Mitt Romney was severely all over the map and Barack Obama wasn't far behind as their final and arguably most focused debate made a convincing case for the power of incumbency.
Both men looked rested, and both scored a few hits. But Obama seemed readier to rock as Bob Schieffer -- whom I nominate as Moderator of the Year -- fired a series of often-tough geopolitcal questions that were heavy on Libya, Syria, Iran, Israel, and China. Even North Korea and, perhaps inevitably, Greece made it into the night's mix, which lacked gaffe-lines but offered an abundance of substance.
Despite his use of odd sentence structures featuring "I" and "me," Obama handled most of the topics and his rival with a practiced but persuasive ease. And the two clearly had done their homework as both unleased impressive barrages of intricate factoids about the wars Obama vowed to win, and the peace Romney seemed uncharacteristically eager to wage.
Newly diplomatic Mitt eschewed saber-rattling and served up little in the way of red meat for his ever-hungry conservative base, while a suddenly hawkish Obama struck a Commander in Chief pose that increasingly seems to suit him. And the president's closing was his strongest among the three debates, while Romney's final remarks simply meandered...