DENVER: President Barack Obama got an unexpectedly sharp wake-up call on Wednesday in his bid for a second term in the White House when his Republic rival Mitt Romney turned in an impressive performance in the first of three presidential debates, hotly challenging the incumbent's prescriptions to restore US economic health and offering compelling alternatives to fence-sitters.
Dismissed some months back as "Mitt the Twit" by a British tabloid after he doubted London's ability to host the Olympics, Romney was, at least on this night, "Mitt the Hit." Going into the final four weeks of the campaign where Obama holds a clear lead, he showed he could develop into "Mitt the Threat." He went toe-to-toe against a subdued President, and all polls showed him to be the winner of a debate replete with statistics and dense policy details. A CNN poll showed 67 per cent of respondents saying Romney fared better compared to 25 per cent who thought Obama did better.
Clearly the underdog and increasingly written off, Romney came out swinging. Moderator Jim Lehrer interfered minimally and allowed almost unfettered conversation between the president and the challenger. Invariably Obama came out looking distant, defensive, and occasionally, dismissive. Romney was clearly more passionate and sought to engage Obama; but the President seldom made eye contact. He looked grim, and occasionally, annoyed.
Obama clearly suffered from the burden of incumbency, having to defend his record in office. Where Romney seemed like a man in a hurry with all solutions lined up, Obama could only ask for time for his solutions to take effect.
There were very few moments of levity, and not much brevity either, as the two men wrangled for 90 minutes about the state of the economy and its future, and the role of the government. At the heart of the debate was Romney's effort to project Obama as a big-government, heavy-taxing Democrat, while Obama sought to portray Romney as someone who favored the rich at the expense of the poor and the middle class. Obama's plan to tax his way out of a crisis would not work, Romney argued; he on the other hand would grow the economy by giving tax breaks to businesses and creating new jobs, a prescription Obama in turn dismissed as an old method that had been tried and discarded.
One explanation for Obama's passive performance was that he was being "presidential" and staying above the fray against an opponent who has nothing to lose. But even accounting for his nickname "No Drama Obama," the President was unusually restrained, making no effort to nail many of the challenger's faulty or fanciful assertions. He passed up chances to roast Romney for several campaign gaffes.
The debate began with the two candidates shaking hands and Obama acknowledging that it was his 20th wedding anniversary. He greeted his wife Michelle from the podium. "I'm sure this is the most romantic place you could imagine, here with me," joked Romney. Ninety minutes later, Obama couldn't have disagreed more. Throughout the evening, he looked like he wanted to be someplace else.
Source-TOI
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