Poor, Poor, Jim Lehrer

I heard just after the debate that neither candidate won, but it was Jim Lehrer that lost. Sad thought, but he was kind of run over by both Romney and Obama. On the plus side, this seemed like an actual debate! Each candidate talked about the issues, and didn't have as many personal attacks on the other as I was expecting. That my friends, is how it should be.

Here are the rhetorical tools I noticed while watching the debate:

1. When Romney questioned/responded to President Obama, he made direct eye contact with Obama.
2. When talking about lowering tax rates and cuts, Romney used hand gestures (He lowered his hands. How clever).
3. Not to be outdone, Obama used hand gestures as well when talking about closing loopholes (He closed his hands. Just as clever).
4. Romney used a kind of metaphor when when he related people saying things that aren't true to him over and over to hearing that from his five sons.
5. Obama went to a supposedly credible (Not being partisan--I just don't know if it was credible or not) outside source in the form of an economist for information and numbers.
6. "It's math." --Obama. Numbers don't lie, and I like math quite a bit. That one got me thinking.
7. Both candidates had some equivocation going on. They couldn't agree on the definition of a "small business."
8. Allusions--not to major things in literature, but they both referenced the Clinton and Bush jr. administrations. What worked, what didn't work, etc.
9.  Obama used personification when he said that on the first day in office he walked into office with a trillion dollar deficit greeting him. I wonder what kind of greeting that would be. . .
10. After what some people would consider "profound" statements, each candidate would pause for a second to presumably let Americans digest what they just said. Smart.