The polls gave the win in the third, and final, debate to President Barack Obama, but challenger Mitt Romney was satisfied. The Republican candidate didn't come to Florida to win the debate, he came to Florida to win the election. This is the real result: Obama won in the Florida debate and Romney passed the qualification test showing that he can be commander in chief. In the first and most persuasive debate in Denver, Romney captured the hearts of a variety of Republican voters. He has now shifted to the next stage: intensive courting of voters from the center, independents, the undecided and, of course, women. To please this broad crowd, the former Massachusetts governor avoided unnecessary friction and wrangling with his Democratic opponent. Obama came with a gun; Romney came with roses. For the viewer, who might not be so interested in foreign policy, Romney was running for the presidency, while Obama seemed to be running for student council. Obama continued in Florida on exactly the same aggressive line which began on Long Island. He attacked every sentence Romney said and threw blows. Romney, smiling, gave up from the outset, choosing instead to give viewers a "look at the world." In Denver, the momentum transferred to Romney. No wonder Obama attacked. Polls are trending against Obama. The candidates came to Florida with different intentions. Obama, after the fiasco in the first debate, had to win. Romney, after his brilliant achievements in the first debate, concentrated on projecting leadership. The true winner of the debate was Israel, which was mentioned 34 times (in contrast to zero mentions of Europe). It proved to whomever will be the next U.S. president Obama or Romney how important an ally Jerusalem is to Washington, despite their differences. Israel was mentioned more than Afghanistan. Not only Europe but also Palestine can consider itself deprived. Having said that, Palestine was at least mentioned once surprisingly, by Romney. Now that the dust has settled after all three debates, what remains is to wait until Nov. 6 to see the real results from the voters. Until that fateful day arrives, staffers will not rest, since the 2012 elections are among the closest America has ever seen. Voters in swing states, especially Florida, Virginia and Ohio, may well feel that they have elicited a fatal attraction from the campaigns. Over the next 48 hours, Obama is expected to conduct a crazy trip to six states: Iowa, Colorado, California, Florida, Virginia and Ohio. Romney's comeback in the polls requires the president to work hard if he wants to extend his tenure for another four years. Obama is currently far from the 365 electoral votes he won in 2008. Today he'd be happy to just get the minimal 270 needed for a victory. The Associated Press estimates that Obama has 237 electoral votes, while Romney has 191, leaving another 110 electoral votes up for grabs. In contrast, Real Clear Politics grants Romney 206 electoral votes, Obama 201 and 131 not yet claimed. It's no surprise that Romney chose not to focus on details on Tuesday. American commentators, especially on channels that support the president, were very enthusiastic when Obama put Romney in his place. Romney said that the U.S. Navy has fewer ships than at any time since 1916. Obama, in a sentence that will become a classic, or so they say, made it clear to his rival that the U.S. army also no longer has horses or bayonets. It is a shame that the commander in chief didn't visit a Marine Corps base before the debate. He would not see horses there, but he would need to be careful not to be stabbed by one of the bayonets still attached to the rifles.
