10.35 pm. After the first truly epic implosion in the first debate, Obama has clawed his way back in the following two, in my view. He has marshalled his arguments as potently as possible; he brought the themes of his candidacy together compellingly. His advantage on foreign policy will not, I think, diminish; it may well strengthen. And that is only just. After eight years of the most disastrous, misguided, immoral and a catastrophic foreign policy, Obama has brought the US back from the brink, presided over the decimation of al Qaeda, the liberation of Egypt, Tunisia and Libya, and restored America's moral standing in the world.
For Romney, he made no massive mistakes. No Gerald Ford moments. And since the momentum of this race is now his, if now faltering a little, a defeat on points on foreign policy will be an acceptable result. But this was Obama's debate; and he reminded me again of how extraordinarily lucky this country has been to have had him at the helm in this new millennium.
He's flawed; he's made mistakes; but who hasn't? If this man, in these times, with this record, against this opposition, does not deserve re-election, then I am simply at a loss for words. I have to believe the American people will see that in time.
10.34 pm. Obama's closing statement was his best few minutes in all three debates. Romney's seems a little desperate and now he – the man whose running-mate is Paul Ryan – is saying he is more bipartisan than Obama.
10.30 pm. So Romney just blames the entire economy on Obama alone. This litany of "the economy sucks throw him out" is the crude but effective big lie.
10.27 pm. "Governor, the people in Detroit don't forget." The lies this man has said tonight have been more numerous than I can ever remember in any debate. The man does not have the moral character to be president, in my opinion.
10.24 pm. Obama is now obliterating Romney on trade with China, exposing him as a blowhard, as opposed to a smart and credible commander-in-chief. This really has been a susbtantive wipe-out for Obama, largely because Romney has essentially capitulated on almost every previous position he allegedly held.
10.22 pm. Romney promises to launch a trade war against China in his first day in office.
10.20 pm. It strikes me that Obama effectively rebutted Romney's silly big-dick-waving on China by citing his record. And Romney keeps saying that sequestration was Obama's policy. That's an obvious lie.
10.15 pm. So far, no mention whatsoever of the continuing settlements on the West Bank.
10.14 pm. Memo to Conor Friedersdorf: you think Romney would be as scrupulous in drone warfare as Obama?
10.09 pm. Obama's pivot to "nation-building at home" is a clear applause answer. But I note that Schieffer is not following up, or getting answers to questions. Then he bumbles his way to "Obama's bin Laden"! He's a very passive moderator. Raddatz was much much better.
10.04 pm. So far, Obama is wiping the floor with him on substance, and Romney has basically fled neoconservatism as quickly as he would a liquor store. Romney is now endorsing Obama's withdrawal from Afghanistan. Let me put this as best I can: I don't believe this current series of total reversals would last a micro-second after his possible inauguration.
9.59 pm. On the apology question, Obama finally won. And the truth is that America has dictated to other countries. Dictating who the leader of Iran was in 1958, for example, was and remains integral to the distrust of the US in the country. And it weakens America.
9.52 pm. Obama is dominating this debate, and his answer on how you put sanctions in place allowed him to use his presidential experience to best effect. Then Romney riffs on another series of lies. Thank God Obama looked him in the eye and told him to his face that he is a rank liar.
9.50 pm. Romney wants to indict Ahmadinejad for speech? Is he for or against the First Amendment in the United States?
9.47 pm. Obama just kicked ass on Israel and Iran. Obama has managed to out-alpha Romney on the critical area where Romney needed to score, while also seeming calmer and less trigger-happy.
9.42 pm. We have just seen the unraveling not of Obama's foreign policy – Romney backs it – but of Romney's mathematics. Romney's claim that he can balance the budget in eight years is another massive lie. Obama has just made a real advance in this debate. By ripping Romney's absurd proposals to build ships just because he thinks we should have more ships was devastating. Obama is exercizing mastery in this debate, and more clearly exposing the shallowness of Romney's grasp on the world.
9.39 pm. "Where are you going to get the money?" The best question yet in all four debates. And Romney cannot answer. Because he has no answer. Notice how he keeps talking because he knows he's lying but has to keep up the pretense of actually having a sane fiscal policy. Which he doesn't.
9.31 pm. Romney went very soft on Israel; some difference that "existed" – past tense – was merely "unfortunate." Watching this man shape-shift in front of your eyes is staggering. I'm fascinated by the purity of the cynicism. Seriously, I've never seen any human being up close like this – a mechanical, unstoppable machine of say anything, forget everything in the past, refuse to take any responsibility for anything he has said in the past, and just smile and golly-gee smile his way along. There's a a machine-like quality that chills me. I have no idea what he would do in office on anything. I believe nothing he says.
9.27 pm. Romney is endorsing Obama's foreign policy. Simple as that. Amazing. You cannot believe it of course. you can believe nothing that comes out of that mouth.
9.25 pm. Obama gets the second mention of Israel as well – and, after Romney's rather hot start, things are calming down and Obama's sanity and calm are coming through.
9.21 pm. Obama basically tells Romney that his "new policy" on Syria is actually already being executed by the Obama administration. In fact, almost everything Romney is currently advocating is Obama foreign policy. And dismissing military involvement in Syria is another denial of neoconservative doctrine. Romney is effectively endorsing Obama's foreign policy, except for demanding that we "lead" in some amorphous way.
9.19 pm. Romney doesn't want to get drawn into the Syrian civil war either. In this debate, neoconservatism is dead. But tomorrow? And the day after the election? With a liar this practised and cynical, we have no idea.
9.18 pm. Obama was the first to mention Israel at all – and in a positive light.
9.15 pm. Romney is bullying and hectoring and trying to bulldoze the president. And he is lying through his teeth as usual. The idea that he is now more in favor of cultural engagement than warfare in the Middle East – well, you just have to shake your head. This is such total cynicism and opportunism it's staggering.
9.13 pm. It is not accurate that Romney said he wanted troops to stay in Iraq? Not accurate?
9.12 pm. Obama fights back punchily, reminding people of what Romney has actually said in the past.
9.10 pm. "We don't want another Iraq. We don't want to another Afghanistan." Romney is completing his Etch-A-Sketch on foreign policy as he did on domestic policy. Romney seems more authoritative on foreign policy so far – which is making my stomach turn.
9.05 pm. Northern Mali! But note how Mitt Romney represents the shift on the right against the Arab Spring – to see it as a threat. His answer? A "comprehensive strategy." Meaningless phrase. But I'll note the graciousness he's showing, the mellifluous, reasuring tones, the presidential manner. The precise opposite of his primary persona.
9.03 pm. For the record, I've always liked and admired Bob Schieffer, so take my vicious attacks on him tonight as a function of bronchitic bile.
(Photo: Mandel Ngan/AFP/Getty.)
The Dish 