Charles Kesler @ NRO:
I watched last night’s debate in a venue not favorable to careful analysis of the dialectics, but well suited to observing an overwhelmingly liberal audience’s reaction: the bar at the Harvard Club in midtown Manhattan. In the contest between the guy with the Harvard Law degree and the guy with the Harvard Law and the Harvard Business degrees, the crowd was not torn. Give us the Harvard Law Review president, they sighed, tittering whenever the joint-degree recipient made a slip, and cheering when their champion scored a point.
But there were few titters and even fewer cheers last night. The room felt positively glum, bar patrons crossing their arms tightly as they gazed upward at the television screens. Oh, there were a few of us drinking merrily, but we tried not to interfere with the bad karma in the place.
Three quick observations. First, more moderators should be like Jim Lehrer. Ineffectuality ought to be the prime qualification for the job. Allowing the debaters to have their say actually helped turn this into something resembling a debate rather than a joint press conference. Romney is not so good on the stump, but in this format he got in touch with his inner pitch man and business analyst, and he delivered the goods. Actually, he was even better than that. He built the rudiments of a political case against the incumbent.
Second, it was remarkable how adroitly Romney revived Romneycare’s reputation by turning it into evidence of bipartisanship, thus liberating his credentials as a successful governor of Massachusetts.
Curt, opie did not get to use his little teleprompters. And where in god’s name would you find a liberal audience at the harvard club? jim lehrer personified the glorification of a pbs commentator. Retirement, yes!
The Mass Moderate is back. He pandered to the Tea Party to get the nom.but realizes he’s gotta run from them to get elected.This guy is channeling Bill Clinton. BHO, another great pol has got to be grudgingly impressed..Obama mistakenly thought it a cakewalk and sleepwalked through the debate.
He won’t go down easily. Gloves will come off in round 2. Could get bloody. Love it!
Semper Fi
@Richard Wheeler:
Rich, Romney never “pandered” to the TEA party to get the nomination. If anything, he ran farthest away from them as he could get, and is only now attempting to bring them back to him.
I really do wish you’d quit trying to vilify the TEA party, Rich. Your “analysis” of what they are about is about as truthful as Clinton telling us he didn’t have sex with “that woman”.
It actually offends me, as someone who supports the TEA party, for someone like you to suggest what they are for or against. Quit listening to the lying left for your news and “facts”. It might help you understand why we’ve been saying your full of crap about the TEA party since it’s inception.
Response to original article:
Romney actually revealed his own inner salesman—the one who would say anything to make the sale.