Posted on 10/23/2012 4:31:30 AM PDT by RoosterRedux
CHARLES KRAUTHAMMER: I think it's unequivocal, Romney won. And he didn't just win tactically, but strategically. Strategically, all he needed to do is basically draw. He needed to continue the momentum he's had since the first debate, and this will continue it. Tactically, he simply had to get up there and show that he's a competent man, somebody who you could trust as commander in chief, a who knows every area of the globe and he gave interesting extra details, like the Haqqani network, which gave the impression he knows what he's talking about. But there is a third level here, and that is what actually happened in the debate.
We can argue about the small points and the debating points. Romney went large, Obama went very, very small, shockingly small. Romney made a strategic decision not go after the president on Libya, or Syria, or other areas where Obama could accuse him of being a Bush-like war monger. Now I would have gone after Obama on Libya like a baseball bat, but that's why Romney has won elections and I've never had to even contest them. He decided to stay away from the and I think that might have actually worked for him.
What he did concentrate on is the big picture. People don't care what our policy on Syria is going to be. They care about how America is perceived in the world and how America carries itself in the world. And the high point is when he devastatingly leveled the charge of Obama going around the world on an apology tour. Obama's answer was ask any reporter and they will tell you it wasn't so.
(Excerpt) Read more at realclearpolitics.com ...
Oh, not to worry. Today he'll be back at some safe community college somewhere, teleprompter in place, with god-like reverb resonating his every word. The Emperor is never far from his clothes.
Never mind the little bastard patronizing Romney, did barry even tell the truth one time last night?
g liberals giving Romney credit for thoughtfulness and non-bellicosity.
Hope you are right xzins, truly, I do.
As an unhappy masshole, “I doubt it” (local joke!)
Candidate #1: You ordered an attack on Smallville
Candidate #2: There is no such place. 2+2=5
Moderator: There is no such place, and we have never attacked anyone.
Why bother trying? The undecideds will make up their minds based on facial expressions, tone of voice, sweating, etc.
Well said, Devil Dog. Chris Wallace previewed Romney's strategy minutes before the debate. As another pundit wrote this morning, the demeanor of both candidates confirms that Romney has a solid lead, and Romney let the air out of the ball last night with a four corners offense that unnerved Obama and frustrated his plan to land a desperate knockout punch. Obama unwisely appeared condescending and bitter, while Romney appeared Presidential.
His entire narrative leading up to it was "Obama is Dead", Al Kiaeda is on their heels".
All of the liberal spinners have beem proclaiming his foreign policy accumen for months now.
Unfortunately reality got in the way of his narrative.
This Bengazi story will continue to drip, drip, drip over these final two weeks. Making him look foolish for acting so superior and condescending towards Mitt durring the debate. Only some very big event (bombing Libya maybe) can help at this point.
Look for a "hail Mary".
Exactly. Romney was playing to independents and women and so he could not beat up on Obama too much. Attacking Obama harshly would satisfy our conservative bloodlust but might hurt him with women and independents.
Polls after the debate showed Romney winning among undecided.
Last night removed Virginia from swing state to Romney.
Thats a win in my book.
Mitt avoided the minefields that the Left had laid for him. If he had been as aggressive as many of us had originally hoped, there was danger lurking. Did you notice how as things progressed, Zero seemed more agitated and frustrated? Mitt avoided the minefileds and it kept Zero from using what he thought was going to be the killing blow. The word on the street was that Mitt was goiung to be overly aggressive and the Zero campaign laid all their eggs in that basket. I think Mitt did better than most of us will ever know.
That is what Romney did last night.
I know that makes many of you on FR very unhappy.
This was a mine field for Romney. Agreed, he should have been more forceful on Benghazi. The RATS and the lib MSM were looking for something to label Romney as a war monger and they didn’t get it. Romney showed himself to be presidential all this to get the favor of independents and women (as a peace loving guy). People who have made up their minds won’t be swayed by this debate. Romney has plenty of areas to go after Obama and with the aid of his surrogates, this should not be a problem.
He didn't need to. As you yourself noticed, Obama hammered himself.
Romney learned his lesson from the last debate, Obama will simply lie and the MSM will cover for him.
It would have looked like Romney was using Libya for political reasons.
My favorite lines.
By the way, you didn’t go to Israel.
By the way, they noticed.”””
These lines had impact, IMO.
Obama has not been to Israel during his tenure as President.
He did visit Israel before he was sworn in, and I think even before the 2008 election. Yet, he has castigated Romney for doing such a visit this year.
He has been to countries all around Israel, but not the place he calls ‘our best ally in the region’.
Pelosi & Reid can claim anything they wish about how many times Obama has been to Israel as President, but they are lying.
As the saying goes—you can have your own clothes, car & house. You cannot have your own facts.
A freeper once said a while back that there is an N-number of Islamics that will need to be killed before this is over.
It chillled my blood.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.