Who will "win" the debates?

[cope1989]

I know the debates are several months away, but as of now, who do you see having the advantage?

They both have advantages and disadvantages IMO. Obama is known as a great speaker but he can come off kind of stilted and dry when talking about policy. Romney on the other hand, has been known to get angry and impatient in debates, like in some of the GOP debates earlier.

Overall, though, I think Obama will have the advantage. I've always said that Romney sounds good in theory, but when you actually hear him speak and campaign, he just doesn't spark any kind of enthusiasm or passion in most people. Romney won't bomb in the debates, but he won't have a Reagan moment either.

[oakvale]

Romney's not been that good in debates - he tends to get angry and flustered - but he'll have a ton of prep - I'd imagine the media will do that "no knockout blows in debate" thing. No game-changers.

[I left.]

Me, by hopefully not watching them....

[Big Wiggly Style]

I'd love to see the VP debates if Romney picks Jindal or Ryan.

[Bacon King]

Obama has always done an excellent job at keeping his cool, while Romney gets visibly flustered whenever he gets pushed off-message even slightly. I'm giving Romney the benefit of the doubt because he has months of prep time, but my gut instinct tells me it won't even be close.

[Mynheer Peeperkorn von Thurn und Taxis-Hohenlohe]

"I'm running for office for Pete's sake".

[You kip if you want to...]

If we go by Mitt's record in the primary debates, he's going to get trashed by President Obama.

The driving force behind the various ABM-surges was the debates, "for pete's sake".

[HagridOfTheDeep]

Well, I think it'll be my man Mitt.

Obama will be dodging his record as best he can throughout the entire course of the campaign. The debates are the only opportunity Americans will really get to see Obama come face-to-face with his four years in office. While Romney might not necessarily win, I do think Obama will lose (almost by default).

[State Comptroller Atkins]

Obama will be dodging his record as best he can throughout the entire course of the campaign.

So will Romney. Or at least his actual achievements.

[LINCOLN REPUBLICAN]

If each of the candidates hold their own, as I expect them to, and failing any knock out punches, and I don't expect there to be any, then Romney will be perceived as the winner, simply by virtue of the fact that expectations of Romney in a debate are less than for Obama, since Obama is the acknowledged better debater.   

[crypto-fascist superhero]

Depends on whether Obama or Romney is gaining in the polls.  Judging by the primary debates, Romney seems to do well when he's on an uptrend but get flustered and make gaffes when he's struggling.

[Torie]

A lot will depend on events, and in particular how the economy is doing - obviously. The primary debates are not necessarily a good indicator by the way, because now there will be a sharp ideological divide, and Romney will be hitting from the right, rather than defending his right. The trick of course will be how to woo those critical swing voters - all 10% of them or so. The balance I suspect are not swingable absent something rather dramatic.

[TheDeadFlagBlues]

Obama has always done an excellent job at keeping his cool, while Romney gets visibly flustered whenever he gets pushed off-message even slightly. I'm giving Romney the benefit of the doubt because he has months of prep time, but my gut instinct tells me it won't even be close.