[[{“type”:“media”,“view_mode”:“media_large”,“fid”:null,“attributes”:{“class”:“media-image alignright size-full wp-image-1615”,“typeof”:“foaf:Image”,“style”:“”,“width”:“100”,“height”:“100”,“title”:“”,“alt”:“Wall Street Journal”}}]]In a video interview with The Wall Street Journal, Linda Fowler, professor of government and the Frank J. Reagan ’09 Chair in Policy Studies, describes the town hall format of the presidential debate on October 16, 2012 as a difficult one. “It’s a challenge for both candidates to be really assertive and yet not turn off the audience,” she says, describing Mitt Romney and President Obama as “two well-prepared, articulate people determined not to give any ground…”

In analyzing this week’s debate, she says President Obama, who most political experts agreed had not done well in the first presidential debate, “leveled the playing field.”

Watch the video published 10/17/12 on The Wall Street Journal’s News Hub.