What happened to Obama?

I have a friend who sent the following interesting question:

 I wondered why Obama was not more aggressive in that debate.

Which of the following expresses your view?

A) Some people say he was too lazy to prepare.

B) He was preoccupied with running the affairs of state.

C) He was mentally bushed.

D) It was his strategy .

E) None of the above.

I think it was D, his strategy.

Whatever one might think of him, he is not that dumb, to not be more aggressive.

Z) It energized his base.

1) resulted in major fund raising.

2) Kept his base from becoming too relaxed.

I think:  

Obama was walking away with it (slowly but surely) until he got mugged that night.

Therefore if you think he did it on purpose, then you are indeed a "true believer".

As a once and (likely) future** Obama voter -  I will choose E: none of the above.  I offer four possibilities. 

1.  He may have expected the Romney that showed up would be the one who is depicted in Obama's ads.

2. He may have been depressed to have to defend a record that is not as good as he had hoped it would be.

(That does not presume that it could be better.)

3.  He may have expected the Romney that showed up would be the one who is depicted in Romney's ads.

4.  It may have been a much larger variation of Bush 41 looking at his watch in 1992 as if to say "Why do I have to be here." I believe that there is a bit of a messianic streak in Obama.  Perhaps he was having trouble assimilating why he should have to go through all of that "rig a ma roar"* as if he were a mere mortal.

PS Prediction:  The format may hold him back some in number 2, but he will be back in #3.

* rig a ma roar - this is a James Burgessism meaning "rig a ma role".

**  Perhaps not the second time if the Libya thing turns out to be as bad as it looks now.