I thought it was a literally hysterical moment when Romney introduced the notion of collaboration as he yelled and spat at the president that the way to get things done is to work together and not to be demanding. The collaborative spirit is one of invitation, trust and creativity. Those aren't words that apply to the man I watched tonight.
If you like bullying, big win! If you like "collaboration" this was not a win. I suspect that for reasonable people and for many women (we experience this contemptuous downtalking frequently, especially when we are intelligent and self confident) seeing the bully in all his glory was a decisive reveal. I'm glad he came out and showed himself. I didn't see leader, I saw patriarch. I didn't see care, I saw takeover, and I didn't like it. The thing is, I don't think Obama is passive. I think he's considered, reasoned and temperate, and I've witnessed him be consistently so over four years. He makes me feel secure. Romney appears to be a hot headed radical, with a particularly belligerent agenda, who makes me feel unsafe.