Romney Wins in Spite of Big Gaps

In the first of three debates that precede the November 6 election, Republican candidate Mitt Romney won the game against Barack Obama, the Democratic candidate and current president of the United States. This is according to polls released shortly after the debate, which centered on domestic politics and the economy, and was held at the University of Denver early yesterday morning. There were no surprising proposals during the debate and neither candidate explained how they would actually fulfill their promises (for instance, the 12 million new jobs announced by the Republican candidate). However, according to some analysts, Romney was more aggressive. He was well-prepared, handled all data with agility and empathized better with viewers, although it is worth mentioning that he ignored everything about the current situation in Spain, a mistake that might reveal a larger ignorance in terms of international politics.

Obama, on the contrary, was on the defensive. He seemed tired, was slow on the rebuttals and spent most of the time with his head down, perhaps reviewing his notes, but giving the impression that the dialogue did not concern him. A commentator has summed things up by saying both candidates seemed to be playing a different game in the same set: the first, soccer, and the latter, cricket. In any case, Obama had a three-point lead before the debate that is likely to have been significantly reduced now that it’s over. And there’s no doubt that Romney’s presidential career is gaining speed in spite of his blunder: the comment that he considered 47 percent of voters to be dependent on Obama’s social policies and, therefore, voters who could not be won over.

In the era where image is king, even if they do not change the course of the campaigns, debates are weighty, above all if followed by 50 million people. It may happen that candidates’ performances seem more relevant than their own government programs for a period of time. However, that being said, it is perhaps a bit too soon for Romney to be boasting. Firstly, there are still several debates ahead: The next one will be October 11 between Democrat Vice President Joe Biden and Republican hopeful Paul Ryan. The next two debates, again with Obama and Romney, will take place on October 16 and 22, and will be based on foreign policies and general issues, respectively. Secondly, Obama is broadly supported by key social groups such as African Americans, Latinos and women. Meanwhile, Romney is mainly being supported by white voters, pensioners and men. Thirdly, even though 15 percent of voters are still undecided, swing states such as Ohio, Florida and Virginia seem to prefer Obama. Lastly, even though the unemployment rate remains high — 7.2 percent — and economic recovery has been slow, some new data on employment and loan rates are being disclosed that seem positive for Obama.

Romney won the first debate, but there is still a month ahead to discover who will win the electoral battle.