I made a bold prediction four months ago here at Personal Liberty Digest™ — that Mitt Romney was on his way to a landslide victory over Barack Obama. I called it a repeat of Ronald Reagan’s landslide over incumbent President Jimmy Carter. Don’t look now, but that prediction just became reality.

Romney schooled Obama in the debate last night. He made Obama look weak, small and childlike. Obama was listless and uninspiring, could not look Romney in the eyes and, worst of all, could not muster the confidence or energy to defend his own record. The whole Nation saw it: The emperor has no clothes.

Where’s a teleprompter when you really need it?

It all ended for Obama on Wednesday night. Romney is not only the smartest guy in the room (by far), but he proved it on that Presidential debate stage.

Romney was at ease. He was smiling. He was willing to look Obama right in the eye, debunk his lies and take the fight to him. Romney stayed on message. It was as if Romney’s debate coach were James Carville; the message was, “It’s the economy, stupid.”

It’s easy to lie when you are speaking to journalists who are gushing fans of your ultra-liberal policies. But it isn’t so easy to lie on that stage, with the Nation watching and with your opponent staring at you. Obama’s lies, myths and misrepresentations about Romney’s tax and budget plans were all debunked on that stage Wednesday night.

Of course, the great zinger that exposed Obama’s lies was when Romney said that raising five boys had prepared him for hearing things that aren’t true, and then hearing the lie repeated over and over again to try to make it appear true.

Every parent in America was smiling and nodding.

Romney won the debate by looking Presidential and staying focused on distinct targeted messages.

First, that he will cut taxes without adding to the deficit, and will never raise taxes on the middle class. Ever.

Second, that what matters above all else now is jobs. That is Romney’s priority. And you can create jobs only by growing the economy. And you can grow the economy only by keeping taxes low, cutting regulations and reducing the size of the government.

Third, that Obama is the one hurting seniors by cutting more than $700 billion from Medicare. Romney will protect Medicare and change nothing for current recipients. Obama is endangering it. Suddenly every senior in America was reassured this is not a man with a radical plan, nor should they ever fear losing their Medicare or Social Security.

Fourth, that Obama promised to cut the debt in half, but instead he doubled it. Romney called it immoral to keep spending more than we take in. Did you see the look on Obama’s face? Did you see his body language? He looked like a defeated man. He looked like he wanted to be anywhere but on that stage defending his record. Of course, that’s because his record on debt and spending is in fact indefensible.

Fifth, Romney pointed out that Obamacare will cost $2,500 more per family, and that it will kill jobs. Obamacare will make it less likely that small businesses will hire people. Romney used something that befuddles Obama: facts. He pointed out that the Congressional Budget Office predicts that 20 million Americans will lose their current insurance under Obamacare.

You could almost hear millions of Americans who are happy with their current insurance standing and cheering for Romney.

Then Romney went for the kill. He pointed out that Obama wasted his first two years on Obamacare — something the majority of Americans didn’t even want — in the middle of an economic tragedy, when jobs should have been his priority. He squandered his two years when he should have been fighting for jobs for the American people.

You could feel the life ebb out of Obama. He looked so small, he almost disappeared.

But the line of the night that completely emasculated Obama was: “Yes, Mr. President your spending does show your priorities. You spent $90 billion on green energy tax breaks. That’s like 50 years of tax breaks to oil companies. You gave $90 billion to companies like Solyndra. You could have hired 2 million teachers with that money.”

Bull’s-eye.

Romney looked and sounded like a President. He showcased his CEO leadership skills. Obama was depressed, befuddled, stumbling, bumbling and fumbling throughout the night. He wasn’t Presidential, even though he’s the President. He was a man out of his league. Obama looked like a scared young grad student debating his economics professor. I almost felt bad for him.

Almost.

In the end, Jim Lehrer had the best line of the night when he tried to stop Obama from going over his allotted time. He said, “Mr. President, your time is up.”

How prophetic.

–Wayne Allyn Root