By Daid "Daniel" BeilsteinORLANDO -- There are few extravaganzas like presidential debates. While they come and go they remain fixated on the American public’s imagination for generations. The first concession: Republican challenger Mitt Romney does want to be president of these United States. The second concession: Romney proved he is not a loser, but competently engaged in a tight race.
Questions arose concerning Romney’s passion, his fighting spirit. With economic numbers and voter dissatisfaction running against the president, why was Romney so laggard in getting out his message? Romney made up for it tonight.
That is to say, President Obama’s reactions and Mitt Romney’s responses illustrate this race is far from over.
Those who had written off Romney following two weeks of semi-gaffes and a president ably marshaling the bully pulpit must now glance upon the upcoming election with disagreeable torpor. The first presidential debate, held at the University of Denver, saw President Obama meandering, even nervous, while Romney slipped and countered fluidly with facts and figures. It is not that the young incumbent president was boxed in by bad economic numbers — no, it was the command Romney explicated in his delivery.
Those who had written off Romney following two weeks of semi-gaffes and a president ably marshaling the bully pulpit must now glance upon the upcoming election with disagreeable torpor. The first presidential debate, held at the University of Denver, saw President Obama meandering, even nervous, while Romney slipped and countered fluidly with facts and figures. It is not that the young incumbent president was boxed in by bad economic numbers — no, it was the command Romney explicated in his delivery.
If there were questions about compassion, Romney answered them tersely. Several responses from Romney went to the heart of average voters malaise about the future. Rather than be dragged into the past, Romney elucidated a message to the people. He talked to the American people tonight — not over them.
Further still, Romney was forceful when he needed to be, but was never crassly disrespectful. President Obama took too long to form coherent responses to the litany of counters from Romney, thus seemed to be slogging through quicksand. In other words, Romney had a Reagan-esque debate tonight. He proved he was not unwisely nominated.
When Obama recovered, a consensus seemed to appear — the only one Romney needed to prove. That is, Mitt Romney can be president. In essence, Romney had to appear presidential and express himself as a viable replacement to President Obama. Neither man scored a knockout blow — or staggered into a gaffe. But Romney looked in control and the president looked uncomfortable. Such things, then, voters tend to notice.
We now have an election going down -- it is close and it is not far away. Romney, ever the businessman, supposedly disconnected, disengaged from such stereotypes and probably saved his fortunes for a new day following an inspired performance.