Obama Fights Back In Feisty Debate
Updated: 4:24am UK, Wednesday 17 October 2012
By Greg Milam, US Correspondent
Barack Obama has finally shown the fire his supporters have been crying out for and put some energy back into his campaign for a second term in the White House.
The President desperately needed a good performance after his lacklustre showing in the first debate saw Mitt Romney surge in the opinion polls.
This time he was more aggressive, confident and assertive and showed far greater focus and energy. He landed some of the punches he didn't even throw last time.
Obama supporter Senator John Kerry said the President "overwhelmed" Romney.
The two men took 90 minutes of questions from an audience of "uncommitted voters" in a town-hall style setting on New York's Long Island. Millions were watching live on television.
It will be for the opinion polls to show whether Obama's showing was good enough to slow Romney's momentum - but he did appear to have learned some lessons.
Gone was the shifty avoiding of eye contact and look of irritation and Obama also seemed more aware of the dangers of the "split-screen" moment, looking far more engaged when his opponent was speaking.
But for all that, Romney delivered some of the night's memorable one-liners and his dissection of Obama's first term encompasses what this election is all about.
"He's a great speaker but we have his record to look at," Romney said. " We cannot afford four more years."
That is the challenge for Obama: to convince Americans that the next four years would be better. Polls suggest they're not convinced yet.
He labelled Romney "extreme" on social issues and used some of his own words from the Republican primary campaign, particularly on immigration, to back it up.
Romney's performance was steady - aside from a bizarre comment about a "binder of women" which sent Twitter into overdrive - and he will regret getting his facts wrong during an attack on Obama over his handling of the attack on the US consulate in Libya.
It prompted a flash of anger from the President who said Romney's allegations that the White House was playing politics with the incident were "offensive".
Romney also handed Obama an open goal in the dying moments of the debate when he alluded to his notorious comment about 47% of Americans being "victims".
It was an opportunity Obama didn't miss and the exchange perhaps summed up the whole debate.
Town hall-style debates often end up as "score draws" with candidates needing to engage with audience members rather than each other.
But this one had plenty of spice - and plenty of squabbles over time-keeping - and gave the American people some food for thought with three weeks to go.
These debates have a real-time aspect with early voting now taking place in 40 states and more than a third of voters expected to have their say before election day on November 6.
It's 1-1 with one to play - the two men will meet for a third and final time in Florida on Monday.
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