the Green Energy argument.

 

Obama's high point of the night was in health care, but he could have done even better in that regard. He should have went harder at Mitt.

 

Pretty convincing victory for Romney, and as you stated I expect Obama to be much stronger.

 

It was a tough road for Obama to hoe on the economy since the numbers are so dire, so I think his strategy was to not sound triumphant or condescending (I've seen a lot of liberals/Democrats complain he didn't hit Romney on the 47% comment, and I assume this is why) and hope Romney walked into a blunder. But, Romney put up a very good performance and Obama didn't seem very crisp otherwise. Like I've said before, these debates come down a lot more on the side of perception than substance, and this was a good performance by Romney, maybe even out of character. I assume Obama will be much sharper in the town hall format and on foreign policy, but he sacrificed a lot tonight.

People expected Obama to win the debate tonight? Romney has always shown that he does very well at debates, and besides that history has shown that the challenger in the first debate usually always wins.

 

Right on target futurecoach. This was Romney's debate to lose. The only way Romney loses this one is by looking incompetent or making a big blunder. He not only did neither, he came out strong and carried that through the night. Because of that he played add on and picked up even more favor than he was going to get automatically for showing everyone he is competent. It was a clear win for Romney tonight. But for some reason I see Obama as that cagey veteran boxer who is just sizing up his opponent, waiting for him to make a mistake and then turning it on when he really needs it.

It was a tough road for Obama to hoe on the economy since the numbers are so dire, so I think his strategy was to not sound triumphant or condescending (I've seen a lot of liberals/Democrats complain he didn't hit Romney on the 47% comment, and I assume this is why) and hope Romney walked into a blunder. But, Romney put up a very good performance and Obama didn't seem very crisp otherwise. Like I've said before, these debates come down a lot more on the side of perception than substance, and this was a good performance by Romney, maybe even out of character. I assume Obama will be much sharper in the town hall format and on foreign policy, but he sacrificed a lot tonight.

 

That's an interesting observation. I couldn't believe the 47% never came up.

 

Romney was better because he was on the attack, forced the President to defend a terrible record, & basically bullied around Jim Lehrer (which was comical).

 

My summary is that Romney did what he desperately needed to do, which is inject some life in his candidacy & force the conversation back onto Obama's record.

 

But like you say, Obama will not approach the next debate in sitting-on-a-lead fashion. He'll come out swinging, as Romney did tonight.

On the humorous side of things, did Jim Lehrer hit anyone else like he was the red stapler guy in the basement office in the movie Office Space as Romney and Obama talked right over him.

 

But...but...but...I just....wait...no....

 

I got some good laughs after that image came to mind about half way through the debate. Someone find and post the clip for me.