Now, all four debates are over, there are two weeks to go until the election. In hindsight, all four debates went as expected. President Obama was not very enthusiastic about the idea of the debates, and it showed in the first debate.
Governor Romney was perceived to be the winner of the first debate by most people. The second debate between Joe Biden and Paul Ryan was a no contest; Ryan couldn't come close to the Biden's knowledge and experience.
In the second presidential debate, Mr. Romney was the same aggressive, attacking, and claiming ever-changing policy positions Romney. But, this time, the chastised president was ready to respond in kind. Mr. Romney started to show some of his weaknesses. The second debate was a clear win for the President. The Obama team and the liberals couldn't hide their joy and smile.
The third debate on the foreign policy was clearly in the President Obama's favor, and it showed in the debate. Mr. Romney again changed his positions and, this time, agreed with President Obama on many points. Mr. Romny seemed uncomfortable, and it was clear he didn't have the clear grasp of the current situations in the world, also, lacked solid foreign policy principles. The third debate was decidedly a Obama win.
▲Joe Louis(L) vs Schmeling 1936 www.en.wikipedia.org
There were many views on the debates, what come to my mind is what the boxer Joe Lewis said "He can run, but he can't hide." After the three debates, Mr. Romney doesn't seem to have many places to hide his many changing positions on the various issues. On the foreign policy, Mr. Romney couldn't hide the fact that he was not ready to be the Commander in Chief. The role of the president is not just simply managing economy and creating jobs. It is much more than that.
In the final stretch, both camps have frantic schedules campaigning through the battleground states of Ohio, Florida, Nevada, Colorado, Iowa, Wisconsin, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and North Carolina. In 2000 election, Florida was the state which decided the election outcome; in 2004, it was Ohio.
In 2008, Obama won by a clear margin so that there was no one key state. In this election cycle, the most likely, and getting the most attention from both camps is Ohio. Colorado, Virginia, Iowa, Wisconsin are very close. Pennsylvania and Nevada leaning Obama; Florida and North Carolina leaning Romney.
Each of these battleground stares are interesting to watch because it is a good indication of which way the political wind is blowing and where the U.S. Is heading. At this moment, Ohio is a democratic leaning state thus President Obama is expected to win this election.
The reelecting of Obama will be a clear sign that the U.S. Is on the path of the continued maturation. The election of Romney will indicate a detour from the right path of the history.
During the last stretch, the emphasis is on energizing and mobilizing its own base, turning out as many voters as possible of its own base. Democrats are emphasizing early voting, and Republicans are keen on voter identification to, in fact, suppress voter turn out.
Mr. Romney is expected to lose this election and Romney and the Republican party have only themselves to blame for the coming loss. The Republican party has turned into a provincial, dogmatic, unwise, and selfish party. In the last stretch, the general public will become more aware of the untenable positions of the current Republican policy.
Also, because of the tone the Romney team and the Republican party set for this election cycle and for the last four years of the Obama administration, meaningful discussion and exploration of the real issues of the moment and solutions to those issues were impossible. After the election, Obama has no excuse not to come out with bold, clear, and concrete plans to solve many huge and difficult problems we and the world are facing now.
The last stretch, it is going to be interesting, exciting, and dramatic.
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