Kevin Graham wrote:Jason he never said bayonets werent used. He said we have fewer. Did the point of his remark really escape you completely? It was purre genius as it clearly made Romney's complaint look foolish. He says we have fewer ships. So what? We also have the most advanced, superior Navy the world has ever seen, as Obama pointed out with reference to nuclear subs and aircraft carriers.
I thought I'd give my impressions, and this is as good a place to start as any.
My independent-minded wife said it was obvious to her that Romney lost the debate, and I agree that if I were scoring it as a debate, Obama won. But that really wasn't a debate last night, just as the other "debates" were nothing of the sort. My feeling was that the Romney campaign's primary goal was to show that Romney could discuss foreign policy without any major gaffes and show that he knew something about the subject. Seems to me he accomplished that. Either way, I don't think this debate will affect the trajectory of the campaign. Most undecided voters were probably watching baseball last night.
A few specific things I noticed:
1. The Obama campaign had been planning to attack Romney as having flip-flopped on China because of a 2007 video of him saying we could work with China as friends and partners, so long as they followed the rules. Last night Romney repeated that statement, almost verbatim, and Obama not only didn't challenge him on it but agreed with him. That line of attack would seem to be blunted.
2. The "bayonets" line may have scored a debate point, but voters in Virginia are not going to be happy with a president who says building ships isn't a priority.
3. I have to give the Obama administration kudos for finally getting sanctions against Iran that are having some devastating effects. Obama is right that it was a complicated process to get agreement, even with Russia and China, and it is a major foreign-policy accomplishment.
4. My wife said that Obama came across as prickly and condescending. Apparently she wasn't the only person who thought that.
5. I didn't learn much new from either one, though I was pleasantly surprised that Romney said we ought to focus on our relations with Latin America, which we have ignored for as long as I can remember. Brazil and Mexico are strong, emerging economies, and we have ignored both, except in terms of drug trafficking.
In short, clearly Obama had the advantage in terms of knowledge and policy. But Romney did not embarrass himself and appeared like he belonged on the stage. From that perspective, both campaigns are probably happy.
"It doesn't seem fair, does it Norm--that I should have so much knowledge when there are people in the world that have to go to bed stupid every night." -- Clifford C. Clavin, USPS
"¡No contaban con mi astucia!" -- El Chapulin Colorado
