Romney
Style: Perfect pitch for the Republican electorate (and many independents) on assailing Obama’s record with both sadness and anger. Confident, yet not arrogant. Maintained a good balance between cheerful and tough.
Substance: Showed his usual fluidity on economic issues. Rightly called out the other candidates for not putting forward their own health care plans. Offered a good defense of a capital gains tax proposal that wouldn’t benefit the wealthiest Americans.
His worst moment: Came dangerously close to defending TARP.
His best moment: All two hours — no one laid a glove on him — nor barely tried.
The main thing: It's increasingly difficult to see how he trips up in one of these debates. In his second serious national go-round, a much more polished performer than his rivals, and well aware of the traps to avoid. Clocked 120 more minutes of playing at a different level than everyone else on the stage, highlighting his exclusive presidential aura. With his Christie endorsement and another non-game-changing debate under his belt, he is another two steps closer to the nomination.
Grade: A
Washington Post's The Fix:
WINNERS
* Mitt Romney: We expected Romney to shine in this economic-focused debate and shine he did. Romney was knowledgeable and detailed — as expected — but also relaxed to the point where he let a little bit of his personality show. Romney’s biggest hurdle in this race is that he strikes lots of people as inauthentic and awkward. Not only was he head and shoulders above the other candidates on stage when it came to looking presidential, Romney also showcased his human side. His best debate in a string of very solid performances.
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