<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8" standalone="yes"?><oembed><version><![CDATA[1.0]]></version><provider_name><![CDATA[The Dish]]></provider_name><provider_url><![CDATA[http://dish.andrewsullivan.com]]></provider_url><author_name><![CDATA[Andrew Sullivan]]></author_name><author_url><![CDATA[https://dish.andrewsullivan.com/author/sullydish/]]></author_url><title><![CDATA[The First Debate: Reader Reax&nbsp;I]]></title><type><![CDATA[link]]></type><html><![CDATA[<p>Some initial reaction from the in-tray (which is swamped with more than 700 emails since the debate started): </p> <blockquote> I donated to the Obama campaign just a couple of days ago. Not that I&#39;m changing my mind for November, but can I get my money back? Sheesh. </blockquote> Another:</p> <blockquote> Romney is the insurance salesman with the quiet demeanor and the PowerPoint presentation, while Obama is the stammered. The hesitations and pauses are keeping him from presenting his ideas with authority.</p> </blockquote> Another:</p> <blockquote> <p>Watching Romney tonight I couldn&#39;t help but think of Alec Baldwin&#39;s masterful monologue in <em>Glengarry Glen Ross</em>. ABC - Always Be Closing. Romney was closing, making the hard sell. He didn&#39;t want the steak knives; he wanted that Cadillac. So he aggressively used dishonest and misleading tactics to make his sale to the public. And he was pretty good at it. Although I don&#39;t think the debate was a game changer as much as a cold bucket of water on the Obama. Let&#39;s hope that woke up the President and he doesn&#39;t let Romney off the hook in the next two debates other wise America will be left with investments in Florida real estate that we can&#39;t afford. </blockquote> <p>Another:</p> <blockquote> I am an Obama supporter and I think you’re right; Romney is winning. He’s running from his own record and tacking to the center. So he’s running as a moderate. Obama pegged him once by calling him on his changes in tax policy, but that’s a hard argument to make in a debate. So Romney is winning this by not being Romney.</p> </blockquote> Another:</p>]]></html></oembed>