President Obama actually showed up for the second debate, and while the feisty contest was nowhere near as one-sided as his Denver defeat, most pundits say that the president made the comeback he needed. Some 46% of viewers thought Obama won the debate, while 39% called it for Mitt Romney, according to a CNN poll.
- "Debates are about moments," and Obama had three big ones: His quip that Romney's pension was bigger than his, his victory—with help from moderator Candy Crowley—in a scrap with Romney over the Benghazi attack, and his closing attack on Romney's 47% remarks, writes Chris Cillizza at the Washington Post. Romney had his share of moments, but when he tried to catch Obama out over Benghazi, he was "hoisted with his own petard by Crowley in what will be the single most memorable (and replayed) interaction of the debate," he writes.