Debate After shock .

Just where was Mr. Obama last night?

I could not believe my ears and eyes last night when I saw the debate . I saw our President take blow after blow from Mitt Romney , and just stood there like target practice . Why did Obama let it just slip ? Obama had plenty of ammo to give clear a rebuke  to Romney . For Obama to look down, purse his lips, appear distracted, while Romney seemed attentive, engaged, relaxed. Now Obama has the problem of deciding whether or not to be more aggressive in the next debates. If he isn't, he will continue to look bad. If he is more aggressive, he will be seen as looking desperate. Anther fact is that the media went overboard to hammer Obama along with  NEW YORK Stocks that benefit from President Obama's health care law took a beating today on Wall Street in the first trading day after Obama was viewed as the loser in last night's presidential debate against Republican challenger Mitt Romney .Chris Matthews  said after the first Obama-Romney presidential debate concluded on Wednesday night."I don't know what he was doing out there. He had his head down, he was enduring the debate rather than fighting it. Romney, on the other hand, came in with a campaign. He had a plan, he was going to dominate the time, he was going to be aggressive, he was going to push the moderator around, which he did effectively, he was going to relish the evening, enjoying it," Matthews said. Is President Obama up to something  I am wondering ?The President never mentioned his most important achievement in the most crucial states: the auto bailout. He never said, “That $716 billion in Medicare savings you keep harping on? That was in Paul Ryan’s Republican budget — you know, Mitt, the one that passed the House because all the Republicans voted for it.” Romney was even able to imply that he may not have such a good accountant when it comes to taking advantage of sending companies overseas without the President saying, “I think you have a terrific accountant, Mitt! Great tax rate!” Former presidential hopeful and environmentalist Al Gore is coming to President Barack Obama's defense and blaming Denver's high altitude for the president's dismal debate performance.Denver, nicknamed the Mile High City with an altitude of 5,280 feet, does have 17 percent less oxygen than cities at sea level, the Denver Post reported in a piece about preventing altitude sickness. Symptoms of altitude sickness include shortness of breath, throbbing headaches and fatigue. Many people, however, are unaffected by attitudinal changes.

NOTES AND COMMENTS:

  Democratic strategist Stan Greenberg did a dial group of independent voters. His take: “Mitt Romney made some gains here though it looks somewhat constrained by the available electorate he was reaching out to. … We’re not looking at dramatic things.”  When they asked who won it was 42 percent for Romney, 20 percent for Obama, 38 percent for neither. More problematic for the president: Obama went from 31 to 33 percent share of the vote while Romney went from 27 to 44 percent. With dial groups, Greenberg says, the direction is captured but the scale is always exaggerated. 

Liberal comedian Bill Maher, who has donated $1 million to President Barack Obama’s super PAC, was not pleased with his performance at Wednesday night’s debate, declaring GOP presidential nominee Mitt Romney the winner and even saying Obama looked like he could use a teleprompter.