There's a sigh of relief at the Romney camp tonight.
Mitt Romney did exactly what his handlers had hoped he would be able to do: He didn't lose.
Debating a sitting president isn't easy.
Despite all of Romney's rhetoric and preparation, a debate like this can expose your weakness on foreign policy quickly as the challenger.
Romney's strategy was to take a couple of jabs, then get inside and clinch the president so no knockout blows could be landed.
None were.
Romney agreed with Obama on positions he's found no agreement on throughout his primary and early in his campaign.
There was 'no light' between what the president believes about foreign policy and what Romney says he now also believes, at least for tonight.
Tonight, Romney defused the potential conflicts with the president where Romney's own lack of strength and knowledge could have been exposed.
Will playing it safe be good enough to move the polls?
Romney feels he moved them enough in the first debate and just wanted to clear this hurtle with no major damage.
The major blow to Romney was how effectively Obama made Romney appear out of date on his views of Russia as being our most dangerous geopolitical foe, the size of our navy, and on social policies Romney's embraced.
The president told Romney that we don't have the need fo as many bayonets and horses in the military either anymore when he addressed Romney's call for more Navy ships.
Over all, Romney's campaign has to be glad that he escaped relatively unscathed.
Obama's supporters were glad to see the president show up as commander in chief.
Whether Obama's win in tonight's debate will increase his numbers in the polls remains to be seen.
The most important thing to Romney tonight is that 'he didn't lose' or blow it.
Romney shows again tonight that he just 'rolls with the changes'. Hey, it's expedient.
Republicans will spin this tomorrow I'm sure with headlines that will announce:
Romney Wins! (By not losing).