Truth aside, Romney wins, Obama draws, Lehrer flunks

Scoring Obama’s Debacle

Bill Keller, NYT

The snap judgment I tweeted after last night’s debate was “On points (facts aside): Romney A-/B+ (shameless but masterful), Obama C+ (missed every opportunity), Lehrer D (road kill).”

After a night’s sleep and further reflection, I think I was a little generous to Obama, and a better verdict on Lehrer would have been “absent.” But the morning-after judgment is pretty much the same as last night’s.

I do not pretend to know the mind of the electorate; the polls will tell us that soon enough. But Romney did a convincing impersonation of a guy with command of the facts, a clear sense of direction, and an empathy that transcends his own privileged caste. The facts may have been bogus, the direction was about 90 degrees off the course he’s set since the primary season began, and the empathy may be the product of good coaching. But my hunch is that for voters watching – before the verdict of the fact-checkers and the pundits – he got away with it.

(More here.)