The Scorecard

Romney had a good debate, in terms of energy and aggressiveness.  Romney was able to establish himself as a credible candidate. He did that, probably.

I think Romney was a dick, but I've thought that for a while.  Will other people think he's a dick?

The bigger issue is that Obama didn't force the attack.  Romney left a ton of openings.  He said a bunch of stuff that is either outright false or mathematically impossible. Obama let that slide.

My guess... well, my hope, is that Obama is simply feeding Romney rope.  He pressed Romney for details and Romney offered a bunch of random facts that masquerade as a plan.

The next 24 hours need to be a full on press by the Obama team to point out the inaccuracies and impossibilities of Romney's "plans".  If they let this go, then Romney wins.

But experience hath shown that debates are rarely won on the stage.  They are won after the fact.

ADDED: If Obama was the challenger, he'd be toast after this debate.  As it is, he left a ton of openings that are going to need to be hit by his staff.  If he wasn't already president that would be really damaging.  Romney apparently helped his favorables, but then again, he went back on everything he said previously.

UPDATE: My favorite comment over at Balloon Juice:

A day may come, when the courage of men fails, when we forsake our friends and break all bonds of Fellowship, but it is not this day! An hour of wolves and shattered shields when the age of men comes crashing down, and BIG BIRD has been killed, But it is not this day! This day we fight! By all that you hold dear on this good earth, I bid you, Bert, Ernie, Grover, men of the West, stand and SAVE BIG BIRD!