On Oct. 3, I raised a question here that reflected President Obama’s strong momentum and Mitt Romney’s apparent readiness to accept defeat.
“Are you a good loser, Mitt?” I wrote.
I have my answer. I’ve gotten it so many times in the last 17 days that I am now convinced of it.
The answer is no, Mitt Romney is not a good loser. He is instead determined to be the next president of the United States.
And I am starting to believe he will be.
The New & Improved Mitt took the stage in the first debate, which came on the day of my question. The timing is important, because the day marked what, in hindsight, was the low point of the Romney campaign.
He was drifting, not fighting, and seemed oddly content with a race sliding away, as though the nomination was victory enough. Obama, on the other hand, gave every indication he wanted to keep the job, no matter what it took. His re-election had a growing sense of inevitability.
Then came that first debate, where Romney’s brilliant performance and Obama’s snooze flipped the script. But it is now clear Romney’s sudden zest wasn’t a one-off. He has continued to gain support after the second debate, an illustration of the power and depth of the change to his approach.
