The President’s Mistake

The third and final presidential debate on the topic of foreign policies only succeeded in consolidating the impression that the race for the White House will remain extremely close until voting day, Nov. 6.

Comfortably sitting in his commander in chief’s seat, President Barack Obama gained the upper hand on Mitt Romney by dealing several sharp blows. However, Republican Romney, concerned about not making any slip-ups, was more focused on not being seen as a war chief than making his points.

Right now, American voters are considerably more worried about the uncertain economic climate of their country than about its role in the world. It is therefore doubtful that Monday’s presidential race will pay off immensely for Obama.

All things considered, the mistake that could ultimately prove fatal for the president was made three weeks ago at the first debate in Denver.

Previously, the Democrat enjoyed a comfortable lead in the polls, which indicated a relatively easy re-election. Mitt Romney’s campaign seemed to be in disarray. Obama only needed to perform well in the first debate in order to secure his win over the Republican.

However, surprisingly President Obama made a mess of everything in an hour and a half, owing to his lethargic delivery. Mitt Romney, seeming “presidential” and more modest, consequently became a viable alternative. But again, Obama failed to identify his opponent’s numerous contradictions and the weaknesses of his economic program.

Obama did not have the luxury of enjoying that horrible evening. True, Ronald Reagan and George W. Bush were re-elected despite their failures at the debates, but they were actually saved by the then-flourishing American economy. This is not the case for Obama — quite the contrary.

The effects of his failure have been catastrophic: In two weeks, Mitt Romney has caught up with the president in the polls, both nationally and (more importantly) in the key states.

Obama came back fighting and stole the show in the second debate. This allowed him to reassure his troops and regain the high ground. But Romney held his own, and the president’s attacks were not as effective as they would have been in the first debate.

The president has struggled to get the U.S. out of a deep recession; he saved the automobile industry; he saw the death of Osama bin Laden and fought hard to ensure that Obamacare was adopted. It may therefore seem unfair that such a man may see his lead go up in flames in a 90-minute debate. But politics remains a game of perception and image.

If Americans deny him a second term in office, President Obama will unfortunately only have himself to blame.