Debate One

Notes of Concern…

                               …Jackson Blair

Debate One

The former Governor of Massachusetts seemed to be on the ropes leading up to the first of three debates he would have with President Obama. Governor Romney had failed to make the election about the Obama record while allowing the president to make the election about Romney’s wealth and supposed insensitivity.

Well, Debate One changed the dynamic.

The President looked bored.

The Governor looked vibrant.

Keeping in mind the president is almost a decade younger than the Governor; the significant difference in their appearance and enthusiasm was a surprise to me.

Listening to the “talking heads” after the debate I was surprised to hear liberals commending Romney on his debate performance. Even the vaunted James Carville felt Obama looked like he didn’t want to be there and that Governor Romney did very well.

One debate does not make a successful presidential campaign effort. But one debate may well have made this a real contest. The bottom line on this debate is that Mitt Romney’s campaign is alive again. You can be sure those who advise the president will be lighting a fire under him and getting him ready for Debate Two.

The president needs to take their advice. He needs to become engaged. When the debate on foreign affairs takes place Obama is going to again be on the defensive. He does not have a strong record in the foreign arena. And almost every day something new happens in the Middle East that makes the government look like they haven’t a clue about what to do.

On the other hand, Romney got a break in this first debate. The Obama he encounters in the next debate will be much better prepared. Romney’s numbers were tanking and it is certain that a lot of time, money and practice went into his performance.

The president can survive a bad debate and come back to fight again. I am not sure that Romney could have survived a bad debate. He needed a knockout punch.

And he got one.

What was a very dull campaign season has taken on a new sense of excitement as a result of this first debate. If the American people are attentive they should have many opportunities between now and November 6 to really learn what the differences between the candidates truly are and that, my friends, will be a major step in the right direction.

Less demonization.

More factual and detailed presentations.

Less political party boilerplate and knee jerk reactions.

More independent evaluation of the candidates’ actual performance and promise.

I think America was well served by Debate One.

And I think Debate One surprised America.