WASHINGTON – Both men relish the wonky talk in their own way. Mitt Romney, like an executive making a forceful sales pitch, shows an easy confidence that suits a presidential contender. Barack Obama sounds like a long-winded professor a tad annoyed at having to go over this stuff one more time for the students in the back of the room.

For viewers of this year’s first presidential debate one takeaway was clear – if you want detailed discussion of the issues, not just zingers, expect to sit through 90 minutes of some pretty dry stuff.

“The impression you leave with is, wow, this whole economy thing is complicated, and these are two people who are knowledgeable about the details,” said Jennifer Mercieca, a Texas A&M associate professor who studies political discourse. “That can only serve Romney well, because he looks as knowledgeable and presidential as Obama does.”