Romney thrashes Obama in first debate, but no game changers
Obama seems tired and irritable as Republican’s combative performance gives him big debate win
MITT ROMNEY has emerged as the clear winner of last night's first presidential debate in Denver, trouncing President Barack Obama by an almost three-to-one margin in snap polls taken in the immediate aftermath of the 90-minute set-piece event.
The Republican challenger was aggressive and combative from the outset, taking the fight to a tired and irritable Obama. Veteran Democrat strategist James Carville told CNN that the President "gave you the impression that this whole thing was a lot of trouble".
Although few felt the debate contained the game-changer that would shift the race in Romney's favour, it will at least serve as a fillip for Republican morale after weeks of Romney gaffes and poor ratings.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Poll guru Nate Silver tweeted "I'd be surprised if tonight didn't move the head-to-head polls some (in Romney's direction)."
"In the end there were no zingers; no knockout blows; no major blunders," wrote Gary Younge in The Guardian. "But there was a winner: Mitt Romney. After several reboots and roll-outs he finally, finally found his voice."
Obama had his moments, like on Romney's tax plans, but he lost the debate on style, and failed to even highlight issues thought to be Romney's Achilles’ heel. "Not once did [Obama] mention Bain Capital or Romney's 47 per cent blunder, even when the questions gifted them to him," said Younge.
Chris Matthews, a liberal talk show host on MSNBC, said despairingly: "I don't know what he was doing out there. I know he likes to say he doesn't watch cable television but maybe he should start. I don't know how he let Romney get away with the crap he threw at him tonight about social security."
Remarking on the president's tired demeanour, Roger Simon on Politico offered "one word of advice for Obama before the next debate: caffeine. I had a Pepsi right before the debate started Wednesday night and was tingly for the next 90 minutes. President Obama looked like someone had slipped him an Ambien."
Daily Telegraph blogger Tim Stanley said that "Romney humiliated Obama in the debate", adding that the president fell to pieces without an autocue to tell him what to say and his performance “was a mess”.
"By contrast, Mitt Romney was a human dynamo. This is why the Republicans nominated him: he’s great at debating and he doesn’t look mad," Stanley enthuses. "Mitt was funny, enthusiastic, almost gleeful.
Anything worth remembering from the debate came from Romney’s lips."
Douglas Schoen on Fox News was more moderate, saying that "Romney didn't close the deal in Denver. There were no knock outs. But he made it clear he has an alternative vision. He wasn't seen as extreme, he avoided that attack. But he failed to outline a jobs program or a specific plan to revitalise the economy."
Commenting on the debate's format, Alessandra Stanley in the New York Times said this "was a glaringly public confrontation that looked oddly intimate and personal. And that may help explain why tens of million of people tune in — there is nothing else like it on television".
And many commentators felt the biggest loser from the evening was moderator Jim Lehrer, the veteran news anchor of the publicly funded PBS network who has overseen affairs at 11 previous presidential and vice presidential debates.
"Rather than prodding the candidates on their responses, Lehrer focused on trying to keep them within the 15 minutes allotted for each segment and ensuring that they were given equal speaking time. Yet, he failed even in that task," wrote New York magazine's Margaret Hartmann.
But as Erik Wimple notes in the Washington Post, "Lehrer’s real problem was that, for one night, he had to play stand-in for the entire American media. And if there’s one thing the American public enjoys, it’s bashing the American media, no matter how it performs."
Create an account with the same email registered to your subscription to unlock access.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
-
Melting polar ice is messing with global timekeeping
Speed Read Ice loss caused by climate change is slowing the Earth's rotation
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
The Week contest: Stick guitar
Puzzles and Quizzes
By The Week US Published
-
'Sports executives ushered a fox into the henhouse'
Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
By Harold Maass, The Week US Published
-
Barack Obama 'behind Starmer transformation'
Under The Radar The former US president urged Labour leader to 'talk more openly'
By Chas Newkey-Burden, The Week UK Published
-
Will Aukus pact survive a second Trump presidency?
Today's Big Question US, UK and Australia seek to expand 'game-changer' defence partnership ahead of Republican's possible return to White House
By Sorcha Bradley, The Week UK Published
-
'Is Hollywood undergoing a gun reform reckoning?'
Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
By Harold Maass, The Week US Published
-
It's the economy, Sunak: has 'Rishession' halted Tory fightback?
Today's Big Question PM's pledge to deliver economic growth is 'in tatters' as stagnation and falling living standards threaten Tory election wipeout
By Harriet Marsden, The Week UK Published
-
Why your local council may be going bust
The Explainer Across England, local councils are suffering from grave financial problems
By The Week UK Published
-
Rishi Sunak and the right-wing press: heading for divorce?
Talking Point The Telegraph launches 'assault' on PM just as many Tory MPs are contemplating losing their seats
By Keumars Afifi-Sabet, The Week UK Published
-
How would a second Trump presidency affect Britain?
Today's Big Question Re-election of Republican frontrunner could threaten UK security, warns former head of secret service
By Harriet Marsden, The Week UK Published
-
'Rwanda plan is less a deterrent and more a bluff'
Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
By The Week UK Published