I can't stand the new meme of "Romney won." No, he didn't. He came across with lies, flip flops, and hyperbole, and hopefully Obama's campaign will crucify him for those. However, Obama came across as tired. Tired, not unsure, not halting, not passive. BUT, tired isn't good. I don't thing Obama "has this." If he did, he would have done the same debate with prep that included rest and energy. But he did a great job - the question is what happens with the sound bites, and fact checking coverage and ads over the next several weeks.

They would have said it even if he had broken down at the podium and wept saying as he sobbed, "Barrack I'm so sorry, you are a better President than I could ever be and you have better and more effective plans for restoring America,"

" . . . According to one prominent offshore gambling site, Pinnacle Sports, Mr. Obama’s odds of winning the election declined to about 73 percent after the debate from around 80 percent beforehand."

out of Romney's own words.

It should be interesting to watch the RW crow about the "win"...until they realize what their candidate SAID.

and the people their were scratching their heads listening to Tweety go off.

What I saw was Mitt Romney being an asshole, and telling lie after lie.
Meanwhile the President actted more Presidental we don't need an Asshole president

That might work in a board-room, but that shit don't play well on the international stage, and I think Americans know that. It also can't have helped with the female vote, who I get the feeling are more sensitive to attempts at intimidation. And the smile was creepy. I really don't know how you couldn't be wigged out by it. I have never believed in the Reptile Men conspiracy, but after seeing that smile of Mitt's, I'm a bit more of a believer. He looked like someone trying to IMITATE human expression.

I said out loud way is he so damn happy about that
It was weird. I believe the President understands his battle is not with Romney it's with the Voters and that's who he was talking to tonight. Mitt just wanted to once again revive up his idiotic base by being an Asshole. whoop dee do

Let's not forget that immediately after the last time he said he'd keep parts of ObamaCare, his surrogates came back and said he didn't mean it.

will be undermined by pressure from the T.E.A. party. He might have surprised some people tonight, but any advantage he might have gotten tonight, however small, will evaporate as the Right Wing Machine kicks in tomorrow. Wromney and his strategists still doesn't understand that in today's information-saturated world, you can't tell one group one thing and another group the exact opposite. He's in a completely untenable position.

N/t

Ads for weeks.

Rmoney described a health plan that kept everything that Obamacare has already. He would repeal Obamacare and replace it with....

Obamacare!

So what is "his" plan and why would he replace Obamacare with Obamacare?

And everyone knows his continual use of the same debunked lies over and over will now make all but Faux Snooze completely ignore them and focus on these "new" items that he proffered for scrutiny.

I know Rachel will do her homework, but who else, Chris Hayes? Anyone else?

were on to it too.

Ed & Tweety were their usual explosive selves and completely missed it because both have been pushing for "street fights". That is their nature. Punch first, think later. That often ends up with your butt in jail thinking "yeah, I socked him right in the kisser... heh heh", while you rot in your jail cell.

Rachael was wavering part by emotion and part for withholding too much criticism for later deeper analysis.

of all the pundits etc, she always seems to me the most level headed. JMHO

But I am having some trouble digesting Ed's downright anger towards President Obama and Rachel's quiet dismay and disappointment. Good grief, do they even KNOW who their President is? They -did- miss it. Hayes and Sharpton were a lot closer to getting it, I agree. Ed is used to the short game, obviously, but what is Rachel's excuse? And Chris.. geez they totally need some time to reflect.

I am disappointed in all three of them.. Ed, Rachel and Chris. They need to get a grip. And, unfortunately, some undecideds might make up their minds based on their reaction to our President tonight. For shame. And by the way, Ed.. President Obama wasn't looking down in submission, he was making NOTES.


O Ye of Little faith

of course they'll be disappointed.

It helps cast Obama as the debate underdog. There are still 2 more debates to go.

Next debate, Obama will have a significant win, just watch. He'll be the comeback kid. American's love to see a hero stumble, but the thing they love more is to see redemption.

In the third debate, Mitt will have to go all out to get traction, and he will crack.Obama will just have to get out the way...

Planning. It works

Thank you for the reminder

thrive on pure anger and passion. I like that about them but they always act emotional toward all issues they discuss on their shows.

