Despite a lackluster performance, Obama denied Romney inoculation on his 47 percent remarks.
No doubt Romney was prepared for Obama to go after him full bore on the governor's remarks, made at a gathering of Boca Raton's well-heeled last May, that he could never help 47 percent of Americans help themselves, much less vote for him, because they see themselves as victims who are entirely dependent on government.
Come election day, my guess is still that that single piece of video will have proven something that not even as artful a dodger as Mitt Romney could overcome. And let's face it, Romney is damn good at artful dodging -- maybe the best ever. Last Wednesday's debate showed just how good.
And yet, before an audience of 70 million, Romney was denied by President Obama the opportunity to inoculate himself from his toxic remarks. His line about he was "absolutely wrong," in making this statement, made the day after the debate, have hardly registered with voters. Meaning that the 47 percent meme is still alive, and well. It remains a huge anchor around the Romney candidacy.
Had Romney said he was "absolutely wrong" during the debate, he might have effectively taken it off the table. Instead, it will continue to haunt him. In fact, Romney's admission of fault -- his apology -- now gives Obama an opening to bring it up at the second and third debates in any number of ways that will prove more effective than throwing them out there in the first debate.
For starters, Obama might just ask him what he feels he was wrong about: Dependency? Victimhood? Whether he cares about half the country or not? There remains a world of hurt there for Romney.
This is not to excuse Obama for a lackluster performance, but it might help put some of his tactics into perspective. There are two debates left, and Obama is better positioned to bring Romney's 47 percent remarks up during them than he would have been had he thrown that punch in Round One.