The second presidential debate of the 2012 had no shortages of fireworks. After the debate between President Obama and challenger Mitt Romney, ABC News Contributor George Will had some very strong words. “I have seen every debate in American history since the four of Nixon and Kennedy in 1960,” he said in ABC’s post-debate talk. “This was immeasurably the best.”
The two put on a more lively and energetic debate than the first. The town hall format had citizens ask the president and governor direct questions. The debate format brings up some complications for the debaters, as they had to address the citizens, viewers and of course, each other.
As opposed to the first debate, Obama seemed to try to match, and even exceed, Romney’s assertiveness. The president brought the debate Democrats wanted, and unloaded on Mitt Romney on about every issue.
However, Romney held his own. When the debate started off on jobs, he mentioned the country’s lack of growth under President Obama. “The president’s policies have been exercised over the last four years, and they haven’t put people back to work,” he said in the debate.
Obama retorted by taking a jab at Mitt Romney’s five point plan, an idea the Massachusetts governor plans to implement that will boost the nation’s economy. In the debate he called it a “one point plan” that is “sure to make people at the top play by different rules.”
The debaters seemed focused on attacking each other’s plans and history rather than talking about their own plan for the country. After many sequences of interruptions and subliminal insults between the two, came the pinnacle of the debate.
The subject then turned to foreign policy, and the talk was about a recent terrorist attack in Libya. A mob armed with guns and grenades launched an attack on the U.S. Consulate, killing U.S. ambassador Chris Stevens and three other Americans.
Romney said that the day after the attack, Obama continued his scheduled activities, including campaigning events. To this the president seemed almost offended. “Actually, the day after the attack, Governor, I stood in the Rose Garden and told the American people and the world that this was an act of terror,” he said in the debate.
Moderator Candy Crowley was under fire from the Republicans because after Obama said that, Romney tried to call him out on a lie. The Massachusetts ex-governor said Obama did not call it a terrorist attack, and as he said that Crowley came to the president’s defense. “Actually, he did, in fact, call it an act of terror,” she said in the debate.
The crowd cheered as Romney struggled to counter the seemingly bias moderator. Republicans heavily criticized Crowley after the debate, even though transcripts show she was correct.
The debate brought a much needed victory for the Obama administration, after an embarrassing defeat in the first debate.
It is always interesting to see how the debates change public perception, and most importantly, sway undecided voters.
