I wasn't planning to do an analysis of last night's debate, figuring that the debate would be a draw or Pres. Obama would dominate Gov. Romney -- either of those outcomes would be unlikely to change the dynamic of the campaign. But... well, here we are.

Using frequency analysis, the...

Two weeks of Republican and Democratic conventioneering concluded last night with President Barack Obama's speech accepting the nomination of his party. Whether one considered his speech brilliant oratory or just a good effort, in many ways it was typical of nomination acceptance speeches given by incumbent presidents in recent times.

Over the past 32 years, speeches by Republican candidates accepting their party's nomination for president have differed in length, theme and tone. But even among these differences, Mitt Romney's speech last night stands out. For one thing, it had 41 percent fewer applause breaks compared to speeches by Romney's previous...