And the Loser in the Second Debate Is . . . . Momentum

But No Reversal

[Editor's note:  The following comments are based on press reports, which is the best way to analyze a political debate since most people are not capable of thinking for themselves and must rely on the press to interpret things for them.  The winner of a debate is not who wins the debate; it is whom the press says won the debate.   The Dismal Political Economist watched the baseball game.]

Mr. Obama showed that he was just one step behind the times in the debate process.  Had he produced his performance in the second debate in the first debate the race would still be his to lose.  But he did not.  So what did he do?

What he probably did was slow and even stop the momentum in the Presidential race that was moving towards Mr. Romney.  In sports terms, Mr. Obama kept Mr. Romney from scoring another touchdown and putting the game away.  But Mr. Obama did not score the go-ahead touchdown.

So the movement towards Mr. Romney has probably stopped, but it stopped with Mr. Romney ahead.  And with only a foreign policy debate in the future Mr. Obama does not have that much opportunity to reverse things, which he must do to win a second term.

The polls that matter have yet to be taken or released.  In about 4 to six days everyone will know whether or nor Mr. Obama has come back, or has still work to do.  Until then, the race is still Mr. Romney’s to lose, and as he showed Tuesday night, he is certainly capable of doing so.