The first presidential debate of the 2012 election season sent a shock through the electorate. Ever since the 47 percent comment surfaced, polls have shown Romney plunging into the category of unelectable, while President Obama’s campaign has adopted the disingenuous message of “we know it’s not over,” when in reality everyone else seemed to be saying just that. Therefore, it was quite a surprise then when Romney’s success in the debate was exactly the opposite of what he has been buried for—he connected with the American people, while the president seemed disinterested.
On the issues, Romney succeeded through a method of attack and brisk defense. The debate started off precariously for the former Massachusetts governor, as Obama called him out for a seemingly unrealistic offer of five trillion dollars in tax cuts without adding to the deficit. The president also compared himself to Clinton twice—a clear attempt to perpetuate the excitement Clinton stirred up in the base during the DNC. Regardless, Romney was quick to counter. He identified Obama’s accusation that he would create five trillion dollar tax cuts for the wealthy as false, which CNN later confirmed in a post-debate program, Debate Night in America.
Romney’s success continued on the issues of health care and Social Security. Obama commenced the segment with an appeal to pathos, talking about how governmental programs like Social Security and Medicare helped his grandmother get along in her later years. “People like my grandmother are counting on [these programs],” the president said. Romney countered by asserting that his plan would turn Medicare into a state-run program, through which each state would be able to care for its poor in the best way possible. He succeeded in turning the debate over from one of who cares more about the nation’s grandmothers to how big the federal government it is—a discussion in which he is much more likely to score points with voters.
The Republican candidate was particularly effective when defending his record as governor of Massachusetts; in fact, he used it to his advantage. When asked about Obamacare, the president asserted that his plan was not very different than the universal health care program Romney implemented as governor of his state. This is a point for which Romney has been heavily criticized by his own party. Nevertheless, Romney flipped the attack right back on Obama, saying that his plan passed through a legislature 87 percent Democrat while the president’s Affordable Care Act received not a single Republican vote. He effectively portrayed the president as a perpetuator of partisan politics, while illuminating his record as a supporter of bipartisan government, a quality for which the majority of Americans are looking.
In the closing statements, the candidates presented an argument for why they should be elected. “Everything that I’m proposing…was designed to make sure that the American people, their genius, their grit, their determination are poised to succeed, and everybody’s getting a fair shot, a fair share…” Obama said. Obviously, the president was trying to dispel rumors about his favor for government over the individual American citizen (hence the praise of their grit and genius) and to reiterate his support of the common man.
Romney took a similar approach in trying to cater to the middle class. “If the president were to be elected again you will see a middle class squeeze, prices go up, and incomes go down…I will get American’s middle class working again,” Romney said. Specifically, he promised to create twelve million jobs.
Reaction to the debate among voters and the media seems to reflect a major win for Romney, tempered by the knowledge that he must have two more debates of this nature if he is to cover the deficit between his support and that of the president. “I think Romney was very effective in [communicating with the people]. Obama was very professorial,” CNN analyst Alex Castellanos said. The CNN panel agreed that this was Romney’s finest moment of the campaign thus far. To summarize this sentiment, Castellanos said, “This was the best moment of Romney’s campaign the way Bill Clinton was the best moment of Obama’s campaign.”
Indeed, the result of the debate has already proven to be a boost for the Republican challenger. According to a Reuters/Ipsos daily tracking poll, ten percent more Republicans now say they view Romney “very favorably,” and the president’s overall lead shrunk from seven to five percentage points.
On the other hand, it is also evident that this debate will not suffice if Romney wants to make up the ground he has lost in the past month. “If he has more debates like this, is able to push through his message and target undecided voters, we might see movement in voting intention, but he needs a lot more of this,” Ipsos pollster Cliff Young said of Romney.
The next presidential debate will take place on October 16, and the topic will be both foreign and domestic topics. On that night, one can expect a much more passionate President Obama, and Americans will eagerly wait to see how Governor Romney handles himself coming off a win. At the very least, Romney supporters can come away from this night with a new hope, and Obama’s supporters can only hope that the president can strike back.