After the debate last night..

[Clinton 2016]

I think it won't cost him it may cost a point or 2 in some states.

[Clinton 2016]

I expect the yes to go up because the GOP is fapping nonstop over the debate.

[Old Europe]

I predict that Mitt Romney is going to take California in a manly fashion now.

[Clinton 2016]

I predict that Mitt Romney is going to take California in a manly fashion now.

Than he will take hipster New York.

[All life is a blur of Republicans and meat.]

Romney might pick up a little support but do I think it will doom Obama's chances? No.

[milhouse24]

Obama's done.  He was always a fraud, now voters realize there is a competent alternative. 

Don't believe your lying eyes. 

[Oakvale]

[Lіef]

Obama is now the underdog, that much is clear. He looked like a loser last night. He has to turn this around quickly.

[Senator Snowstalker]

Will you stop making these two-option polls?

[NVGonzalez]

[Oakvale]

Obama is now the underdog, that much is clear. He looked like a loser last night. He has to turn this around quickly.

Have you gone opebo on us, Lief?

[knyphausen]

I don't really understand how everybody on this forum is going so ballistic over ONE debate. Yes, Obama underperformed and Romney overperformed, but people have by-and-large made up their minds about who they are going to vote for and nothing was said last night that hasn't already been said a million times over.

Romney just came out and effectively attacked the president.

But everyone has heard these attacks before - on TV and in the media - for the past 18 months. Romney didn't say anything new and didn't really shake up the dynamics of the race. Sure, Romney gets to win this news cycle and he'll probably stop dropping. But Obama isn't going to lose support over this and since he's at 49-50 he's still the favorite.

[Lіef]

Obama is now the underdog, that much is clear. He looked like a loser last night. He has to turn this around quickly.

Have you gone opebo on us, Lief?

It's hard not to be pessimistic after last night. Obama looked like a tired, uninterested man reserved to defeat. It's hard to be very enthusiastic about a candidate if he can't be enthusiastic about himself. If I paid no attention to politics, even with the views I have, I would probably be undecided after last night. Luckily I know that everything Romney said was a lie, but still. He was a credible, pragmatic and results-oriented (NOT ideological) candidate last night, against Obama who looked completely defeated and out of ideas.

I said about a year ago that if Romney won the nomination, once the first debate came around and he had a chance to stand with Obama, like Reagan in 1980, he would wrap up the election and win it comfortably. Since I made that prediction, Romney turned out to be a terrible candidate, running a terrible campaign, and I came around to thinking that Obama would be able to defeat him by a good margin. But nothing has made me more pessimistic about Obama's chances again than last night.

[HagridOfTheDeep]

And the thing is... not to be a hack... but I think what happened last night just speaks to the inherent differences between Romney and Obama as people. I think the debate stage really benefits Romney, and contrary to liberal opinion on this board, I don't think Obama can really perform all that much better than he did last night. I fully expect Romney will win every debate. I'm most nervous about the townhall, but even so... Romney is looking good.

Every time Obama tried to attack Romney, the undecided voters got really peeved. Yet really, the whole night was an attack on Obama, but CNN's undecideds loved it because Romney made it seem credible. Obama is a speechmaker, and I think people know it. I have not felt this optimistic for a long time.

[J. J.]

And the thing is... not to be a hack... but I think what happened last night just speaks to the inherent differences between Romney and Obama as people. I think the debate stage really benefits Romney, and contrary to liberal opinion on this board, I don't think Obama can really perform all that much better than he did last night. I fully expect Romney will win every debate. I'm most nervous about the townhall, but even so... Romney is looking good.

Every time Obama tried to attack Romney, the undecided voters got really peeved. Yet really, the whole night was an attack on Obama, but CNN's undecideds loved it because Romney made it seem credible. Obama is a speechmaker, and I think people know it. I have not felt this optimistic for a long time.

Basically this.  Every time Obama tried to attack, or even mentioned Romney, his numbers declined.  He might have hoped to make this a referendum on Romney, but it is a referendum on Obama.  If he goes out with Bain or 47%, it could be very damaging for Obama.

  Do you have one of the sky falling.

[SirNick]

Romney didn't say anything new and didn't really shake up the dynamics of the race.

Big Bird disagrees good sir.

[Pacific Councillor Big Wiggly Style]

No, but he seriously hurt himself.

[Bandit3 the Worker]

Obama is now the underdog, that much is clear. He looked like a loser last night.

Hahahaha. No.

[Sibboleth]

I love this little thing so much. Diolch.

[Skill and Chance]

This is still a close election and it has been since the day Romney won the primary.  Obama is no Clinton but he's no Carter either.  He's either going to be a Ford or a G.W. Bush next month.

[HagridOfTheDeep]

I hope people do keep jumping to conclusions, because it's pretty much that alone that'll make this debate a game-changer.