After most polls declared Mitt Romney the clear “winner” of the first debate of the 2012 presidential election, the pressure was on President Obama to deliver a stellar performance during the candidates’ second face-off on October 16. The town hall-style debate was also an opportunity for the candidates to address issues neither had the first time around, namely reproductive rights, the pay gap and access to contraception.

Leading up to Tuesday’s debate, there was also lots of speculation about how Candy Crowley, CNN’s chief political correspondent and the first female presidential debate moderator in over 20 years, would fare. Salon’s Mary Elizabeth Williams wrote about the significance that Crowley’s role has for women in particular:

On the heels of [Martha] Raddatz’s smooth, steely performance last week, there’s genuine excitement about what Crowley will do as the first female presidential debate moderator in 20 years. And after two debates…