Romney used this moment to look Presidential
By Gerard Direct
Texas Insider Report: WASHINGTON D.C. If you were expecting fireworks during Monday Nights Presidential Debate and were disappointed
you have plenty of company. The lack-luster debate contained little meat for voters but it may have nevertheless
solidified Romneys growing lead due to a determination on his part not to rock the boat.
Read more.
The final presidential debate at Lynn University in Boca Raton Florida was without any of the open rancor and aggressive behavior that characterized the second encounter between President Barack Obama and Governor Mitt Romney. It could hardly have been called a debate but was rather a big warm-fuzzy discussion in which the candidates agreed more than they disagreed.
Americans looking for some truth were probably disappointed.
Romney did not engage Obama on any of the key issues related to American foreign policy which was the focal point of the debate. He steered away from controversy using this moment instead to look
Presidential when thinking Americans would have preferred him
to be Presidential.
There were important issues on the table. Not the least of these was the attack on our Consulate in Benghazi in which our Ambassador was murdered and the proliferating demonstrations of anti-American feeling throughout the Middle East. The Presidents shameful conduct over the Benghazi attack and the ensuing cover-up were never brought up even when moderator Bob Schieffer opened the door to the discussion with his first question on the Middle East.
Romney chose not to step through. He spoke only in generalities and never once even referred to Benghazi the right of the American people to have the truth or our responsibility to have an international posture in which we can protect Americans abroad not the least of whom are our own diplomats.
The lack of fireworks seemed to be a strategy that Romney brought to the table and may actually have given him an edge in the final analysis. What it certainly achieved was to bring out into the public forum his truly moderate persona which has been obscured in the heat of the primary and most recent presidential debates.
As Governor of Massachusetts he served as a moderate and it is likely his nature to be so. It is now
emerging in his most recent appearances and will likely stay the course.
While Obama accused Romney of having a reckless foreign policy and Romney referred to Obamas apology tour" as a sign of poor foreign policy that signaled weakness to our enemies overall the tone of the debate was almost conciliatory particularly on Romneys part as though he was making a great effort
not to engage in dramatic confrontation.
To his credit Romney kept bringing the discussion of foreign policy back into his comfort zone by linking effective leadership in the world to the need for a strong and economically viable America. This was a very clever strategy that worked extremely well for him adding to his appearance of command and capability for getting the job done.
It also addressed the primary concern of this election which is the economy. But it did little to elevate Romney from a picture a Commander in Chief to actually being presidential.
In short he had the appearance of a leader but offered very little substance at least until the very last moments of the debate. Although still speaking in generalities Romneys closing statement was designed to be a crowd-pleaser and it was the speech that a president would give.
The President on the other hand seemed tense and interrupted Romney several times talking over his
opponent so that neither could be understood. He also spoke down to both Romney and the American people when he said We have these things called aircraft carriers where planes land on them. We have these ships that go underwater nuclear submarines".
This approach to attacking and demeaning Romney was not so much a sign of leadership as much as one of scrappiness. The Presidents combative approach did not give him a cloak of authority as much as make him appear defensive. It would have been welcome to see the President assume the mantle of his office and be presidential as well.
But the bulk of his presentation was spent attacking Romney and talking about being a leader instead of actually being one.
We forecast that the polls coming out by the end of the week and over the remaining two weeks of the campaign will show Romney continuing to build a steady lead in the polls based less on the dramatics that the President seemed to be encouraging but rather on the command that Romney kept throughout the debate as he refused to be drawn into an argument on almost any subject.
It may have been enough.
GerardDirect.com delivers reporting analysis & opinion on key issues facing America and the West including the economy politics social issues and particularly national security analysis the main stream media refuses to publish or discuss.
