President Obama looked the best he ever had despite the strange glare he often showed during the split screen. The problem for him, however, is that Mitt Romney had to look bad and that was far from the case.
The other issue is that much of what the President said one suspects will be sweet in the mouth tonight but sour in the stomach in the morning. Is the Mideast really better under his administration? Is Israel more secure? Is Iran on the verge of collapse? Was he really supportive of the Green Revolution early in his administration? Is he stopping the exodus of jobs to China? What did GE CEO Jeff Immelt do after Obama put him in charge of his “Jobs Council”? Is Obama not going to gut military spending?
Romney had the best zinger of the night when he said that Russia could expect less flexibility and more backbone during his presidency. That was a dig at a promise made to Russian President Dmitry Medvedev by Obama that the Russians could expect more flexibility from him after the election.
Romney also nailed Obama hard on his persistent apologies for America. “We have not dictated to other nations,” Romney said. “We have freed other nations from dictators.”
That’s a line that could not have been rehearsed and that is the line that will be remembered.
Obama most memorable lines might be “this nation, me” and his revelation that our military has these “ships that go underwater.”
With regard to the moderation by Bob Schieffer, only Martha Raddatz was worse in this debate cycle. He interrupted Romney during his points and let the President ramble.