Update: Obama: “We’ve expanded Pell Grants for millions of people. We did it by taking $60 billion that was going to banks and lenders as middlemen for the student loan program, and we said, ‘Let’s just cut out the middleman. Let’s give the money directly to students.” Fact check: True. (cnn.com)

Updates added continually: here’s Andrew Sullivan’s eloquent, emotional reaction to the debate.

More from Andrew Sullivan:

To my mind, Obama dominated Romney tonight in every single way: in substance, manner, style, and personal appeal. He came back like a lethal, but restrained predator. He was able to defend his own record, think swiftly on his feet, and his Benghazi answer was superb. He behaved luke a president. He owned the presidency. And Romney? Well, he has no answers on the math question and was exposed. He was vulnerable on every social issue, especially immigration. And he had no real answer to the question of how he’d be different than George W Bush.

I’m excitable – but sometimes politics is about emotion as well as reason. And my view is that Obama halted Romney’s momentum in its tracks and his performance will bring women voters in particular flooding back. He’s just more persuasive. On watching with the sound off – apart from weird gaps in the CSPAN coverage – Obama did not grin like Biden; he smiled confidently, leaning forward. Within twenty minutes, Romney looked flush and a little schvitzy.

Game, set and match to Obama. He got it; he fought back; he gave us all more than ample reason to carry on the fight.

~

Update: Complete video of the debate here.

~

I called first one for Romney (click here for Top 10 Moments, video), on style. Called VP debate for VP Biden. Calling this one for President Obama. ~ Waylon Lewis, ed.

NSFW language.

For more: see the discussion on Reddit, where I sourced many quotes as well as this ridiculous image:

The First Point of my Five Point Plan is Don’t Talk about My Five Point Plan.

President Obama looked calm n’cool tonight—in a strong way.

He got under Mitt Romney’s skin tonight.

Romney took his well-earned points for being aggressive in the first debate and…crossed the line. In the first debate, I felt like Obama was trying to get along with Mitt or be presidential and was blindsided by an avalanche of bullshit. Looked passive.

He clearly came prepared today. He isn’t putting up with any lies at all.

Best moment of the debate, in my experience:

~

Top 10 Moments/Quotes of the Second Debate between President Obama & Governor Romney:

1. Fact Checking happened! Candy Crowley, the moderator confirming Obama’s comment that Libya was a Terrorist attack/Libya gaffe for Romney was huge in the foreign policy/dignity of office column.

 Obama: “Please proceed governor. Get the transcript…Can you say it a little bit louder Candy?”

Also, Obama musta stole this line from Airforce One’s Harrison Ford:

“I’m the president. And I’m always responsible.”

Obama turning over his shoulder and telling Romney “that’s offensive” and that commanders in chief don’t do play politics with press releases etc.

“You don’t turn national security into a political issue while it’s still happening. That’s not leadership. I have to greet their coffins when they come home, so you know I mean what I say.”

Reminded me that Bush stopped the presidential tradition of personally greeting the coffins on their return.

Sec. Clinton has done an extraordinary job, but she works for me. I’m the President. And I’m always responsible. And that’s why nobody’s more interested in finding out exactly what happened, than [I am].”

Goosebumps. Another Harrison Ford moment that fucking Aaron Sorkin wishes he wrote.

2. Mitt interrupting constantly, bullying Candy. Doesn’t make her look weak, as it did with Lehrer. Makes Romney look nervous, rude. Not a lot of respect for rules from someone who’s normally, seemingly, buttoned-down and rule-oriented.

3. Continual generalizations from the conservative side:

Obama on Romney: “How is he gonna do it? He can’t tell ya! We haven’t heard any specifics except for Big Bird.”

And when the college kid asked,

“What can you say to reassure me, but more importantly my parents, that I will be able to sufficiently support myself after I graduate?”

Romney replies:

“The key thing is to make sure you can get a job when you get out of school. And what’s happened over the last four years has been very, very hard for America’s young people. I want you to be able to get a job. … I know what it takes to create good jobs again. I know what it takes to make sure that you have the kind of opportunity you deserve.”

Romney offered zero specifics.

Obama replies:

“I want to build manufacturing jobs in this country again. … and that means we change our tax code so we’re giving incentives to companies that are investing here in the United States and creating jobs here. I also want to make sure that community colleges are offering slots for workers to get retrained for the jobs that are out there right now and the jobs of the future. …And let’s take the money that we’ve been spending on war over the last decade to rebuild America, roads, bridges schools.”

Obama gave an answer.

4. Another moment came when the President whirled around and exclaimed, “Governor, you are the last person who will be tough on China!”

Bonus: Did Obama have it right on oil production on federal lands? Yes. Politifact says: “From 2009-11, the Obama years, oil production rose two of three years, for a net increase of 10.6 percent.” (politifact.com)