President Barack Obama has made a comeback, according to a CNN/ORC international poll of 457 voters who watched the nationally televised presidential debate on Tuesday, as reported by Bloomberg News.
Based on results aired by CNN after the event, 46 percent of those surveyed said Obama did better, compared to 39 who thought Republican challenger Mitt Romney won. Thirty-three percent of participants identified themselves as Republicans and 33 percent as Democrats, according to the survey, which was taken by phone.
It was good news for Democrats, following the Oct. 3 presidential debate in Denver which has been described as a game-changer for President Obama, leading to an increase in Romney's popularity among undecided voters in state and national polls.
The debate was held at Hofstra University in Long Island and was moderated by CNN's Chief Political Correspondent Candy Crowley. Candidates were forced to address impromptu questions from the audience.
Flashpoints included the country's sluggish economy and Romney's comment that he received "whole binders full of women" from women's groups when he was looking to fill cabinet positions as governor, which immediately went viral.
The CNN survey also found that Romney had a significant edge over Obama on his ability to handle the economy, and Obama beat out Romney 49 percent to 47 percent on foreign policy. As far as who is more likeable, it was nearly a toss-up, with 47 percent siding with Obama, and 41 percent for Romney.
CNN reported Wednesday that its most recent aggregate of the latest major surveys shows Romney with a slight edge nationally at 48 percent to 47 percent.
The third and final debate will be held on Monday, Oct. 22, 9 PM, Eastern Time, at Lynn University in Boca Raton, Florida. It will be moderated by CBS News' Bob Schieffer and will focus on foreign policy.
Join the Conversation