Face it friends...Mitt won this one.

[Atman]

Obama didn't fight. He didn't address his issues. He sucked.

[Justice]

1. I don't agree. Romney lied his way through the debate. People will be able to fact check/show video

to show that what Romney said tonight is the opposite/contradictory of what he says on the stump.

The statements he made tonight will be proven to be either false or will be revealed to show he is against women etc.

[trueblue2007]

26. I AGREE WITH YOU. FACT CHECKING ROB ME WILL BE A PIECE OF CAKE

[Jessy169]

41. I heard Mitt lie so many times that I lost count

What planet are you from? You signed up for a DU account just so you could come here and agree that Romney won the debate??? Hmmmm....

[torotoro]

2. Wow if i posted this DU would have BANNED me.

I agree with you btw.

[budkin]

3. So painful to admit but you're right

Obama looked like the 2010 weak ass caving Obama

[MjolnirTime]

4. you came on just to say this? Your motive is clear.

[pdxDemocrat]

13. Nah, Obama lost the debate, but . . .

. . . but Romney's lies might be fodder for new ads once fact checked. I love Obama but Romney won and will get some great PR over the next week or so and will likely see a decent bounce.

[Jessy169]

39. Obama lost on style

but won on facts.

[Jeff In Milwaukee]

5. Matthew is HOT

He unloads on Obama for not bringing up the obvious.

The other hosts are no more pleased than Tweety.

[Stuckinthebush]

6. Indeed but some don't want to see that

We need Obama to realize how much he screwed this so he won't do it again.

[RBInMaine]

7. So sorry you didn't get your knife fight. Short of that, most hyperpartisans will be pissed.

[landolfi]

8. I disagree

I think Obama held his own, he played it safe. All O had to do was not make a mistake. He did also get a few whacks in on how vague Mitt has been.

[exboyfil]

17. You know what they say about a prevent defense

It prevents you from winning. I did not want Obama to go medieval on Romney, but lots of opportunities to respond were lost (see my other post).

Romney is back in the game in my opinion. Fact checkers are great but who listens to them. Obama has to respond to the lies and changing positions with details in the debate. He failed to do that in many cases. He also did not respond at all to Romney and the $90B for green energy. He can't leave something like that hanging. He had a golden opportunity to bring up the GM bailout when asked about the role of government and contrast his approach to Romney's approach.

[Springslips]

9. Listen, there is concern trolling then there is

Calling a spade a spade; The President did not do his best tonight, truth. He didn't hit any of Romney's hanging curves. He played it to save.

Lets see what the polls say.

[Botany]

10. Obama played too nice ......

..... time after time Mitt lied and Obama didn't call him out.

Obama was the flaccid groom on the wedding night.

When somebody lies and you know it go in for the kill,

[desertduck]

11. I hate to agree with you, but...i think you are right.

Impression is EVERYTHING. And that aggression is going to be played as alpha trait for a whole lotta people.

[exboyfil]

12. Agreed

So many opportunities lost. MSNBC is lambasting Obama right now. I was flowing the debate, and I was shocked how many times I was expecting Obama to respond and he never did. He let th $90B comment on green energy stand without response. When Romney said that raising tax rates do not create balanced budgets, Obama never responded that actually yes it did under Clinton (he could have been more detailed about the tax rates before Clinton, during Clinton, and after Clinton and how the budget went.

Obama never effectively responded to the Medicare cut argument ($716B). He did not connect Romney to Ryan's budget. He did not bring up Romney's quote about emergency rooms (perfect opportunity when Romney was advocating his state's rights approach to it). He never said what alternatives to declining per capita Medicaid payments for states will mean if they have control (can anyone say familial responsibility laws).

[pdxDemocrat]

19. Well said.

I heard it on the radio and was hoping it wasn't as bad on TV as it sounded. Major bummer. On a side note, Lehrer had zero control of the debate and Obama didn't have it in him to be as rude as Romney in interrupting.

[daybranch]

14. Did you see Mitt's eyes?

That he was lying was evident in his gestures. His apparent quoting of studies from th ose republican think tanks and lobbyists, and his bullshit promises of free chicken inevery pot. Heck for a while, I thought he was trying to be a democrat, in fact I know that was thelie he was trying to sell. Obama seemed upset at the scope of Mitt's lies and is apparently willing to let the public and the media call him on them. This in itself may be a great strategy. This debate will not be over until the facts are checked and President Obama seemed pretty secure we would find out the lies.

[Justice]

16. my daughter said maybe he is high. Eyes so glassy

[Mr.Turnip]

15. Yeah we didn't win here, Romney didn't actually do well but Obama just did bad.

I don't think we got CRUSHED ether, weren't any knockout punches but Romney is gonna get a bump from this.

But there were so many oppertunities for a big punch but none were taken.

[Mr.Turnip]

20. That would matter if the Media would actually fall him out on it.

[just1voice]

50. Exactly, the (R)s lies and BS actually carry some weight in the debate paradigm

because most of reality isn't even allowed to be discussed, such as universal health care which more than 70% of Americans want.