I find Chris Hayes to actually be incredibly thoughtful and intelligent for someone so young (well, he is 4 years younger then me). He always thinks long term and not on pure emotion. And Al Sharpton has actually had the best show lately by picking Romney apart calmly. Obama is not the street fighter type (that is more VP Biden). Obama is the cool intellectual adult. He let Romney hang himself by himself and left himself with no negatives. Romney was arrogant, smug, rude, creepy (per lots and lots of twitter comments) and had this weird smirk all night (another twitter comment that came up alot). He also told tons of lies that the media will be poring over as they did with Paul Ryan's convention speech.

Thank you for posting, you said it better than I ever could

years. I've criticized her for the same reason I criticize Ed and Tweety: They are too emotional!! They whine! They get their analysis wrong at times because they are quick to fly off the handle before taking a deep breath and THINKING.

I've said this for many years: I like Rachel. I think she's brilliant. Very brilliant! But, there are times where she, like her colleagues, become too emotional. Too fragile.

Take two aspirin. Sleep on it. THINK!! Then come back tomorrow and tell me what you got.

I just hope people actually realize the crazy contortions he did with his views in that performance.

I watch this debate with Juanita Jean http://juanitajean.com/ Susan Bankston was not happy with President Obama in that she wanted him to be more aggressive. I disagree with Susan and think that Romney really did himself some damage as noted by the OP.

In real estate there's a general belief that when a prospective buyer walks into a home you don't want them to go "all wow, ooh ahh, omg" as soon as they walk in - because from there it's usually down hill and when they're finished the viewing, they'll probably re-think their initial "wowed impression". It's better if they perk up, consistently throughout their viewing.

So I think Mitt may have had people blow their wad in the entry way...Yes, that's what I'm trying to say.

Fact checkers will not be kind on this debate, and that's the total viewing.

&quot T)he journalists will be poring over (Romney's lies) for the next week...."

That's putting a lot of faith in journalists. The media may well focus on Romney's "performance."

Time will soon tell.

Just judging from the "casual" opinion polling place that is Facebook, the ones that are gushing over Romney's performance are people who were already going to vote for him anyway. The undecided ones are basically saying he reminded them a used car salesman but Obama didn't exactly wow them either

But you all are right. All he had to do was coast through, not give the rethugs any talking points, and let Mitt hang himself. Thanks for talking me down...I can sleep now : )

but if that turns out to be the Team Obama long game (as far as the THREE debates are concerned), The President did a damn fine job of letting Mitt put the rope around his own neck...debate number 2 will see Mitt wandering around trying to talk to real people, (Town Hall format), and "wandering" himself right up onto the gallows...and because we around here are a lot smarter that our brethren over at Freeperville, you can probably infer the rest with out me having to lay it all out for you. By the time the next debate is over, Obama will be back to looking Golden, and Mitt will enter the third debate trying like hell to figure out which side of his own lies he should come down on.
Mitt thinks he had a good night, and since he didn't spend 90 minutes drooling on himself, I'd say that's true. But Obama didn't have a BAD night, and that's what counts for a Team that loves themselves the idea that when you play Baseball, you play THE WHOLE NINE INNINGS, and not a pitch less.

If that debate last night was a disaster... It was obviously a disaster for The President!

I've been a supporter of our President from the beginning, and clearly saw that. So did the honest hosts on MSNBC, like Ed, Chris and even Rachel......

If the President doesn't get his act together and cream Mitt The Twit back during the next 2 debates, we're all in a lot of trouble.

Trust me - if any "independents" were swayed tonight, they were not swayed towards President Obama...

For all practical purposes, Romney won this one.

Romney is so far behind in the polls, Obama had to do NOTHING in this debate, and just quietly let Romney hang himself. Which, in fact, he did, of course. He pissed off his base, with his change in positions, and gave the Obama team enough fodder to last until the election. Romney "won" the battle last night, but he completely lost the war. He's toast.

Rmoney is going to "cut tax rates" to give the "job creators" more money, but he is going to "cut deductions" so they pay the "same amount", or so that "revenue stays the same". Bottom line the numbers in the boxes on the tax return change until you get to the bottom line where you end up writing the same tax check. But by writing the same check, they will "save money" and the money they "save" by paying the same number of dollars in taxes under a different "rate" will cause the economy to "grow".

His tax plan will not "reduce revenues" one thin dime while somehow "saving people money".

At the same time while keeping revenue "the same" he will massively increase defense spending, fund education, and "reduce the deficit".