Who won the debate?

[Spanish Moss]

I'm not voting for either and don't feel like I have some kind of investment in either.  And just like Romney's clear victory in the first debate, it's absolutely clear Obama won this debate and anyone who thinks otherwise is clearly taking their opinion from personal bias upon which they would have said Romney won short of some absolutely abominable gaffe.

I disagree with Obama STRONGLY on "natural gas" (the natural gas industry is funding a huge campaign that the majority of those who know the science and engineering of it disagree with, safe hydrofracking is like saying smoking isn't addictive - and the PR company that used to say that is the same exact one the natural gas companies are using) and "clean coal" (no consensus on it's validity as being "cleaner" at all), amongst other things - it wasn't his opinion, I judged it on how it was debated, and who could up the other.  Obama very clearly won this, I don't even find it reasonably debatable.

But I don't think it matters.  Sure national polling is somewhat close, but the electoral map the way it is and the way states are polling, Romney has a very, very steep hill to climb.

[Spanish Moss]

Obama should have been this way two weeks ago. But like I said back then he probably needed a major ass-kicking first.

I actually think in the long term, his failure in the first debate helped him.  1 bad debate and two stellar ones is better than 3 pretty good ones.  It lit a fire under him and now he's on his toes.  His bad performance, I believe, put him in a position where he pulled out stronger in the second debate, and will continue in the third.  Like you said, he needed that kick, and I think his poor first debate performance ultimately helps him.

[Spanish Moss]

I think this will move women back towards Obama in a big way, at least since the narrative seems to be how Romney objectifies women and puts them in binders. Not totally true, but still funny.

I don't think any woman wins with that exchange. It was too alpha males discussion how to "treat" women, objectifying and marginalizing them. Obama may gain support back, but from the looks of it, no one really won that argument, especially women.

Dude, Romney stood up there and said that he would make the economic conditions so enticing that companies would even hire women, right after explaining that he understood how important it was that they have the appropriate hours free to go home and cook dinner.

I was honestly surprised that he wasn't able to rehearse a less patronizing response on the issue of pay equity.

I did a double-take there.  I'm not surprised he believes that, but the fact that he'd say it during a debate millions of voters are watching is baffling to me.