By: Jeffrey Klein
Political Buzz Examiner

Last night, during the third and final presidential debate between President Barack Obama and Gov. Mitt Romney, several unexpected and noteworthy things happened, which took most political watchers by total surprise.

First, and most immediately apparent, was the fact that Mitt Romney all but ignored the flaming Benghazi-gate torch, even though everyone, including the president, was expecting him to finish the fight that began during the second debate last Thursday night, when moderator and CNN host Candy Crowley infamously aided Barack Obama’s claim that he did, in fact, label the incident an ‘act of terror,’ during this ‘Rose Garden speech’ the next day.

Why?

To immediately create an ‘anti-climax,’ and drain the adrenaline out of Barack Obama.

Then, Gov. Romney carefully agreed with President Obama on a number of ‘inarguable’ foreign policy issues, fostering a surprising calm with the unsuspecting president, right before he cleverly pivoted the conversation back to the economy–the undisputed ‘hot button’ for a vast majority of voters in the upcoming election.

When Romney deliberately stated that the president’s failed foreign policy strategy had not only squandered the international reputation of the United States, but by running up four years of massive budget deficits, exploding national debt and impending, sacrificial military budget cuts, quickly drew the ‘disoriented’ Obama into deep water–without a life preserver.

This caused the president to ‘come off the rails’ and begin throwing ‘barbs’ at Romney, in an attempt to ‘belittle’ him before the national audience, while alternatively locking onto him with a ‘death stare’ as the Governor was attempting to address his points.

Great optics, Mr. President–just what ‘Undecided’ voters want to see.

In an infantile effort to parry Romney’s promise to curtail the budget cuts to preserve the ability of our military to protect and defend our country, Obama mocked the Governor’s apparent lack of knowledge–by referring to a legion of unused battle tanks parked in the Middle East desert, saying we don’t need anymore–because of these things called aircraft carriers, which have jet fighters that take off and land on them.

Too bad for Barack Obama that it sent a clear signal to the thousands of high-skilled, well-paid workers in Ohio–where the Abrams M1A1 battle tanks are manufactured.

And, the president’s snarky remarks probably didn’t make any points with the folks who live and work in Norfolk, Virginia–home to the world’s largest U.S. Navy base.

Finally, Governor Romney chose to ignore the Libya situation, during the only debate dedicated to ‘foreign policy,’ because it was not his objective to roundly defeat the president, which he did in the first debate–but rather, to project a balanced, elegant ‘presidential’ persona in what he knew may be the last, ‘true’ experience the American people would have with him before the election.

As a tactical bonus, Barack Obama’s narcissism and desperation caused him to reveal his arrogant, inner ‘bully,’ which will likely hack precious points from his ‘likability’ score–the only ‘edge’ he had left with ‘Independent’ and ‘Undecided’ voters.

And, as fate would have it, CBS News was right on the ball, by having organized an 8-person ‘Undecided Voter’ focus group to gauge the outcome of the debate, in Steubenville, Ohio, the most critical battleground state, according to Ed Morrissey’s Hot Air blog today.

Watching the 39 second CBS News video segment archived to the left, wherein ashen-faced CBS Anchors Norah O’Donnell and Charlie Rose solemnly watch the group vote giving Gov. Mitt Romney a decisive 6 to 2 win over President Barack Obama is very satisfying.

The entire 3:19 minute CBS News video is accessible from the link in Ed’s article.

It was my pleasure–you are all very welcome.