Wrap up: The second debate

◼ Luntz Focus Group Of Mostly Former Obama Voters Switch To Romney - Real Clear Politics

A Frank Luntz focus group made up mostly of former Obama voters say they now support Mitt Romney.

"Forceful, compassionate, presidential," one participant said.
"Confident and realistic," said another.
"Presidential," another told Luntz.
"Enthusiastic," another reacted.
"Our next president," one man said.
"Dynamo, winner," said one more.

◼ Video: Luntz focus group unloads on Obama after debate - Ed Morrissey/HotAir
◼ Wrap up: The second debate; Update: Obama wins CBS insta-poll narrowly, but Romney wins big on economy - Allahpundit/HotAir

The good news? Mitt gets another crack at the Libya attack in the next debate, which will focus exclusively on foreign policy. He’ll be very well prepared, rest assured. And since most of the media’s coverage tomorrow will focus on the Libya exchange tonight, that issue will continue to get plenty of coverage for the rest of the week. I can live with that. Exit quotation from Ben Smith: “Romney did, again, come away looking like a guy who could be president, which is probably the most important thing.” Yep.

Update: Here’s something else I can live with:

BREAKING: CBS NEWS INSTANT POLL Who won debate? OBAMA: 37%; ROMNEY: 30%, TIE: 33% (Margin of Error: 4 pts.) CBSNews.com

— CBS News (@CBSNews) October 17, 2012

RT @charliekayecbs: In the @cbsnews Instant Poll, 65% say Romney won on the issue of the economy. 34% say Obama won on the economy.

— CBS News (@CBSNews) October 17, 2012

◼ Obama Scores the Most Debate Points, but Verdict Uncertain - Ron Fournier/National Journal
◼ TREAT: Candy gives Obama 9% more time - Politico
◼ TRICK: Crowley 'Correcting' Romney on Libya Looked Like 'The Ref Just Threw the Flag' - Newsbusters
◼ Another debate, another debacle for America’s media. - Joseph Curl/Washington Times

In the runup to the second presidential debate, CNN’s Candy Crowley declared that she would not just be a “fly on the wall” as she played the tiny role of moderator, that she would step in whenever she chose to say, “Hey, wait a second, what about X, Y, Z?”
And boy did she, cutting off Republican Mitt Romney repeatedly and often throwing the floor to President Obama with an open “let me give the president a chance here.”

◼ Pelley: 'Most Rancorous Debate In History' - CBS DC
◼ Obama touts fair pay, despite history of paying women less... - Caroline May/Daily Caller

While Obama made the empathetic case for his single mother and his belief in equal pay — pointing out that the first bill he signed as president was the Lily Ledbetter Fair Pay Act — he did not address reports this year that demonstrated that his own White House pays women less than men.

◼ Second presidential debate 2012 transcript - mercurynews