What's to say that wasn't a handkerchief pulled from his pocket at the time he used it? As would be normal.
His handlers may have even told him "make sure you use your actual handkerchief at some point during the debate in case this becomes an issue"
All I know is, that looked like paper to me. Plus, the slick way he pulls it out as he walks around the podium, and tries to make the act of pulling it out lost in the motions and distractions of that initial arrival there.
Why would you be thinking about getting a handkerchief out of your pocket right as you take your position, why wouldn't you take it out after you'd fully stopped and were standing there? Why would you try to incorporate the movement of removing it from your pocket and tossing it onto the podium into the movements of going there?
But who puts a handkerchief on their podium anyway?
I dunno man, I guess it could be a handkerchief but I really think it was probably cheat notes.
Let's also keep in mind that it would even be possible to print notes onto a handkerchief. As long as he made sure the part with the notes was folded inside, and he put it back inside before using it.
I do a lot of presentations. I always have a glass of water and tissue at the podium and at my place if at a conference table.
I do not keep either in my pocket as it is awkward to take out when needed. And they are needed often as your throat gets dry and those lights on stage are bloody hot.
I always keep a pen handy to take notes and to use as a prop and usually have a watch in front of me to keep track of how long a presentation is taking.
Public speaking is a learned response as is real debating where you challenge and are, in turn, challenged.
The more you do it, the better you can get. If you are pitching and being pitched in corporate board rooms or in front of investment committees, you need to be really prepared or you will be shot down faster and with less respect than was offered to Obama by Romney.
I worked with Bain a couple of times on projects and they were always very polite but very sharp. It was a real pleasure in a professional sense. Romney's performance in the debate was no surprise, it was a given. And that includes how he approached the podium and made himself comfortable. He came prepared to win and he did.
Wasn't much surprised by Obama either. In his "career" as a community organizer he did not have to practice law in a courtroom or face professional challenge, he was a part-time lecturer that got poor student ratings, he has demonstrated countless times that he cannot speak well extemporaneously and he was facing someone with a real resume of accomplishments. All he could do is repeat stale talking points and even there he couldn't get them in at what might have been appropriate moments.
Obama choked, pure and simple.
But, you already know that.