Circling each other like boxers at times and looking one another in the eye, President Obama and Mitt Romney came out swinging as soon as tonight's debate began, sparring over energy production and the bailout of Detroit.
At one point during a particularly heated exchange, Romney snapped when Obama tried to interrupt, "I'm still speaking."
Obama, whose performance at the first debate two weeks ago was roundly considered to be lackluster, tried to make up lost ground tonight.
Within the first 20 minutes of the debate, the president repeatedly accused Romney of stretching the truth, attacking Romney's comments about job creation as "just not true."
"Now when Governor Romney said we should let Detroit go bankrupt, I said we're going to bet on American workers and the American auto industry and it's come surging back," Obama said, striking an important Democratic talking point.
The two tangled over energy policies with Obama claiming the country has produced more oil, gas and coal than what was produced under President George W. Bush, "and he was an oil man," Obama said.
Charlie Neibergall/AP Photo
Romney insisted the Obama administration has cut the number of licenses to drill on federal land, while Obama said he has simply taken licenses away from companies that were simply sitting on the drilling licenses and not using them so they could be given to other drillers.
Both men were off their stools talking into microphones and trying to talk over each other, insisting the other man was wrong.
When Romney eventually wrangled the floor to himself, Obama tried to interject, prompting Romney to snap, "You'll get your chance in a moment. I am still speaking."
In a series of heated exchanges, the candidates cut each other off, sometimes jumping out of their chairs and arguing with moderator Candy Crowley to get more time. Their exchanges were marked with cutting comments like, "Very little of what Gov. Romney just said is true," and Romney facing Obama to say, "Here's a bit of advice."
Obama, who looked down during much of the first debate, kept his eyes on Romney and often leaned forward as if eager for his turn to speak.
Some pundits believed that the town hall structure of tonight's debate, in which 80 undecided voters made up the audience and ask questions of the candidates, would keep them from being aggressive were quickly proven wrong.
"I understand the stakes here," said Crowley, CNN's chief political correspondent, in an effort to put some order on the debate.
Romney, who has been stiff on the trail but has come off as poised and confident in the debates, repeatedly attacked the president's stewardship.
He highlighted the country's budget deficit. "The president said he'd cut the deficit in half, instead he doubled it. This puts us on a road to Greece," Romney said.
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