Presidential debate: Mitt Romney injects new life in his campaign
| WASHINGTON
The final month of the 2012 presidential race just got more interesting.
By turning in a stronger debate performance than President Obama 鈥� the instant post-game consensus of 听Republicans, Democrats, and voters themselves 鈥� GOP nominee Mitt Romney has injected new life into a campaign that had nearly been given up for dead, despite only a slim deficit in polls.
Here鈥檚 a new poll to consider: A CNN/ORC survey of 430 Americans who had watched the debate, taken immediately after its conclusion, found that 67 percent said Mr. Romney performed better, versus only 25 percent for Mr. Obama. The likelihood of Obama鈥檚 reelection, as measured by the online betting market Intrade, plunged from 74 percent before the debate to 66 percent Thursday morning.
Even some of Obama鈥檚 strongest supporters were brutal in their assessments, even before the debate had ended.
鈥淚 can't believe I'm saying this, but Obama looks like he DOES need a teleprompter,鈥� tweeted comedian Bill Maher, who has donated $1 million to the biggest pro-Obama "super political-action committee."
Immediately after the debate, Obama spokespeople appeared subdued in TV interviews. But by the morning after, the campaign was back on offense, accusing Romney of lying throughout the debate.
鈥淲hen the dust settles, Romney's dozen flat-out falsehoods will be the only thing remaining from his debate performance 鈥� because avoiding the truth has been the very definition of Romney's candidacy, and he can't escape that with a single smooth appearance,鈥� the Obama campaign said
The Romney campaign, for its part, released Thursday morning pounding home the central message of his debate performance: That he is all about job creation. 听
鈥淭hrough his policies including tax reform, expanding trade and cracking down on China, he鈥檒l create over 12 million new jobs and get our country back on track,鈥� the Romney campaign said in its statement about the ad. 听
Romney came to the Denver debate stage prepared, perhaps even a bit over-prepared, with talking points about his view of Mr. Obama鈥檚 plan for the nation: four more years of 鈥渢rickle-down government,鈥� marked by higher taxes that would hit not just the wealthy, but also the small businesses that are the engine of economic growth.
During the debate, Romney tore through reams of statistics about job-creation, the No. 1 concern of voters amid 43 straight months of unemployment over 8 percent.
鈥淔ifty-four percent of America's workers work in businesses that are taxed not at the corporate tax rate but at the individual tax rate. And if we lower that rate, they will be able to hire more people,鈥� Romney said, looking ever the polished businessman he was for 25 years.
鈥淔or me, this is about jobs,鈥� he concluded.
Obama responded by accusing Romney of saying 鈥渘ever mind鈥� to his tax plan, and threatening to harm the middle class by eliminating tax deductions and programs that make sure 鈥渆verybody鈥檚 getting a fair shot.鈥� 听
Romney鈥檚 approach 鈥渨ill not grow our economy because the only way to pay for it without either burdening the middle class or blowing up our deficit is to make drastic cuts in things like education,鈥� Obama said.
Romney fought back hard, beating back moderator Jim Lehrer鈥檚 attempts to enforce the debate schedule鈥檚 time limits.听 He accused Obama of planning to raise taxes on 鈥渟uccessful small businesses from 35 percent to 40 percent鈥� at a cost of 700,000 jobs.
鈥淚 don鈥檛 want to cost jobs,鈥� he said. 鈥淢y priority is jobs.鈥�
Not only were Republicans thrilled with Romney鈥檚 performance 鈥� likening it to at a critical point in the Republican primaries 鈥� Democrats not affiliated with Obama鈥檚 campaign were tough on the president. Many observers opined that Obama didn鈥檛 seem all that eager to be on the debate stage Wednesday night.
鈥淚 think he was off his game tonight,鈥� said James Carville, the mastermind of President Clinton鈥檚 first election in 1992, on CNN after the debate.
Democrats were stunned that Obama made no reference to the dismissing the 47 percent of Americans who pay no federal income tax, or to Romney鈥檚 record at Bain Capital, including layoffs.
But no one is counting Obama out. There are nearly five weeks and three more debates to go 鈥� two presidential and one vice-presidential 鈥� before the Nov. 6 election. Obama, in fact, has a history of ups and downs as a political performer, and a history of coming back when he gets knocked down.
Romney, too, has a history of getting knocked down, then reviving when his back is against the wall. 听
Indeed, Romney had to do well in Wednesday鈥檚 debate, or the half-written obituaries on his campaign would likely have been completed. Perhaps Romney鈥檚 biggest regret will be that the debates started so late in the campaign. Early voting has already started in some states, including Ohio, arguably the most crucial battleground in the country, which opened its polls on Tuesday. No Republican has ever won the presidency without winning Ohio.
鈥淚t's too bad that voters didn't see this Romney sooner,鈥� says Republican strategist Ford O鈥機onnell, suggesting that the former governor showed glimpses of the "reasonable, practical" Massachusetts moderate whom Democrats feared. 鈥淭he only person who had a worse night than President Obama was Sesame Street's Big Bird.鈥�
During the debate, when asked what federal spending he would cut, Romney targeted the Public Broadcasting Service, home to the children鈥檚 show 鈥淪esame Street.鈥� He expressed love for the show鈥檚 large, feathery central character. Then he followed with a nod to the debate鈥檚 moderator, Mr. Lehrer of PBS鈥檚 鈥淣ewshour,鈥� another icon of public TV.
鈥淚 actually like you too,鈥� Romney said.
The quip seemed prepackaged, but no matter. It was a light moment in a fairly dry debate, and for a candidate who has struggled with likability, it was one of many reasons Republicans have a spring in their step Thursday morning.
