Less than 24 hours from his campaign stop in front of thousands of people on College Green Wednesday, President Barack Obama engaged in a lively debate with Republican challenger Mitt Romney in an intimate setting with a small group of undecided voters.
The town-hall style debate was held at Hofstra University in New York Tuesday evening and featured a fiery discourse between the two candidates about topics ranging from the economy, energy and health care to higher education.
The first question came from 20-year-old college student Jeremy Epstein, who asked the candidates how a poor economy could affect his chances of getting a job after graduation.
Both candidates seemed to generally agree that higher education ought to be made more available to more Americans, and Obama cited his expansion of Pell Grants as a dedication to students.
Romney said, if elected, he would get Epstein a job by the time he graduated.
“Kids across the country are going to realize ... I have what it takes to bring the economy back,” Romney said.
The debate’s focus on higher education should encourage more students to attend Obama’s Athens rally, said Shannon Welch, president of Ohio University College Democrats.
“I think that he definitely did incredible during the debate. He talked about students in a very relatable way,” Welch said. “I already thought that students would welcome Obama, but now I think even more will.”
The College Democrats hosted a debate watch party at The Pigskin, 38 N. Court St., and Welch said about 40 people showed up.
OU College Republicans also hosted a watch party at the Computer Services Center with about 40 people in attendance, said Dylan Gustafson, communications chair for the organization.
“People (at the watch party) probably related more to what Obama was saying. Obama’s a great speaker, but Romney offered more substance than Obama,” Gustafson said. “I don’t know how Republicans will meet Obama.
“I wouldn’t be surprised if some of our members protest, though we have nothing planned officially.”
jj360410@ohiou.edu
