First of all thanks to all of you who participated on Facebook last night as we shared our thoughts in real time. Today the pundits and reporters from across the political spectrum are writing and spinning away about the "performances" last night, choosing to focus on particular moments. I have a different take on it.
As Lincoln said in his Gettysburg Address, "The world will little note, nor long remember what we say here, but it can never forget what they did here." While the campaigns and writers for the media will harp on things like Candy Crowley's comments siding with Obama over his rose garden comment about Libya (she has since apologized, and admitted Romney had the better point) most of what counts will not be any specific words spoken, but the impression left by the two men.
Nobody is going to switch their vote from Romney to Obama because Obama accused Romney of being a rich guy. Nobody is going to switch their vote the other way because of any one line delivered by either of them. But people will develop an over all feel about the two men based upon body language, demeanor, confidence, perception of honesty, clarity of thought and the little things that we all use, subconsciously perhaps, everyday, to make crucial decisions in our lives.
On that score card it is my take away that Romney was more engaged with the questions, less preachy, seemed truly interested in finding solutions, brought with him an undeniable record of success in turning around failing businesses and all of this contrasted starkly with Obama.
Obama actually had puffy eyes, a tired kind of look. He didn't smile much at all in the beginning, appeared to be a bit intimidated and when Romney was talking about how Obama's attempts to fix things were not working, Obama's face revealed that he was fully aware that what Romney was saying was right.
I think that the audience, except for the most devoted supporters of Obama, had to have come away with the feeling that Romney is a sincere man of good intellect and compassion who not only has a desire to help this country, but who also has the skills to get it done.
They will have seen Obama as more the showman, the speaker, the guy with the gift of gab, but without a record of success, without a history of success in anything else and a guy who has been propelled to a job for which he was ill suited in the beginning and now has proven that he was not up to the job.
I believe that though the numbers might not show it for a few days yet, this race is now Romney's to lose.
Comments