Obama may have won the Boca debate battle but he knows he is losing the election war to Romney

If you had been on an extended vacation for the past four years, you would have been forgiven for watching this debate and thinking you were viewing a President Mitt Romney being challenged by a pretender called Barack Obama.

It's not that Obama did not have command of foreign policy issues or did not make some telling points against an opponent who was vague at times and occasionally uncertain. But Obama clearly came into the debate believing he had to score points and change the dynamic of the race.

In short, Obama started the 90 minutes here in Boca Raton, Florida believing he was losing his bid for re-election.

Romney, by contrast, felt he could play things safe. He was a kinder, gentler presence than he was in the second debate in Hempstead, New York, when he fought back hard against a hyper Obama desperate to make up for his catastrophic performance in the first debate in Denver. By and large, Romney succeeded in Boca. He came across as knowledgeable and reasonable and made no mistakes. In short, he passed the commander-in-chief test.

Having proved in the first debate he had the backbone, policy expertise and determination to try to tackle America's economic woes, tonight he showed that he was a plausile commander-in-chief. It was not an especially high bar, but he cleared it...

Mitt hit a homerun.

No to continue that analogy, Mitt's first two debates brought hm to the plate in the bottom of the 9th with the winning a run man on second. Swinging for the fence brought the chance of a strikeout. So he hit an easy bloop single over the shortstops head and won the game.

Romney knew exactly what he had to do last night and he did it. What impressed me was his discipline. Obama needed a brawl to regain momentum and Romney simply refused to give him one. Romney had to look competent to command the US military. He did that.

We are political junkies and we want to see blood on the stage. But Romney is the consummate professional. He played it safe because he could. He landed enough blows to keep the twitter feeds buzzing today. Obama won the debate on points, but he will lose the next day because in order to win he had to look petty and make a bunch of statements that will not hold up to fact check. Romney never said he wouldn't help the Auto industry, he just said they should undergo a reorganization under existing US law. The transcript is going to back Romney. Oh and in 1916 the US Army was quite small. So there are probably more bayonets in use by the US army today then in 1916. In addition the only monument to the military at ground zero is a US special forces soldier on horseback. So Obama came of as being petty and uninformed. No surprise to us here, but not something that is going to help him today. In contrast all of Romney's zingers are going to soundbite nicely.

* "There is no place in the world where our influence is greater today than it was four years ago."

* "I will show Putin more backbone not more flexibility."

* "They noticed you skipped Israel"

To counter that you have Obama talking about playing battleship.

I worked in a number of large companies between age 17 and age 39. Kroger-——Oscar Mayer-——Snap-On-—Shell Oil-——Universal Studios.

I was fortunate enough to work for some great department heads and Division managers. I learned alot & they rewarded my hard work with raises, etc.

I have seen many a manager or department head sit with a person who was a total screw up & was headed for the unemployment line. They gave them EVERY possible opportunity to rectify the situation they had placed themselves into. One in particular would have the same thoughtful look that Romney gets when he is letting Obama eat his feet over and over again. Attacking Romney is NOT an agenda....Neither is being SNARKY.

Somehow, the marginal workers never caught on to the trap they were setting for themselves & then it was sprung on them. OUT—GONE.

Mitt’s demeanor is more like something I wish to see when another country leader is in discussions with the President of the USA. Thoughtful respect when it is deserved. Strength & resolve when it is needed.

Obama acts more like a person who can never stand anyone to criticize him, no matter the topic. It certainly doesn’t help Obama to grow up when Chrissy Matthews tells the world that it is ‘Unconstitutional’ for anyone to challenge Obama.

People in this country are unfamilar with the facts about the US Constitution, much less people in other countries. Matthews himself demonstrates his own astounding ignorance when he even blurts out such a statement!!

Chrissy Matthews tells the world that it is ‘Unconstitutional’ for anyone to challenge Obama.

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now appoint a king to lead[b] us, such as all the other nations have.”

6 But when they said, “Give us a king to lead us,” this displeased Samuel; so he prayed to the Lord. 7 And the Lord told him: “Listen to all that the people are saying to you; it is not you they have rejected, but they have rejected me as their king. 8 As they have done from the day I brought them up out of Egypt until this day, forsaking me and serving other gods, so they are doing to you. 9 Now listen to them; but warn them solemnly and let them know what the king who will reign over them will claim as his rights.”

10 Samuel told all the words of the Lord to the people who were asking him for a king. 11 He said, “This is what the king who will reign over you will claim as his rights: He will take your sons and make them serve with his chariots and horses, and they will run in front of his chariots. 12 Some he will assign to be commanders of thousands and commanders of fifties, and others to plow his ground and reap his harvest, and still others to make weapons of war and equipment for his chariots. 13 He will take your daughters to be perfumers and cooks and bakers. 14 He will take the best of your fields and vineyards and olive groves and give them to his attendants. 15 He will take a tenth of your grain and of your vintage and give it to his officials and attendants. 16 Your male and female servants and the best of your cattle[c] and donkeys he will take for his own use. 17 He will take a tenth of your flocks, and you yourselves will become his slaves. 18 When that day comes, you will cry out for relief from the king you have chosen, but the Lord will not answer you in that day.”

19 But the people refused to listen to Samuel. “No!” they said. “We want a king over us. 20 Then we will be like all the other nations, with a king to lead us and to go out before us and fight our battles.”

21 When Samuel heard all that the people said, he repeated it before the Lord. 22 The Lord answered, “Listen to them and give them a king.”

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