Do you think Romney's team think they're ahead based on internal polling?

[DMacTX]

I read a few comments tonight saw Romney was playing defense like a man who knows he's ahead, and PBO was trying to be more combative like a man who is behind.

I am comfortable with my feeling that PBO is ahead where it matters, but i just thought it was an unusual set of comments that I read.

[Lucinda]

1. Nope.

[phasma ex machina]

6. +1 The Republican Party committed political suicide to give Ron Paul the finger.

That shows you how much the GOP hates Ron Paul.

[WhaTHellsgoingonhere]

2. Let me put it this way...

...they're asking McCain for Sarah's #.

[MADem]

3. I think they feel, inside, like Mittsy looked, outside, tonight.

Flopsweatty, blinky, and sick to their stomachs.

[Drunken Irishman]

4. I think the exact opposite...

I think Romney realizes he's the underdog, but still has a chance to pull this out. His biggest weakness is foreign policy. Going aggressive opens him up to embarrassing mistakes. It's high risk, high reward. Obama could go aggressive because he feels most comfortable with this position and it showed. Romney played it safe in hopes that he could lower the damage and come out looking like the Commander in Chief.

[yellowcanine]

13. Good analysis. Look what happened in the second debate when he got aggressive on Libya.

And in this debate with the "smallest navy since 1916 business." Both these were rehearsed "zingers" and Obama smacked him down both times and in this debate responded with what looked like an unrehearsed zinger (bayonets and horses). The poor man looked shell shocked.

[DarthDem]

5. No, It's the Reverse

Mittwit didn't want to make a mistake in an area he knows little about and expose himself to gaffes, and his internals obviously showed that his bully act didn't play well in the second debate, so he toned it down a bit (to the extent possible for him) and agreed with the president on everything.

He played like someone who thinks he can catch up, but this wasn't the time to try to do it. And as a result, he probably went down the drain.

[cliffordu]

7. Yep. Major FAIL by the Prez. Again.

Not even a nice try, butthead.

[Angry Dragon]

8. I hope you noticed how many times Willard went back to the economy ........

He went back to his quiet room

[DefenseLawyer]

9. It was all about trying to close the gender gap

And failing. Peace peace peace I love teachers peace I agree with the president. Oh, and peace.

[0rganism]

10. very unlikely IMHO

Rmoney doesn't come across as a guy who plays it close to his chest. He likes the spotlight, he likes to strut his stuff and show off. From what I saw tonight, he looked nervous and uncertain, tentative at best. Could have been Oscar-quality acting, i guess, but i think it's more likely that the swing-state polls are consistently showing Obama in the lead, esp. among early voters, and he knew he has a long way to go to close the deal.

I also think those "few posts" you read are probably from republicans in Denial.

[LisaL]

11. No.

[pointsoflight]

12. No, they decided to avoid contrasts on foreign policy...

...to try to make it as close to a "draw" there and avoid gaffes, with the intent of continuing to make this election about the economy.

[Populist_Prole]

14. They know they're toast, but what else can they do but at least go down swinging?

Whatever confidence they have is just hidebound ideology and the wish to see it prevail. So they'll just stay in pep-rally mode to feel better about the whole thing to spare themselves the agonizing lead-up to a sound defeat.