Honestly, it's utter chaos to see who can make the most of the very little that really happened last night.
Mitt was being Mitt: a smirking, evasive, pandering, condescending, lying sack of shit plutocrat.
President Obama was being President Obama: a wonkish, get lost in the stacks, professorial, avoid the skirmishes, middle-ground-seeking (to a fault in my opinion), long-game POLITICIAN.
For all the spittle coming from the frothy mouths of the likes of so-called "leftist" pundits like Ed Schultz and Chris Matthews because Obama refused to get into the equivalent of a facebook bitch-off with Romney, I think there was certainly something else at play.
Many have mentioned perhaps there was a significant military mission weighing on the President, and that may be true, but I hope not. Not because I'm a pacifist, but without regard to the legitimate reasons there may be to strike somebody now, it will be turned into a partisan political football within seconds of coming to light. A "Hail-Mary" by Obama to prop up his "now collapsing" campaign. [it isn't]
No, I think the best take I've seen on the President's demeanor was that, yes, he was angry. Who wouldn't be when your "debate" opponent is not only 100% mendacious, but also that fucking asshole Romney? But, no matter how angry he was, he could not allow himself to get into angry emotional exchanges with Romney. He simply had to avoid becoming "the angry black man", which of course is what Drudge, The Blaze, The Daily Caller, and Herr Limbaugh, et al, all claim he is.
He's now got Mitt walking back his already walked back walk backs, and his staff is already walking back those. I'm lost now, so let's just say Mitt never walks forward.
Sure, pointing out Romney's fascination with dubious facts and universally debunked talking points and his pathological aversion to the truth, specifics, or consistency LOOKs like spin when you were expecting, probably unrealistically, that Obama would come out swinging like a McCain, if McCain had even 10% of Obama's charisma.
But, a week from now, Obama's political machine will be back to simply messaging the obvious. Mitt is lying sack of shit plutocrat and you vote for him at your *guaranteed* peril. Unless, of course, you have a few million lying around.
