I especially liked the part where Romney tried to explain why letting bankruptcy run its course was a better strategy for helping revive General Motors and Chrysler than the Obama Administration response. I don't think autoworkers in the Midwest will buy his argument. However, I give Romney credit for sticking to his position in this case. Let the (buffalo?) chips fall as they may.

I also think that Obama made an excellent tactical decision to save the "47%" remark for his closing statement, leaving no room for response from Romney. True, that tactical decision was hard-hearted but Romney deserves no mercy. His claim that his statement was "poorly worded" is ridiculous. Just review the video clip and it is clear that it was exactly what he wanted to say to his very rich donors.

And undecided voters could only be appalled at Romney's floundering around on the terrorist attack on our consulate in Libya. Romney should have pressed his point that the initial story that there had been a prior public demonstration against the infamous video was proven untrue, rather than claim erroneously that Obama had not described the attack as "an act of terror." Romney was caught flatfooted, corrected by the moderator with regard to the transcript of Obama's remarks the day after the attack, and then sliced and diced by Obama. Too bad! And Obama did assume ultimate responsibility for any lapses in security precautions for the consulate, but like Secretary of State Clinton emphasized his commitment to complete the investigation of what went wrong. This whole question is a blatant attempt by Republicans to blow up an unfortunate international incident into an attack on four years of progress with regard to restoring our status as international peacemakers rather than George W. Bush Administration war mongers. I think the President made that point well.

Romney certainly didn't look afterwards as if he thought he had won the debate, fleeing the hall within minutes of the final bell. But I'll give him credit for being still able to run at that point.

Cheerily,
Charley Noble