Below are some in the moment thoughts about the First Presidential Debate. Our takeaway – President Obama offered a good defense of his effective first term and reasonable plans for a second term, though missed some opportunities to drive his case home. Romney came across better than we expected, but offered little in the way of specifics and repeated a number of blatant untruths.

Keep in mind that the post-debate impressions spread by the chattering classes in DC often shapes voters’ views about who won or lost a debate, so do what you can to make sure people understand President Obama’s consistent message of reasonable progressive governing and realize how often Multiple Choice Mitt lied by writing a letter to your local newspaper, posting on Facebook, commenting at newspapers and on blogs, etc.