Candy Crowley: How did she do as moderator of the presidential debate?
Candy Crowley was the first woman to moderate a presidential debate in 20 years. She stepped into the debate to correct a Mitt Romney statement about Libya. Democrats hailed Candy Crowley's intercession, while many Republicans called it out of line.
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She said later that she expected such push-back during the debate and that it didn't bother her.
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"I don't take it personally at all," she said in a CNN interview. "I think the first part was fun to watch and I hope enlightening."
Social media participants also split across party lines regarding Crowley's intercession in the Libyan questions: Democrats hailed it, while many Republicans called it out of line.
Crowley's role as moderator had also been a subject of discussion before the debate even started. An agreement between the candidates about the debate circulated online, where it stated that the moderator would not be allowed to ask follow-up questions, or play any role other than to introduce questions and enforce time limits.
Crowley said that the candidates' agreement wouldn't stop her from asking follow-ups, and she did so during the debate.
"What about long-term unemployed?" she asked following the candidates' reply to the first question, from a college student who wondered if he would find a job after graduating.
She also tried to steer the candidates back to the subject when the answer appeared to be wandering, such as when Romney discussed American guns found in Mexico after being asked about an assault rifle ban.
Crowley also surprised some observers with her talkativeness before the debate. Late Monday, she appeared on CNN and was asked by Wolf Blitzer what Obama needed to do avoid a repeat of his first debate performance, widely considered poor.
It was a natural question for CNN's chief political correspondent, but maybe not for a day before a debate she was moderating.
By contrast, Lehrer, who is semi-retired, turned down requests for interviews a week before moderating the first presidential debate. ABC's Martha Raddatz, who oversaw the vice presidential debate, also did not talk publicly about the debate beforehand. CBS News' Bob Schieffer, who is moderating the final presidential debate next week, has purposely stayed away from CBS' coverage of the first three debates to avoid being put in a position of commenting on the candidates.
Copyright 2012 The Associated Press.
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