[renate]

21. he won the debate, or as another poster pointed out, he dominated it

I hope and believe that tomorrow, once the fact-checkers have been up all night cataloguing Romney's lies, the verdict will change.

[Justice]

24. Agree. When you are aren't limited by facts or specifics, it is easy.

[Jessy169]

34. Romney was animated and energetic

in spreading the thickest layer of lies in any presidential debate, ever. It was a shocking performance. It is amazing how comfortable Mitt is when he's lying like the MF that he is.

[Tigress DEM]

22. Thing is, Robme kept putting forth OBAMA's plans as if they were his own.

His "pre-existing condition" plan is a watered down version of Obamacare. 90 days? Whoopy Ding.

HE'S going to sit down with BOTH parties 1st Day or even RIGHT AFTER elected. And WHAT pay them off?

Obama has a position there of, "Been there, done that, and I'm smarter than you, Mr. So go ahead, knock yourself out making promises you can't keep."

Obama had to draw Mitten's out. Get him to spill his beans, put on his best show.

There are 2 more debates.

Besides. A fact check on Robme's points will devestate his performance.

He lied. Constantly. He distanced himself FROM himself. He's his own toxic nemisis.

[rayofreason]

23. What did Obama eat for dinner?

Don't eat that again. It causes sluggishness.

[ailsagirl]

25. I don't agree because nitt was lying through his teeth

[RichGirl]

27. Romney won....

If the contest was who could sell you a used car faster.

[ailsagirl]

32. LOL! He's got that sleazy cachet...

[fishwax]

28. I don't think Romney won much of anything

I think he was overly-aggressive, whiny, and dishonest. Did Obama miss/pass on some big-punch opportunities? Yeah. But as for Romney winning, I don't buy that.

[Springslips]

37. The problem

Is that if you let lies and unsupported statements go, like the President did with Romney, then viewer assume that they are true.

Everything you said was right, but Mr Obama dropped this debate.

[Jessy169]

29. As if the lying Romney left Obama speechless

Romney told too many whoppers and kicked up a cloud of lies so thick and nauseous that Obama lost a little of his cool. No problem. Just wait until Romney gets put into a position where he has to back up those lies -- that will be the BIG story, not Obama's stunned reaction to all those lies.

[liberallibral]

31. Romney clearly won....

Sad...

[budkin]

33. Agreed but it still won't change anything

[NCLefty]

35. Obama didn't seem like he wanted to be there.

I was disappointed. Where's that fire? Pretend you still want to be president for the first time.

Oh well... 2 more...

[BlueStreak]

36. There is a bigger picture

Yeah, I wish Obama would have blasted Romney a few times, but he obviously had a strategy not to.

It is rope-a-dope. He allowed Romney to pile up more and more contradictory commitments. Remember Obama has a lot of money left to run ads in the swing states and there is a lot of new fodder here.

Basically the message going forward is the etch-a-sketch one. He had one tax plan then he changed it right before our eyes.
He had a plan on health care and changed it right in front of our eyes.
etc. etc. etc.

Obama's polling tells him that he is exactly where he needs to be in the swing states and he didn't want to open up any national ripples that could potentially be a game changer.

Where was Romney's game changer?

I know that was hard for everybody to watch, but this is one disciplined dude. He was definitely working a very purposeful strategy.

[Atypical Liberal]

38. I agree. I'm scared that this may be a turning point in the election.

Romney fucked up his convention, but he made it back in spades tonight.

[Liberal_Stalwart71]

40. Agreed! Listen, we are good liberals. We believe that facts will matter. They won't. It's all about

perception. It didn't matter than one person was telling the truth and the other person wasn't. It matters more that one person came across as confident and passionate. The other person came across as unfeeling and bored.

[Happydayz]

46. I agree

I'm one the biggest Obama supporters, but tonight I didn't see enough fight in him. Me and my sister were yelling at the TV when Mittens lies went unchecked. I agree that Obama should've hammered the fact that Romney care and Obamacare are the same. I think Obama's advisers or debate strategist advised him wrong on tonights debate. With a slick oil salesmen like Mittens, you have to come out swinging or at least hit him hard on his lies. Obama looked uninterested like his body was there, but his mind was some place else.smh

[mojo2012]

42. I was disappointed

I wish President Obama didn't look down the whole time Romney was talking. It made him look defeated. We still have two more debates. So I'm looking forward for a more aggressive performance. This should be an eye opener for President Obama's team and they'll change their strategy.

[lumpy]

43. I wasn't looking for a cat fight. Obama remained presidential.

n

[horsedoc]

44. Tactics

Romney came off as overtly aggressive and desperate at times.

The President came off cool and bit sluggish at times yes, but more importantly he didn't want to flub anything, and he didnt.

What will people remember from this debate? Romney as the alpha male, running over the moderator, interrupting the President, an attack dog of sorts. Isn't the VP supposed to be the attack dog so the Presidential Candidate comes off as "Presidential"? Do you honestly think Romney came off as Presidential tonight?

There are two more debates and I truly believe the President will come on tougher and stronger in each successive debate. No one will remember this performance, except for Jim Lehers in a few weeks time.

