Meet MR BO

C-Span-willing, we kick off 2012 election fever coverage with the inaugural presidential debate. As usual, I disance myself from all spelling, grammatic and factual errors.

BO's objectives:

1. Make the whole thing go away. The less this debate is spoken of the better for the incumbent.
2. Look detached. Very few people will follow the soundtrack, BO has to look unrattled, and like he has better things to do.
3. Look happy. His reelection hinges on likeability, so he has to draw a contrast with MR's deep-set eye sockets.

MR's goals:

1. Look in control MR wins by drawing this thing. His #1 goal is to look like he's playing at the same level as BO.
2. Job Spring Focus on unemployment and Al Qaeda.
3. Defend the obvious Taxes cuts for the rich, Bain, the 47%, Paul Ryan. None of that must be made to stick.

What to expect:

1. Knockout blows: Likelier for BO than MR to land one. The latter is too unfunny.
2. Specificity: Each will try to out-wonk the other. For those listening, this will be a battle of competence.
3. Violins: There'll be weepy stuff for sure.

Prediction: A Romney win. Remember, a draw is a win for him.

They're off.

00h20: BO blasts MR on tax. The expected attack that there aren't enough deductions. MR sounds plaintiff. BO hits back running on Clinton's record.

00h27: SEG II - the deficit. (I'ts irksome to watch the Independents applause line trailing the bottom of the screen.) Also MR has retained his primary debate smile starch.

00h36: That mesmerising line shows a consistent gender gap. MR wins men, BO wins women. But it closes as BO presses the case against tax cuts for Exon and job-exporting companies.

00h40: "I've been in business for 25 years, I don't know what you're talking about." This line will be spoken of. For better or worse. What quoth BO?

00h41: SEG III - entitlements. (apparently BO's not challenging 'that line.') BO ramps up the violins (granny raised me, etc.) If those lines mean anything, the music falls flat. He sets a trap for himself by raising the imperative to lower costs.

*bandwidth flutter*
We miss about a minute as the Internet goes cold

0052: SEG IV - regulation.

The Internet freezes afresh

MR seems to have held his own on regulation.

00h58: SEG V - healthcare
(The curves suggest that women like the sound of BO's voice. Will they vote that way?)

BO appears to have made a trap for himself by trying to damn MR with feint praise. As BO seems to get lost in the weeds in defending the Death Panel, MR dances smirks and squirms like he's smelled blood. For a (long) moment MR's body language is in synch with the curves. This segment has a winner.

01h15: SEG VI - the role of government

MR seems to have scored with the early philosophical exchange.
BO umh and uhs through the riposte, parrying at Paul Ryan.

01h25: SEG Final - Washington gridlock

MR's soaring rhetoric appears to have prevailed. BO struggles to defend his leadership credentials.

Just when I'm waking up - Closing statements

BO lost the toss and goes first. This is hard for him, because the audience must have BO-rhetoric overload, after five years. The challenge for Romney is to stay positive.

Wisely, MR spurns my advice.

This looks like an MR win. It is in fact, not a draw (which would have been an MR win.) It also seems as if MR has more takeaways (for advertorial reuse.)

Looking back to the objectives (see above) MR gets a probable 2.5/3 and BO 0.