Biggest winners and losers from tonight's debate

[Texas Lawyer]

WINNERS -

Eric Fehrnstrom - Tonight, Romney fulfilled Eric Fehrnstrom’s promise that Romney would shake the Etch-a-Sketch and run away from the positions he adopted to win the nomination.

Fact Checkers - Will be earning time-and-a-half for the next week.

Donald Trump - The new face of Romney's view of a small business.

LOSERS -

Big Bird - Romney threatened him with a pink slip!

Jim Lehrer - Worst. Debate. Moderator. Ever.

Tea Party - Romney threw them under the bus by running away from his hard-right promises during the primary.

[handmade34]

1. loser

THE TRUTH / per Romney

[Texas Lawyer]

13. I think that loser might have a bit of a comeback as thw week progresses

[MiniMe]

2. It will be interesting to see how long it will take before this campaign

starts walking back his statements.

[Texas Lawyer]

14. I doubt we'll have to wait 24 hours

[BlueStreak]

3. Tweety

I had to turn the teevee off when he started blathering.

Name one thing that Romney said during this debate that people will remember in 24 hours. He was all over the map. The initial reactions are all about style. There is no substance and that will hurt Romney. It was his biggest liability coming into the debate and there is not a single American who has the slightest idea what Romney's plan for taxes, health care, or Social security is.

The MSNBC nuts wished that Obama would have walked over and decked Romney. They would have declared Obama the winner if he had done that. Shows how much they know.

[Blue_In_AK]

7. I had to come here to get a little perspective.

I didn't see the debate. I thought I was recording it, but apparently not. We turned the TV on in the middle of MSNBC post debate and had to turn it right off because of all the hyperventilating. The MSNBC pundits (with the exception of Rev. Al and Chris Hayes) weren't doing the prez any favors.

[BlueStreak]

10. By Friday they will be saying

"You know, I can see what the president was up to. He really got Romney to stake out a lot of positions that are just impossible. And he did so without being offensive at all. His ads will have real teeth, and Biden will give us all the red meat we want next week."

If we see polls next Monday that say OH and WI are within the MOE, then maybe I'll admit that those MSNBC goofs were right. But I don't think that will happen.

[Texas Lawyer]

12. I hope so

[Texas Lawyer]

9. Agreed.

[earthside]

4. Lehrer for sure.

One presidential debate too many for him.

At 78 years old, it is time for Jim to take a deserved rest.

And it shows the problems with this Debate Commission -- horrible format, too over regulated and negotiated, too organized for the powers that be.

[aletier_v]

5. Disagree

Tea Party were already losers before the debate started.

Romney played them!

[MadHound]

6. I don't think he tossed the tea party anywhere,

I think he did what moderate 'Pugs have done for the past thirty odd years. Talked to them on the side. References to states' rights, repeal Obamacare, running away from the fact that yes, Obamacare is Romneycare writ large.

Actually, if anything, I thought Romney was playing hard to the tea party, repeating their pet lies, babbling absolute nonsense. He was just wanting to say "death panels" but he just couldn't and reworded instead, but everybody knew exactly what he was saying.

Besides, the tea party is, ultimately, all about beating Obama, and they know the Romney is their only hope.

[Texas Lawyer]

8. Romney flip-flopped on his tax cut, he flip-flopped on health care; the Tea Party won't be glad when

Romney campaign doesn't walk those statements back.

[MadHound]

11. The teaparty is all about one thing, and one thing only, getting Obama out of office.

That's it, that's all they are really about. They already know that Romney flips and flops and flips again, they don't care. They just want Obama gone. They think that their teaparty contingent in the House and Senate can control Romney, and their teaparty VP. If worse comes to worse, they think he will at least pave the way for some "real conservative" candidate to come into the WH.