Second Presidential Debate

On Oct. 16, the debate between President Barack Obama and Republican challenger Governor Mitt Romney was certainly more engaging than the last presidential debate. The Town Hall style debate, which took place at Hofstra University, allowed the candidates to respond to a number of questions from the audience. Candidates were free to move around and address members of the audience individually. This made candidates less rigid and emphasized the importance of body language.

President Barack Obama was much more aggressive during the second debate. After being heavily criticized for constantly being on the defensive throughout the first debate, Obama took the offensive, attacking Romney's foreign and domestic policies as well as his performance in the private sector. Obama also sternly defended his administration in regards to the attack on American diplomats in Benghazi, outright calling Romney's accusations offensive.  Obama played a much more active and aggressive role than he had during the first debate.

Yet Governor Romney was also on the attack. Though his opponent's performance had gotten better, the challenger was able to keep up. Throughout the debate, Romney was relentlessly attacking the shortcomings of the Obama administration over the past four years. At one point Romney said, "I can tell you that if you were to elect President Obama, you know what you're going to get." Romney also made a substantial effort to promote his 5 Point Plan, which he sees as the solution to rebuilding the American economy.

The debate last night allowed the candidates to become more engaged with the audience, and subsequently the American people. It gave viewers an opportunity to be told firsthand what the differences between the candidate's goals and philosophies are. The presidential debates are arguably the most unscripted aspect of the campaign and can help undecided voters better understand the implications of each candidate's policies. One more presidential debate remains, if you plan on voting, be sure to tune in.