Aggressive Obama puts Romney on back foot in fiery debate
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US Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney (left) and US President Barack Obama speak directly to each other during the second US presidential debate in Hempstead, New York, on Oct 16, 2012. -- PHOTO: REUTERS
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US. President Barack Obama (left) hugs his wife Michelle at the conclusion of his debate against Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney in the second US presidential debate in Hempstead, New York on Oct 16, 2012. -- PHOTO: REUTERS
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Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney (right) and wife Ann Romney appear on stage after a town hall style presidential debate at Hofstra University on Oct 16, 2012 in Hempstead, New York. During the second of three presidential debates, the candidates fielded questions from audience members on a wide variety of issues. -- PHOTO: AFP
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People watch the presidential debate between US President Barack Obama and Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney on Oct 16, 2012 at the Obama For America office in the Crenshaw district of Los Angeles, California. -- PHOTO: AFP
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Students stand near a display on the campus of Hofstra University in Hempsted, New York, on Tuesday, Oct 16, 2012, site of the Presidential debate. President Barack Obama and Republican presidential candidate, former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney will hold their second debate on Tuesday. -- PHOTO: AP
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Ms Julia Ansley (right) watches the presidential debate between US President Barack Obama and Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney, on Oct 16, 2012 at the Obama For America office in the Crenshaw district of Los Angeles, California. -- PHOTO: AFP
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People watch the debate between US President Barack Obama and Republican presidential candidate and former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney as they are seen on television at Mamma Caruso's pizza restaurant on Oct 16, 2012 in Miami, Florida. -- PHOTO: AFP
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Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney listens to a question during a town hall style debate with US President Barack Obama at Hofstra University on Oct 16, 2012 in Hempstead, New York. During the second of three presidential debates, the candidates fielded questions from audience members on a wide variety of issues. -- PHOTO: AFP
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President Barack Obama, right, and Republican presidential candidate, former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney, participate in the presidential debate, on Tuesday, Oct 16, 2012, at Hofstra University in Hempstead, New York. -- PHOTO: AP
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US President Barack Obama (right) and Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney (left) participate in the second presidential debate, the only held in a townhall format, at the David Mack Center at Hofstra University in Hempstead, New York, on Oct 16, 2012, moderated by CNN's Candy Crowley. -- PHOTO: AFP
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U.S. President Barack Obama and Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney are pictured during the second U.S. presidential campaign debate in Hempstead, New York, on October 16, 2012. -- PHOTO: REUTERS
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Audience members listen as Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney answers a question during the second presidential debate at Hofstra University, on Tuesday, Oct 16, 2012, in Hempstead, New York. -- PHOTO: AP
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U.S. President Barack Obama (left) reacts as Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney (right) answers a question during the second US presidential campaign debate in Hempstead, New York, on Oct 16, 2012. -- PHOTO: REUTERS
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HEMPSTEAD, NY - OCTOBER 16: Ann Romney (centre) sits with sons Ben Romney (left) and Matt Romney (right) before Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney and US President Barack Obama answer questions during a town hall style debate at Hofstra University on Oct 16, 2012 in Hempstead, New York. -- PHOTO: AFP
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First Lady Michelle Obama (upper, left), flanked by US Army Veteran from Western Pennsylvania Seth Bodnar and his wife Chelsea, smiles at a guest before US President Barack Obama and Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney's second presidential debate on Oct 16, 2012 at Hofstra University in Hempstead, New York. -- PHOTO: AFP
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US President Barack Obama (left) and Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney shake hands shortly before the second presidential debate on Oct 16, 2012 at Hofstra University in Hempstead, New York. -- PHOTO: AFP
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U.S. Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney (right) shakes hands with President Barack Obama (left) at the start of the second US presidential campaign debate in Hempstead, New York, on Oct 16, 2012. -- PHOTO: REUTERS
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Debate moderator Candy Crowley speaks to the audience before the start of the second US presidential campaign debate between Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney and President Barack Obama in Hempstead, New York, on Oct 16, 2012. -- PHOTO: REUTERS
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Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney (left) and U.S. President Barack Obama (right) shake hands prior to the start of a town hall style debate at Hofstra University on Oct 16, 2012 in Hempstead, New York. -- PHOTO: AFP
US Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney (left) and US President Barack Obama speak directly to each other during the second US presidential debate in Hempstead, New York, on Oct 16, 2012. -- PHOTO: REUTERS
US. President Barack Obama (left) hugs his wife Michelle at the conclusion of his debate against Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney in the second US presidential debate in Hempstead, New York on Oct 16, 2012. -- PHOTO: REUTERS
Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney (right) and wife Ann Romney appear on stage after a town hall style presidential debate at Hofstra University on Oct 16, 2012 in Hempstead, New York. During the second of three presidential debates, the candidates fielded questions from audience members on a wide variety of issues. -- PHOTO: AFP
People watch the presidential debate between US President Barack Obama and Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney on Oct 16, 2012 at the Obama For America office in the Crenshaw district of Los Angeles, California. -- PHOTO: AFP
Students stand near a display on the campus of Hofstra University in Hempsted, New York, on Tuesday, Oct 16, 2012, site of the Presidential debate. President Barack Obama and Republican presidential candidate, former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney will hold their second debate on Tuesday. -- PHOTO: AP
Ms Julia Ansley (right) watches the presidential debate between US President Barack Obama and Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney, on Oct 16, 2012 at the Obama For America office in the Crenshaw district of Los Angeles, California. -- PHOTO: AFP
People watch the debate between US President Barack Obama and Republican presidential candidate and former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney as they are seen on television at Mamma Caruso's pizza restaurant on Oct 16, 2012 in Miami, Florida. -- PHOTO: AFP
Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney listens to a question during a town hall style debate with US President Barack Obama at Hofstra University on Oct 16, 2012 in Hempstead, New York. During the second of three presidential debates, the candidates fielded questions from audience members on a wide variety of issues. -- PHOTO: AFP
President Barack Obama, right, and Republican presidential candidate, former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney, participate in the presidential debate, on Tuesday, Oct 16, 2012, at Hofstra University in Hempstead, New York. -- PHOTO: AP
US President Barack Obama (right) and Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney (left) participate in the second presidential debate, the only held in a townhall format, at the David Mack Center at Hofstra University in Hempstead, New York, on Oct 16, 2012, moderated by CNN's Candy Crowley. -- PHOTO: AFP
U.S. President Barack Obama and Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney are pictured during the second U.S. presidential campaign debate in Hempstead, New York, on October 16, 2012. -- PHOTO: REUTERS
Audience members listen as Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney answers a question during the second presidential debate at Hofstra University, on Tuesday, Oct 16, 2012, in Hempstead, New York. -- PHOTO: AP
U.S. President Barack Obama (left) reacts as Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney (right) answers a question during the second US presidential campaign debate in Hempstead, New York, on Oct 16, 2012. -- PHOTO: REUTERS
HEMPSTEAD, NY - OCTOBER 16: Ann Romney (centre) sits with sons Ben Romney (left) and Matt Romney (right) before Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney and US President Barack Obama answer questions during a town hall style debate at Hofstra University on Oct 16, 2012 in Hempstead, New York. -- PHOTO: AFP
First Lady Michelle Obama (upper, left), flanked by US Army Veteran from Western Pennsylvania Seth Bodnar and his wife Chelsea, smiles at a guest before US President Barack Obama and Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney's second presidential debate on Oct 16, 2012 at Hofstra University in Hempstead, New York. -- PHOTO: AFP
US President Barack Obama (left) and Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney shake hands shortly before the second presidential debate on Oct 16, 2012 at Hofstra University in Hempstead, New York. -- PHOTO: AFP
U.S. Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney (right) shakes hands with President Barack Obama (left) at the start of the second US presidential campaign debate in Hempstead, New York, on Oct 16, 2012. -- PHOTO: REUTERS
Debate moderator Candy Crowley speaks to the audience before the start of the second US presidential campaign debate between Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney and President Barack Obama in Hempstead, New York, on Oct 16, 2012. -- PHOTO: REUTERS
Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney (left) and U.S. President Barack Obama (right) shake hands prior to the start of a town hall style debate at Hofstra University on Oct 16, 2012 in Hempstead, New York. -- PHOTO: AFP
HEMPSTEAD, New York (AFP) - A combative Barack Obama landed telling blows on challenger Mitt Romney as naked dislike boiled over between the White House foes in a tense debate three weeks from election day.
President Obama bounced off the ropes after a dismal showing in their first encounter two weeks ago, knowing his tumbling poll numbers could doom him to the historical ignominy of a single term without a sharp intervention.
Early signs were that Mr Obama's passion-fueled performance will revive optimism and enthusiasm among Democrats in his bid for a second term, though Mr Romney, touting entrepreneurship, scored blows of his own on the economy.
In one spellbinding exchange, Mr Obama stared directly at Mr Romney and rebuked him over his criticism of his White House for its handling of an attack on the US consulate in Benghazi on September 11, which killed four Americans.