[PhillyGurl]

45. I haven't posted in four years. I have to agree

Obama is just too cool, as in cold. It's like he did not want to be there. Romney was warm and personable, even if he is a nitwit.

Obama better recalibrate for the next debate. Just sayin.

[Cha]

51. "Romney warm and personable"! Is that what you call

sweaty bulging eyeballs and lying sack of shit, who was hogging the whole debate?

[adigal]

47. I really think you are incorrect

Romney was overly hyper, rude to the moderator, bullied his way to the last word, and lied like a rug. The ads by Obama are being made as I type. He screwed up, big time, putting so many lies out there.

[cheriemedium59]

48. I am going out on a limb here but...

I have a sneaky feeling Romneys remark about cutting funding for public tv, a.k.a. Big Bird is what may stick in the minds of people. I was on twitter and that remark got the most tweets. (no pun intended) another point I wonder is all Obama had to do was state the facts. Why not let Romney go wild like a man man and tell lie after lie? On the split screen his face was beet red and he seemed like a man that could easily loose his cool. Another thought I had, and maybe this crazy, but what if something happened before the President arrived at the debate? I mean something in the world or in his private life? I mean the man is human...

[earthside]

49. Rmoney did a good job for himself.

It just is what it is.

Remember this: Rmoney is a salesman; a great salesman will say whatever he has to to close the deal.

Eighty percent of the average people who watched to night aren't going to be tuning into Ed Schultz tomorrow to see how the "fact checks" turned out. So, Rmoney did advance his cause.

On the other hand, this 'no drama Obama' schtick has run its course -- Pres. Obama better come loaded for bear in the next debate or this election is going to get a lot, lot tougher than it needs to be.

Golly, what was Pres, Obama's strategy for this debate? ... I don't think he even came across as 'presidential' -- there were too many hesitant pauses, too much looking down, too dispassionate an appearance, etc.

[CRH]

52. Romney offers no specifics, ...

changes his unspecified policies at will, lies a little in between, blames Obama for things republican obstructionism prevented; and Obama stands there looking pissed off without calling Romney out, without mentioning the 47%, without mentioning Bain Capital, without forcefully time and again pointing out Romney has no specifics on taxes, no specifics on balanced budget, no specifics on what replaces Obama care, no specifcs on anything. Obama let Romney bully him and steal the debate with a few lies, a few changes of positions, and no specific plan for anything. What your casual voter saw tonight, was Romney sweep the floor with a peevish President.

I sure hope Obama shows up for the next debate, because after the pundits and news anchors finish with this performance, he won't be leading by much if any in many of the swing state polls.

For all intents you can consider this race even now, with momentum Romney.

[Norrin Radd]

53. Snuffy won:

[johnson_z]

54. I listen rather than speak, but...

You can tell from my post count and join date, I listen rather than speak,
but the level of dishonesty was so over the top, I just can't bite my tongue!

This could be a game changer. In the next debate President Obama
must be prepared to expose his opponent as nothing more than a conman,
and simply not in the same league, and utterly unworthy to even be
considered to occupy the Oval Office!!!

Okay, I feel a little better now,
J

[BelieveMe3]

55. my take

Obama went in 1)deciding he'd not engage and remain above the fray 2) not as prepared-he hasn't done this in years and hates doing it Romney came 1) in super amped and aggressive-he had nothing to lose- and at times that worked for him and at times against like when he ran over the moderator 2) Romney's substance was not good. His numbers didn't add up, he lied. He wants to kill big bird. But it was detailed at times and the average person might not get that. So that's why looking like you came to fight works and the challenger has that advantage of nothing to lose and a President doesn't want to get in the dirt. But Obama has a choice. The media gives the win to the aggressive guy who "brought it" to the other guy. He will have to take off the gloves next time since the above the fray strategy didn't work with the media.

[johnson_z]

56. Getting beyond the "guy who brought it" B.S.

The media gives the win to the aggressive guy who "brought it"

This is the key, reasonable, left leaning people will see right through this,
but how do we get past the right leaning media, and address those indecisive
"low information", undecided voters?

Way frustrated,
J

[Marthe48]

57. A repub friend posted a 'poll' on Facebook

Who did better: Like if you think Obama, Comment if you think Romney did better. As of this morning, 9711 LIKES, 1796 Comments, and a bunch of the comments are anti-Romney. I don't think that rudeness and lying make a win myself. And hopefully, we can make up our own minds about defines winning a debate. I don't agree with the talking heads on tv, and I won't be watching for a week or so, until they get their feathers smoothed down.

[Still Blue in PDX]

58. My dad had a saying: "Anybody can do that."

Anybody can win if they cheat.

I had to quit watching when Mitt accused Pres. Obama of doing what the repugs do, i.e., lying until it becomes the truth.

[MyOpinion-2]

59. It was a tie

In my opinion it was a tie. The President won his debate by basing his remarks on substance. Whereas, Mitt won his debate by basing his remarks and actions on theatrics and telling more lies. So, they both are winners.