Monday’s third and final presidential debate

The Atlantic Home
Tuesday, October 23, 2012

James Fallows
Oct 22 2012, 10:52 PM ET

I haven't checked any reaction to the debate on Twitter, email, TV commentary, or other things of the sort. Watched this just now with my wife, while more or less off the plane from China, and this is the raw first-impression dump.

As a matter of performance, this was as one-sided a win for Obama as the first debate was a one-sided embarrassment for him. Romney's ill-at-easeness on nearly every subject that came up was palpable, as was Obama's barely-contained certainty on all these issues (which burbled out mainly with the "we have these ships that go under the sea, called submarines" line).

As a matter of substance, it was depressing in principle that this was the level of presidential-campaign discussion on China, India (nothing, or close to it), climate change and the environment (nothing I heard), energy (next to nothing), Europe (ditto).

But it was more striking as a matter of substance that on virtually no issue did Romney make an actual criticism, of any sort, of Obama's policy or record. Including topics where he used to disagree, like the timeline for withdrawal for Afghanistan! Instead it was, "I agree, but you should have done it better."

I have no idea whether anyone was still watching at this point. I have no idea how much these last-of-three debates matter. I have less idea why Obama let himself do what he did the first time around, or why Romney was not better primed for this one. But I know that Obama did very well this evening, and Romney put up his worst showing.

The debates are now behind us. Two weeks to go.

“I think Governor Romney maybe hasn’t spent enough time looking at how our military works. You mention the Navy and that we have fewer ships than in 1916. Well Governor we also have fewer horses and bayonets because the nature of our military has changed. We have these things called aircraft carriers where planes land on them. We have these ships that go underwater, nuclear submarines…”

A CBS News poll of self-identified voters suggests a clear cut win for Obama, with 53 percent of respondents giving the victory to the president compared to 23 percent who saw Romney as the night's winner. The remaining 24 percent, meanwhile, saw the night as a draw. On the topic of who would do a better job in national security, Obama again came out on top, 64 percent to 36 percent.

CNN's survey of registered voters who watched the debate (a demographic that traditionally leans Republican, fwiw) paints a slightly different picture, but one that nonetheless shows Obama on top. Forty-eight percent said they thought the president gave the strong performance compared to 40 percent who thought Romney did.

Shorter Romney: "Obama sucks. Oh and everything he's doing is what I would do. But he sucks and I would be better."