The first 2012 presidential debate will be forgotten in 20 years, but Americans will have a far more positive impression of Mitt Romney when they vote five weeks from now, according to passionate and dispassionate observers who watched Romney and Obama on Wednesday night.
The debate had few memorable “zingers” but it did feature a challenger who, after taking a shellacking in recent days, came to play.
“Romney was aggressive and assertive,” said Doug Brinkley, the Rice University historian and best-selling presidential biographer. “President Obama had the burden, not just in being the Democratic nominee but being President of the United States: You can’t be too snarky, tell too many jokes or go for the jugular.”
Matt Barreto, the University of Washington political scientist who supervised the Washington Poll, noted that Romney came into the debate coming off “a couple weeks of bad press and bad polling” — with low approval numbers and low expectations.
“My impression was that he was a lot more effective and aggressive than I have ever seen him,” said Barreto.
Of Obama, he took a more critical view. “The president was fairly cautious, which is typical of the leader, but that can be dangerous,” said Barreto.
Frank Greer, a Seattle-based consultant deeply involved in both Bill Clinton’s and Barack Obama’s campaigns, was on the phone as CNN put its poll results on the screen. Romney won on leadership and had a 35-17 percent advantage on those who might be swayed in their vote. The candidates came out even on who is more likeable, hitherto a major Obama advantage.
“He (Romney) did well this evening, but it is easy to do well when you are not encumbered by having to tell the truth,” said Greer, a Democratic partisan.
But Greer, too, agreed that Obama was burdened by the office he holds.
“I think he (Obama) felt very responsible about explaining things in an honest, detailed way,” Greer said. “He was feeling the weight and responsibility of being President of the United States.”
The president’s answers were, at times, professorial. A politician seldom at a loss for words, Obama on Wednesday appeared at times to be looking down and searching for what he wanted to say.
“I think Romney was really on his game tonight . . . Obama looked uncertain at times. I don’t think he was a very good debater. He was not able to explain his positions very clearly,” said Sally Poliak, a Republican and government consultant.
Another Republican, Eastside businessman and former U.S. Senate aide Tony Williams, joked: “My thoughts tonight were, ‘Where has this Romney guy been the whole campaign?’ Now I am FOR Romney versus just being against Obama.”
“Hell, I would have enjoyed another hour,” Williams added. A part of his enthusiasm was that, in Williams’ words, Obama was “sort of cool, and seemingly disinterested in being there.”
Obama was taking a pummeling from pundits on MSNBC and CNN, even those who have been his major boosters in years past. Ex-Clinton manager James Carville ridiculed his lack of focus. MSNBC loudmouth Chris Matthews said the president should be listening more to critical analysis on cable news outlets.
The president’s lack of engagement allowed Romney to come across as “a reasonable man, neither an extremist (nor) an ideologue,” said Bill Galston, a senior fellow with the liberal Brookings Institution. “At the very least he (Romney) wildly exceeded expectations,” Galston added.
In fact, Romney raised some eyebrows in his own party.
“I was surprised at how well he did: I was surprised at how mediocre the president was,” said Republican State Chairman Kirby Wilbur.
Greer cautioned, however, that the chattering classes are not always connected with folks.
The Obama campaign had a focus group, he said, which found Obama more likeable and more caring for the middle class, major themes of the campaign. “The pundit class may be, ‘Boy, Romney did good,’” he said, “but real people may still like (Obama) a lot more and believe in him a lot more.”
But even among some leaders of the president’s campaign, there was admiration for the challenger — somewhat reminiscent of when such conservative pundits as Robert Novak and William Safire had to praise Walter Mondale’s first debate performance against Ronald Reagan in 1984.
“Romney won the preparation and the style points,” said Obama’s deputy campaign manager, Stephanie Cutter.
Earlier in the evening, Cutter had predicted the pundits would give it to Romney. She was right. Romney is back in the race.