I will now admit that the Prez's first debate performance left a lot of room for improvement

[MrScorpio]

But in light of the blatancy of all of Mitt Romney's lies, it's a far cry to say that he actually "won" that debate. Because to say that he won that debate, one would have to reject any notion that substance held any import and that all that was being judged were points on style alone.

Well, even I can see the foolishness in such a position, it's so obvious: If style was the only important thing in this world and substance gets you nowhere, then the people who do that endangers themselves in only living lives that are foppishly absurd, blindly delusional, empty and prone to incompetence.

How can anyone take a person like that seriously?

However, the people who awarded the "win" for Romney, strictly on style points, didn't know this when they did it, but they set the stage for Republican defeats in every other debate afterwards. The President understood that that his problem was substance, thus there was nothing to change in that arena. He maintained his own consistent message, he eviscerated the poor substance of Romney and he stepped up his own game by applying the standards of style set by his critics.

In doing this, the President exposed Mitt Romney as that foppishly absurd, blindly delusional, empty and prone to incompetence person that he most certainly is.

Now, the Romney supporters have changed their tune; style points are now irrelevant since their guy did so poorly in that regard. Ah, sour grapes! So when we hear them complain, although we know this and they are loathe to admit it, but they have only themselves to blame for setting the parameters for winning and finding themselves with eggs on their face when the President stepped up his game by applying their precedent as well and maintaining an adherence to substance over style.

Whine as they will, their tears are much more sweeter that watching them preen and gloat.

[Liberalynn]

1. K&R

[DonRedwood]

2. I believe he effectively let Romney run amok, lying and fibbing, for an hour and a half and that

set the tone for the current issue of Romney's trustworthiness.

While the President comes out with no real damage to his base and nothing that pushed away the independent voters.

Sometimes in a fencing match you give a weak looking thrust to get them to rush forward. Then you stick them like a toad with the hit you were planning all along.

[Dyedinthewoolliberal]

3. yes,

in football it might be likened to a screen pass...........

[redqueen]

8. Well put.

That was my take, too. He gave Romney all the rope he wanted, and Romney lied and lied and lied.

[bemildred]

4. No, he did right to let Romney be the bully first. nt

[regnaD kciN]

5. The polls would disagree with you...

By losing the first debate, Obama gave up 4% in the national popular vote. By winning the second debate (and after Biden's victory in the VP debate) Obama reclaimed only 0.2% of that, and most people expect even less after the third debate. If this was a conscious strategy by Obama, it was one that cost him more that 3.5% in a hair's-breadth election, and may make the difference on 11/6.

[Hutzpa]

14. You must be letting the polls determine your everyday life then

Do you really believe that?

[bemildred]

18. The polls have been remarkably useless this time around. nt

[madrchsod]

6. i will stand by my opinion that obama won the first election

obama by not taking the offense against mittens he exposed mitten`s lies and belligerence toward anyone mittens thinks is below his status in life. obama stood back sized up mittens and waited for the right time to fight on his own terms.

Mohammad Ali could`t have done it any better.

[Frank Cannon]

7. The President is an attorney who didn't sleep through law school.

He deposed Mitt in the first debate and impeached his testimony in the next two. Hell, he didn't just impeach his testimony, he wrapped it around his neck and strangled him with it.

[deaniac21]

9. What I don't get is why the poll

numbers haven't reflected that

[Coyotl]

11. beause the undecides are so few

simple, really

[Hutzpa]

16. No need to break your head

you just have to look at who are being sampled by the polls, what region, gender and race to get an answer.

[deaniac21]

19. Pie Iesu domine, dona eis requiem.

[bonk]
Pie Iesu domine,...
[bonk]
...dona eis requiem.
[bonk]
Pie Iesu domine,...
[bonk]
...dona eis requiem.

[Coyotl]

10. After all three debates, I think the first was a strategic ploy

and part of the three-debate plan aimed at finishing the cycle well ahead of Romney. Romney looked terrible after his expectations had gone way up. That was the game plan. If Romney had been brow beaten in the first round, the reaction would have been very different. This way, Obama coming out swinging was to be expected, not criticized.

[UTUSN]

12. James LIPTON from The Actors Studio told Tweety the reason the Prez was a bit "off"

in the first debate was that he had prepared for a DIFFERENT Bishop Mittens, that the one he had prepared for did not show up, it was somebody else.

I didn't see Bishop Mittens as effective or successful in the first debate (or ever). What I saw was a mouth breathing jerk.

[Hutzpa]

13. Imagine if the president had gone after him in the first debate?

Mitt's team would have gone and adjust his performance and also adjust there lies knowing there are two more debates to go and would have learned the president's strategy, the president you have to understand does not think like an average person that is why he is the president with the best team around him. I say this to people around all the time, to win? You have to be willing to make extra sacrifices, especially when the stakes are higher. Here is what I see looking from outside, Team Obama definitely knows that they are showing excellent internal polling numbers by using that strategy. Also, they must have known using that strategy will move Mitt closer, but not above them in the polls, just find the statement that was made by Jim Messima and Axelrod today. I believe they're absolutely creaming Romney in all swing states and are over-performing in other red states.

Hence the reason I stand by my observation from the first debate which was the president won that debate, looking at Mitt Romney you can tell that he knows within himself he was standing with someone who is highly intelligent because you can feel their energy, forget about what the media wants you to believe. That is the reason that he (Mitt) came to the second debate not knowing how the president was going to go after him because the president did the work by NOT going after all his errors or lies in the first debate, he stayed with the facts, you can tell the president was itching to bite the fucka, but he had to be patient. I also believe it was done to rile up the base, maybe they weren't sure whether the base was with them, so he had to come across as not interested or lackluster to fire up the base. Remember, a few days later the president was on the Tom Joyner Morning Show, telling everyone to "chill the fuck out, he got this" well you can remove the fuck part out of it.

One more thing, down ticket Democrats can really over-perform if they can stop worrying about what their counterpart thinks about their campaign and focus more on all the materials that is available out there. Any democrats running for the House that does not win their constituency has either surrounded themselves with incompetent individuals or are incompetent themselves, (yes I know, it's a bold statement) it is needed to be said. Democrats can retake the House without breaking a sweat despite, the money the GOP are spending out there.

FORWARD!

[kentuck]

15. But should we give a win on style if...

the debater is loud, bullying, condescending, and generally obnoxious? Shouldn't we take points off for those characteristics?

[HipChick]

17. I believe the President was playing 5th dimensional chess....

Jedi Move 1: Allow the opponent to expose themselves
Jedi Move 2: Proceed Please move: Continue to allow the opponent to expose themselves
Jedi Move 3: Use the Obama stare to reduce opponent to a blathering idiot,,,,,

[ProudProgressiveNow]

20. PBO is one smart man!

I am often amazed at his moves.