I think the mention of terror in the Rose Garden was just a fortuitous insertion by Obama overwhelmed by his broader words and deeds. But Romney made a tactical mistake by emphasizing a relatively narrow verbal point over the broader substance of the issue. The sad thing is that the superficial debate theatrics arising from this error is going to hinder any further needed discussion on this issue.
This is true. However, Candy Crowley did not escape unscathed either in this and had to walk back her impudent interruption. On balance, while Romney attacked too narrowly, multiple days of rehashing this argument gives his side the opportunity to back up further discussions about his with the constant lock-step wag-the-dog accusation that this planned terrorist attack was not due to an unforseeable movie, but due to utter incompetence within the Executive Branch and State Department.