Having the famous Kennedy-Nixon debate of 1960 in mind, where radio listeners thought that Mr. Nixon had won, and television viewers thought that Mr. Kennedy had won, I listened to the first half of the debate on radio, and watched the second half on television. I had the sense that President Obama was the better debater when I was listening, and that Governor Romney was better when I was also watching. Herewith some impressions:
First, Governor Romney made a solid move toward the center, as he must do if he is to have a reasonable chance of winning the election. He laid little stress on the more extreme positions of his party, backed off from his tax cut proposals, and identified two (admittedly small) programs that he would cut. I also got the sense that he was trying to look and sound a little like Ronald Reagan, in hair, cadence, and style.
By contrast, President Obama was off of the form that he displayed in the 2008 debates. Several of his long answers wandered far from the topic without making a definite point. He told the story of his grandmother well, and he claimed the word "Obamacare." However, he missed an opening when Mr. Romney joked that "Maybe I should change accountants" to give a clear comparison of the Romney and Obama tax plans. Mr. Obama's biggest loss, and Mr. Romney's biggest gain, was that the challenger came across as careful, prudent, and informed, far from the extremist corner into which the Obama campaign has tried to paint him.
The race narrows.
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