Party like it's 1980! … Bewildered and lost without his teleprompter, President Obama flailed all around the debate stage last night. He was stuttering, nervous and petulant. It was like he had been called in front of the principal after goofing around for four years and blowing off all his homework. Not since Jimmy Carter faced Ronald Reagan has the U.S. presidency been so embarrassingly represented in public. Actually, that's an insult to Jimmy Carter. The split screen was most devastating. Mitt Romney spoke forthrightly, with carefully studied facts and details at the ready. He looked right at the president and accused him of being miles out of his depth. Mr. Obama? His eyes were glued to his lectern, looking guilty and angry and impatient with all the vagaries of Democracy. This debate was seriously chaffing him. – Washington Times

Dominant Social Theme: Wow, this Prince of a Man really pushed the President hard and made him look uncomfortable. He looked out of his element and may have lost the election with his poor performance. Soon Mitt Romney will be President and the Horror will be over …

Free-Market Analysis: We're trying not to become vested in these presidential debates emotionally or otherwise but it is easy to be intrigued because Obama has been such a terrible president.

Watching Romney bounce up and down on top of Obama (figuratively, anyway) is like watching someone take on the class bully. The experience is vicarious but virtuous. Justice lives.

By any measure, Obama is an electoral horror – like the man who came before him, George Bush. Both supported and expanded the military-industrial complex, expanded the US deficit, enabled a growing depression, empowered the US's homegrown authoritarian bureaucracy (Homeland Security) and pursued wars abroad that sickened if not murdered millions via depleted uranium poisoning.

The US Constitution, admittedly a vague document, surely died during the Civil War. Much as if we lived during the Roman Empire, we mourn the republic and regularly absorb the spectacle of the mainstream media pretending the Age of Empire does not exist.

But it does, and thus the US presidential debates are nothing more than theatre, compelling theatre, however, if one enjoys that sort of thing. Here's some more from the article:

What exactly was Mr. Obama's strategy here? Did he figure with so many people unemployed in this abomination of an economy he should go for the sympathy vote? Like voters could relate to a guy who is just scared pantsless that he is about to lose his job? …

Who knew anyone on the planet could make Mitt Romney look easy, relaxed, smooth and human? But Mr. Romney was absolutely on fire Wednesday night. He had command of countless specifics from voters and business owners from all across country.

He explained complex issues clearly, concisely and with good humor. He was not angry. But he was direct and pointed. "I've been in business for 25 years. I have no idea what you're talking about," Romney said in the most devastating understatement of the night. "I maybe need to get a new accountant."

Like a prosecutor in court, Mr. Romney went after Mr. Obama's record and eviscerated him about the terrible economy and Mr. Obama's belief in "trickle down government."

Mr. Romney also came off as genuine by looking Mr. Obama in the eye with every criticism. He also looked moderator Jim Lehrer in the eye when he told him that if he became president he would cut funding to public broadcasting, possibly eliminating his job.

Mr. Obama weakly offered Mr. Lehrer: "You've done a great job."

OK, that's one vote for Mr. Obama in the sympathy strategy. Just 55 million votes to go.

Romney's "trickle down government" phrase is getting a good deal of attention in the US mainstream media, as is his overall demeanor and confidence. But we still believe Obama is likely the Chosen One and that the larger US military-industrial complex has decided on his re-election. There is perhaps a reason US votes are being counted in Spain.

VIDEO: Who's Counting the Votes?

Romney is just as big a backer of the US military machine and far more vocal about it. One of Romney's most notable and passionate statements was generated by his defense of the US's military-industrial complex. He vowed to "keep America strong."

This, of course, is what separated Romney from a legitimate Republican freedom candidate, Ron Paul.

Paul has come in for a lot of criticism of late; in fact, Paul did people in the US a service, especially young people, by pointing out the US is indeed an empire with 1,000 overseas military and Intel bases and a dollar reserve system based on Federal Reserve generated money-from-nothing.

Paul attacked the fundamental pillars of the US empire, and for this reason above all others his campaign was attacked, his supporters beaten up and his momentum stripped. The prime vehicle for the evisceration of Paul's campaign and the attacks on Paul supporters was the Romney campaign and the GOP establishment.

Lately, the Romney campaign has taken to reaching out to Paul voters, asking them to support Romney because otherwise Obama will receive a second term.

It is instructive to read the feedbacks accompanying these requests. Often, there are responses by those enlightened by Paul – usually young people who perceive Romney for what he actually is and how he fits into the larger elite (globalist) strategy.

These feedbacks are often angry and give us evidence of a silent rage against the establishment that we would suggest is growing in scope.

It may be that the elites intend to control what we call the Internet Reformation via "chaos" – depression and war. But a great deal of information has already been dispensed by the 'Net and it is possible that the manipulations of the 20th century shall not work nearly so well in the 21st.

This is an issue that the elites will have to grapple with as time goes on. We tend to believe the power elite of the time lost control of society with the advent of the Gutenberg Press some 600 years ago. We often speculate the same thing is happening today as a result of this new electronic press, the Internet.

If so, those who are anointing Romney the victor of the first debate may not fully understand the larger picture.

Romney indeed may have won last night's battle – not that it means much. But in a larger sense, the sociopolitical and cultural wars of the West remain unresolved. Individual battles here and there may be declared as "won" or "lost" but the larger conflict rages on.