Gleaning Facebook: The Debate

The pundits seem to think Romney did what he was trying to do. I am prejudiced, of course, but I thought the President did exactly what he did in 2008. The President was friendly, relaxed, reasonable. He avoided any mistakes and reminded us that Romney hasn't provided details to his proposals. He did what he always does: He just listened to and answered the questions.

The challenging candidate usually gains from mere presence. I suppose Romney managed that. Romney was more aggressive, but he lied repeatedly about Medicare (as verified by all the fact-checkers. He also looked flushed and uncomfortable at times to me.

My take: few minds were changed, but the race will tighten by one or two points in the next day or two -- the pattern of prior campaigns -- just by virtue of Romney sharing the stage with the President without a breakdown. Whether he maintains that and builds on it is another matter.