Who Won the Presidential Debate: Romney Won, and Will Win the Presidency

PolicyMic ^ | October 22, 2012 | Amy Sterling Casil

[2ndDivisionVet]

Covering a lot of ground, from Libya and Syria to Iran, Afghanistan, and Iraq, the third presidential debate was alternately frustrating, boring, and repetitive. Mitt Romney grew stronger throughout the debate, while the President grew weaker. Romney's closing statement struck the exact right note of working in a bi-partisan manner to "carry the torch" of freedom back to America in the future.

Romney also did something the President neglected to do: He asked for the job.

The President may have hurt himself with a few snarky comments early in the debate with comments like, "I'm glad you recognize Al Qaeda as a threat," and "You seem to think foreign policy is playing Battleship."

Another way the President hurt himself was his repeated tendency to use his answering time to attack Mitt Romney. Romney himself pointed this out toward the end of the debate, saying, "Attacking me does nothing to answer the question about China."

Mr. Romney maintained a benign expression through most of the debate, while the President looked more aggressive and dismissive while Mr. Romney was speaking. Throughout the past two debates, this aggressive demeanor has proven appealing to the Democrat party base, and less appealing to undecided and independent voters.

The Romney team has said that Mr. Romney selected the approach, tone and demeanor for this debate. He maintained a "happy warrior" demeanor throughout, with only a few disagreements with the President that veered toward the contentiousness of the second debate.

Based on a strong closing statement that looked and sounded presidential, Romney won the debate. Offering a more clear vision for the future and a positive vision, Romney did the job he needed to do. As to the President, Victor Davis Hanson identified the issue.

I had a lot of Obamas in class. They sat in the front of the room, posed long eloquent questions, mellifluously interrupted the lectures with clever refinements and qualifications, often self-referenced all that they had read and done — and then pow!: you grade their first test and there is simply nothing there: a D or F. It was quite stunning: how could a student be so confident in his rhetoric and so dismal in his performance?

It's been that way for the past four years. I am certain Mr. Obama believes he "won." He also thought he didn't even need to ask for the job. All he had to do was repeat his assertion that he is "fighting for Americans" and "thinking of them." If there is one thing the past four years has proven, it's that the thought does not count.

For a full recap and analysis of the debate, including real-time play by play, see here.

[UCANSEE2]

Yes. I heard Obama talk about being a pretend Jew.

And I heard him say he is arming our enemies, to kill our former allies, TWICE.

I heard him say he had stopped terrorist activity since he took office (if you don't count the school shootings, movie theater shootings, shootings at a SPA (Islamic spa) today, the murder of our Ambassador and other Americans, and the complete destruction of our Embassy, and over a hundred 'protests' throughout the Middle East on the anniversary of 9/11, and 20,000 manpads to the terrorists, and Pakistani Nukes to the terrorists, and....

I'm running out of breath.

[noinfringers2]

There were two matters that rang my political bell. One was as you observed Romney’s remark about leaning across the aisle to get bi party agreements on issues. I thought I was voting for issues the Repubs were going to develop with an invitation for the other side to join in or suffer political consequences. I don’t believe that ‘compromise agreements’ with democrats the like of Axelrod and Jarret will guarantee the USA is back on the track for a Constitutional rooted government. Which brings me to my second matter. Why is it the Repubs are afraid to stand up openly for our Constitution. I expect such from the likes of Obama and his enablers who extend all the way to international cabals, but for any Repub not to remind people what our National roots are is not to my liking for a POTUSA candidate. It is like the 4th of July is actally a one day soap opera. Did I miss something in tonight’s debate?

[EDINVA]

If you listened carefully you’d have heard him say he would work with GOOD Democrats. Where he finds “good” Democrats is anyone’s guess. He probably can find one or two here and there on a variety of issues where a Dem would be in accord with Rs.

[Anima Mundi]

It was a masterful display of chess vs. checkers. For 90 minutes Romney walked subtly towards his closing statement. He showed instead of told us things like: this is why Obama can’t get things done, he can’t work with people, can’t graciously accept a point even when the other side is agreeing, he has an edge and a temper and jumps around from this to that without an overarching concept to weave things together.After watching an unreasonable and petulant Obama for 90 minutes. In his closing statement Romney summed up what we had just seen. He stated once again how he worked with the other side when he was Governor. Then he gave a larger picture of “America”. He showed leadership. Meanwhile, Obama seemed unable to connect thoughts in a coherent way or to connect to a larger idea, or to conceptualize at all. While in the moment it may have felt that Obama was jabbing, in the end he walked right into a carefully set trap.

[wayne_shrugged]

I wasn’t able to see or hear the debate but I hope that it is as you described. From your lips to G-d’s ears!

[trebb]

I think you can rest assured Romney will pick competent advisors and listen to them. He had no real ammo tonight as Zero was the only one with “practical experience” so should have won handily but could not close the deal. Mitt would have looked like a fool if he came out with a “cogent” policy so he did what he needed to do.

[Caipirabob]

Romney is the winner, tonight, and on November 6, 2012.

Thanks for the post, Onyx. I saw your earlier posts on the thread and I hurt for your, but later when I saw Romney politely shredding obama on China and the economy, I felt much better. I'm glad it picked you and just about everyone else up, too.

OTOH, I had a battle last night trying to keep my wife from hurling the IPad through the TV every time obama lied (moved his lips...) That was the most thrilling part of the debate for me.