US election 2012: Will the real Obama please stand up In the end, of course, Bush won both elections. And the disappointment of those first debate nights faded. Running for president is brutal. It's like running naked through a cactus patch on fire. The process is designed to crush you and see what you're made of, for the tests to come in the Oval Office are far more cruel. But you can never show the pain. He may not have been in pain at the beginning of the night, but the President Obama who showed up to debate against a trailing Romney did not look as if he wanted to be there. And more than 70 million viewers noticed. The president came across as tired, confused, and unprepared for battle. He looked older than the man 14 years his senior standing to his right. And he sometimes slouched, standing with one leg bent, either from fatigue, lack of interest or insecurity. Though Obama spoke for four minutes longer than the challenger, he said less. Mr Hope and Mr Change never made it into the building. And whether it was the thin air of Denver's high altitude or the president's thin skin, his face betrayed a peevishness even as he refused to look directly at Romney when challenged. Romney took command - of the stage, of the debate, and of the evening. He looked and acted presidential. The former Massachusetts governor was energetic, with both feet planted firmly on the ground. He was aggressive, but always with a smile. And rather than run from criticism of his positions, Romney ran right to them, ticking off crisp, multi-point answers. And though I did not think it possible after his recently released and rather damning comments, secretly taped at a private fundraiser, about the 47 per cent of American who do not pay taxes, he showed a connection to real America. With a firm control of the narrative, Romney brought just about every answer back to creating jobs. While the media looked for a knockout sound bite from either combatant, there was no Ronald Reagan "I paid for this microphone" moment, none of Al Gore's incessant sighing, and not even Barack Obama's "You're likeable enough, Hillary" snark. Instead it was the totality of Mitt Romney's performance which will resonate with voters. While the candidates' views of the role of government contrasted most starkly, ultimately the debate will not be remembered for policy positions of either man. What will be remembered is voters' gut reactions. Team Obama must be dizzy right now from the post-debate spinning, but the reality is that Americans' perceptions changed on Wednesday night. Obama looked weak. Romney, strong. At a rally in Denver next day, President Obama told the crowd: "When I got onto the stage, I met this very spirited fellow who claimed to be Mitt Romney. But it couldn't have been Mitt Romney. He may be right. It did seem a different Romney. But voters also saw a different Obama. And they worry that the tired, unfocused, and defensive fellow who lost the debate actually is the real Obama. The next debate is on Thursday between Vice President Joe Biden and Romney's running mate, Rep. Paul Ryan. Obama and Romney have rematches on Oct 16 and 22. Each may again present an alternate reality. Obama's team will be desperate to make sure theirs is more convincing. Mark McKinnon, a former Republican strategist who worked on the campaigns of George W Bush and John McCain, is Global Vice Chair of Hill+Knowlton Strategies