Were the MSNBC pundits spooked into groupthink by the debate 'snap polls'? [View all]

[anAustralianobserver]

If Obama had been as rude, manic and uncomfortable to watch as Romney was, and displayed that bizarre frozen contemptuous smile - and if there were no dubious snap polls to bias first impressions - would the punditocracy have felt they needed to declare Obama the winner on style/theatrics?

Or would a consensus have emerged that Obama theatrically came off as a little unhinged, flighty, bizarre, a loose cannon and so on - and may have blown it?

I was more alarmed by the MSNBC punditry jumping to their consensus (Al Sharpton being an exception from what I saw) than I was by Obama's relatively passive but competent and cohesive performance.

How will the MSNBC pundits react if snap polls right after the second or third presidential debate say Romney won 55-45?

I'm worried they'll be suckered into stating it was a "draw on style, a win for Obama on substance" or some similar feebleness, and that this might work to crystallise the perception of these debates.