The first presidential debate for the 2012 election could be considered a draw. Neither candidate appeared to exceed the other. Both had faults in tactics, responses, and presence throughout the round. I would score it 0-0 so far.
When looking at Obama, he appeared to live up to most expectations based on his previous experience. He was, for the most part, poised and calm. But he also came off as dispassionate and sent a message of not wanting to be there. As a typical politician, he skirted around most of the topics and was unable to fully answer direct questions. His content was not up to par, but he still had his presence going for him. He was able to control himself and spoke eloquently which allowed him to give off a very professional presence, which, in my opinion, is very important. I consider the President’s main duty to be a face for America. He is essentially a model who is sent to maintain our image. If a candidate is unable to present himself in a complimentary manner during a debate, then I do not trust his ability to represent America in the best way to foreign representatives. This could potentially ruin relations with other countries and, seeing our country’s current foreign relations, this is a very important voting issue. Obama needs to work on being more forceful, direct and passionate with his answers. He has proven he is an excellent speaker. Now he needs to prove he can debate.
Based solely on content, I believe Romney had the upper hand. His forceful strategy was more effective and he was able to get all of the information in that he needed to prove his points. Unfortunately, in doing so, he ignored the moderator and continuously and blatantly interrupted President Obama. Though Obama also cut in a few times, Romney was far more discourteous. He was unable to contain himself, which made him seem inappropriate and unprofessional. Throughout the round, he came across as flustered and wound up, which simply doesn’t look good. Despite his presence, he was more direct in his rebuttals and answers to the questions. Though they may have been vague, they were answers nonetheless. Romney started out strong and made a strong closing statement, which proved that he is a good debater. He just needs to work on his self-control and become conscious of the image he creates.
Both candidates had holes within their speeches. There were questions unanswered, key issues left untouched and contradictions made all over the place. With that in mind, my prediction is regardless of who wins, America loses.
