Mitt Romney won the debate last night but only if you judge the "winner" of a debate as the most hyperkinetic, oftentimes aggressive and condescending participant who used his rehearsed delivery to spackle over his lies, mistakes, generalities and misleading statements.
Almost on cue, the cable news people along with, shockingly enough, some people who I otherwise admire and whose work I read every day, have more than just confused style for substance and leadership quality in the context of a debate -- they've completely and totally ignored the words Mitt Romney actually said. More on that presently.
In contrast to Mitt Romney's used-car salesman approach in which he craps in your mouth but does so in a way that makes you thank him and shake his sweaty hand in the end, Barack Obama's natural and authentic -- underscore authentic -- style might seem like it's not as polished. Furthermore, many of my friends on the left lapsed back into this weird chronic amnesia in which they forget how Barack Obama carries himself, how he debates and who he is...