Brookfield7: 1st Debate: Romney? Presidential, capable, Obama? ...clearly 'a drag'

This was originally posted on Oct. 4th, but for some reason, it didn't post correctly

I listened to and watched nearly all of last night's 1st debate between Gov. Mitt Romney and Pres. Barack Obama, and I couldn't be more pleased with Romney's performance. For many viewers, this was the first look at Mitt Romney without the Praetorian press/media* filter in place.

Last night's Mitt Romney was the Romney I saw at the Waukesha Expo rally. He was the Mitt Romney we saw after the Egyptian and Libyan terrorist attacks. It was the real Mitt Romney mainstream media* refuses to report on.

Romney was in total command of the facts, citing sources, and dishing it back to the President when he made incorrect or misleading statements. Obama was spewing out the same old same old as he did in 2008, even clinging to you can keep your doctor. He was not prepared and seemed like he would rather be elsewhere. No wonder Obama called debate prep "a drag".

Favorite Romney moments: Trickle-Down Government: "The president has a view very similar to the view he had when he ran four years [ago], that a bigger government, spending more, taxing more, regulating more -- if you will, trickle-down government -- would work:"

The rebuttal to Obama calling for the end to oil company tax breaks at $2.8 billion a year: "And in one year, you [Obama] provided $90 billion in breaks to the green energy world. Now, I like green energy as well, but that's about 50 years' worth of what oil and gas receives. And you say Exxon and Mobil. Actually, this $2.8 billion goes largely to small companies, to drilling operators and so forth."

"You're entitled, Mr. President, as the president to your own airplane and you own house, but not to your own facts." (Romney's version of Reagan's there you go again re: untrue statements) Romney said, "I'm not going to cut education funding. I don't have any plan to cut education funding."

Feel free to share some of your favorite moments and quotes.

If you missed the debate, it is on Real Clear Politics. It is worth watching and reading. (Transcript is on Politico.)

*Mark Levin coined this term: Praetorian press. It refers to the special military guard Rome set in place to guard their emperor.