Well, we’re 3/4ths of the way through the Presidential and Vice Presidential debates for this election cycle. Romney clearly won the first debate two weeks ago. Obama was so bad, even he admitted that he’d had an “off night.” (Al Gore thought it might have been lack of oxygen at Denver’s high altitude.)
The second debate, a week ago between the Vice Presidential candidates, was most memorable for Joe Biden’s rudeness and boorish behavior. Even the dependably liberal Saturday Night Live crew seemed to take great pleasure in mocking Biden’s over-the-top laughing, interrupting, and generally juvenile behavior.
Obama’s performance at the first debate was so abysmal that it was all but a foregone conclusion that he’d do better this time – and he did. He was quite aggressive and had an advantage in that many of the questions came from a more liberal perspective (assault weapons bans, the government’s role in workplace pay equity, a Hispanic woman asking about immigration, and “how you’re different from George Bush”, not, of course, how you’re different from Bill Clinton.)
One question asked about Libya should have put Obama particularly on the defensive, but Romney somewhat stumbled, and thus let Obama off the hook. (A missed opportunity.) However, I thought Romney was particularly strong in emphasizing how poorly Obama had dealt with the economy and job creation during his Presidency, and how Romney would create jobs and put Americans back to work again. And Romney once and for all put a stake through the heart of Obama’s ad nauseam allegation that Romney would raise taxes on the middle class, or had it in for them.
A glaring weakness in Obama’s performance was his total failure to convincingly tell debate watchers why they should believe a second Obama term would be any more successful than his first four years. Where’s his plan? It apparently doesn’t exist.
It’s my sense that unlike the first debate, which clearly moved poll numbers in Romney’s direction and tightened the race, this debate will energize Obama’s supporters, but won’t move poll numbers significantly in either direction.
The bottom line is, this is now a very tight race. There are ten or so battleground, swing states which could go either way. And of those ten, Ohio is the key. I believe whichever candidate wins Ohio, will win the Presidency.
There are only three weeks to go until Election Day. There will be one more debate (on foreign policy) between now and then.
Many Americans have already voted, or will do so before Election Day, as it’s predicted that about 1/3 of us will vote by absentee ballot, or will go to the Board of Elections and vote prior to November 6th.
So the future of America is literally being decided right now. What path will we be going down? More government, more bureaucracy, more debt, higher taxes, less freedom. Or, limited government, reduced bureaucracy, personal responsibility, freedom. The way I see it, the choice ought to be clear. It’s hard to believe that there are still people who are undecided.
