Who Won the Presidential Debate Last Night: Both Obama and Romney Lost My Interest

A great man once said, "We're not so different, you and I." See below.

As much as the two presidential candidates tried to highlight their differences on Wednesday night, viewers were left with the impression of their striking similarities: They both bored me to tears. Sure, both Obama and Romney displayed a cultural literacy appropriate for their age (each referenced Donald Trump and Elmo, respectively), but they spent the majority of the time referencing studies and analyses rather than debating values. 

Obama didn't just tell Romney that his deficit-reduction plan wouldn't work. He went through analysis of why it didn't work. Our livers are lucky that the acronym for the Congressional Budget Office wasn't included in the PolicyMic drinking game. 

The two Harvard Law alums quibbled over minor facts and became too bogged down to discuss sweeping policy visions. I'm glad they're both smart. I'm glad they like facts. But the stiffness of both candidates may bely a deeper issue: If they can't connect in a compelling way with voters, are they really in a position to ascertain the will, desires, and aspirations of their constituency?

For high quality analysis and coverage of the first presidential debate, including real-time updates as the debate went down, see here.