The first presidential debate between Mitt Romney and Barack Obama came with some surprises last night.  The first surprise was Obama’s performance, which left even some of his most loyal supporters slightly disappointed.

In a poll conducted by “The DePaulia” shortly before the debate began, 74 percent believed the President Obama was a better debater, even though some said that they did not side with the President’s policies. 

However, an uncharacteristically subdued Obama did little to fight back against a fiery Romney.  The President seemed tired and generally uninterested in the debate; far different from the passionate and direct debate style that he had become known for.

Various polls and reports after the debate showed that the majority of Americans, and media outlets, believe that Romney won the debates-or at the very least tied with the President.

According to a story from “The Hill” Obama’s senior campaign strategist, David Axelrod, said that the campaign will be taking a “hard look” at the debate and admitted that some strategic judgments “have to be made.”

The second surprise was Jim Lehrer’s performance as moderator.  This was his 12th time moderating a presidential debate, but Lehrer was unable to control the candidates, did not keep to time limits, and failed to make sure the candidates clarified their political jargon.

Lehrer was often interrupted by both of the candidates, and allowed Obama four more minutes of speaking time over Mitt Romney.  He also allowed the candidates to speak with political jargon that left the audience at a disadvantage.

Google searches for “Dodd-Frank” soared after Mitt Romney brought it into the debate and Lehrer failed to provide any clarification to the audience.  Dodd-Frank is a huge financial reform passed in 2010 that includes governmental oversight of 38 banks, according to the “Wall Street Journal.”

The two candidates will have until Oct. 16 to prepare for their next debate, which will be moderated by CNN’s chief political correspondent, Candy Crowley. The DePaulia will be covering all of the debates live.