Presidential USA debate: A lackluster Obama, a revived Romney missteps

https://sites.google.com/a/bartoolswdc.com/3b-scientific/system/app/pages/sitemap/hierarchy It always comes as a surprise, but incumbent presidents tend not to do very well in formal campaign debates. Gerald Ford stumbled against Jimmy Carter in 1976, Carter was pummeled by Ronald Reagan in 1980, Reagan fumbled in his first try in 1984, and so on. https://sites.google.com/a/bartoolswdc.com/action-pump/system/app/pages/sitemap/hierarchy On Wednesday evening, Barack Obama showed that he was no exception to the rule. https://sites.google.com/a/bartoolswdc.com/american-educational/system/app/pages/sitemap/hierarchy Maybe he underestimated Mitt Romney, even though Romney did well in a long string of Republican primary debates last spring.https://sites.google.com/a/bartoolswdc.com/carbon-filter/system/app/pages/sitemap/hierarchy Maybe the president has gotten unused to being challenged directly or -- with crises across the Middle East -- didn’t spend as much quality time on preparation as his opponent.https://sites.google.com/a/bartoolswdc.com/carbon-steel/system/app/pages/sitemap/hierarchy The explanation for Obama’s lackluster performance https://sites.google.com/a/bartoolswdc.com/clamp-meter/system/app/pages/sitemap/hierarchy (and reporters will demand one) won’t matter. Even the details of the 90-minute debate, which got pretty wonky on taxes and Medicare, won’t matter for long. https://sites.google.com/a/bartoolswdc.com/desiccator-cabinet/system/app/pages/sitemap/hierarchy Obama did land a couple of zingers -- notably when he asked whether Romney was withholding details of his proposals “because they’re so good” -- but that won’t matter much either. TRANSCRIPT: First presidential debatehttps://sites.google.com/a/bartoolswdc.com/drilldriver-kit/system/app/pages/sitemap/hierarchy What matters, at least for a week or so, https://sites.google.com/a/bartoolswdc.com/fastcap/system/app/pages/sitemap/hierarchy is that Romney has given the news media a new narrative. https://sites.google.com/a/bartoolswdc.com/hammer/system/app/pages/sitemap/hierarchy Until Wednesday, the campaign story was that Obama https://sites.google.com/a/bartoolswdc.com/hydraulic-pump/system/app/pages/sitemap/hierarchy was building an apparently unshakable lead; https://sites.google.com/a/bartoolswdc.com/jaw-locking-pliers/system/app/pages/sitemap/hierarchy now Obama looks as if he’s lost a step and Romney’s showing new life.https://sites.google.com/a/bartoolswdc.com/knife-sharpener/system/app/pages/sitemap/hierarchy That’s what pundits across the ideological spectrum said almost unanimously https://sites.google.com/a/bartoolswdc.com/materials/system/app/pages/sitemap/hierarchy after the Denver debate. And not only the pundits; CBS News ran an instant poll of uncommitted voters, and they picked Romney as the winner of the debate, 46% to 22% (with 32% calling it a tie).https://sites.google.com/a/bartoolswdc.com/materials-tools/system/app/pages/sitemap/hierarchy Winning one debate doesn’t guarantee victory on election day, of course. If that were the case, we’d have fond memories of the Walter Mondale presidency and the John Kerry administration.https://sites.google.com/a/bartoolswdc.com/metal/system/app/pages/sitemap/hierarchy But Wednesday’s strong showing by Romney does guarantee two consequences: At least for a week or so, this election will look closer than it did before. And at the next presidential debate, on Oct. 16, it’s a good bet that Obama will come out swinging.https://sites.google.com/a/bartoolswdc.com/multi-purpose-paper/system/app/pages/sitemap/hierarchy https://sites.google.com/a/bartoolswdc.com/swivel-barstool/system/app/pages/sitemap/hierarchy WASHINGTON (AP) — President Barack Obama and Republican rival Mitt Romney spun one-sided stories in their first presidential debate, not necessarily bogus, but not the whole truth.https://sites.google.com/a/bartoolswdc.com/tools-materials/system/app/pages/sitemap/hierarchy They made some flat-out flubs, too. The rise in health insurance premiums has not been the slowest in 50 years, as Obama stated. Far from it. And there are not 23 million unemployed, as Romney asserted. Here's a look at some of their claims and how they stack up with the facts:https://sites.google.com/a/bartoolswdc.com/wrappers/system/app/pages/sitemap/hierarchy OBAMA: "I've proposed a specific $4 trillion deficit reduction plan. ... The way we do it is $2.50 for every cut, we ask for $1 in additional revenue."