"This was a disaster for the president for the key people he needs to reach, and his effete, wonkish lectures may have jolted a lot of independents into giving Romney a second look. Obama looked tired, even bored; he kept looking down; he had no crisp statements of passion or argument; he wasn't
there. He was entirely defensive, which may have been the strategy. But it was the wrong strategy. At the wrong moment. The person with authority on that stage was Romney - offered it by one of the lamest moderators ever, and seized with relish. This was Romney the salesman. And my gut tells me he sold a few voters on a change tonight. It's beyond depressing. But it's true. There are two more debates left. I have experienced many times the feeling that Obama just isn't in it, that he's on the ropes and not fighting back, and then he pulls it out. He got a little better over time tonight. But he pulled every punch. Maybe the next two will undo some of the damage. But I have to say I think it was extensive." -
Andrew Sullivan, live-blogging tonight's first presidential debate.
RELATED: Throughout the debate, the Obama campaign fired off emailed "fact checks" on the many lies Romney told about his own history and about what he has said during the campaign. Embiggen the below image for just a few of the subject lines from those emails.
Labels: 2012 elections, Andrew Sullivan, Barack Obama, debate watch, Mitt Romney
