President Barack Obama and his Republican challenger, Mitt Romney, faced off Wednesday in their first debate of the election campaign. The debate focused on the top issue of the campaign, the state of the U.S. economy.
The First Debate of the 2012 Election
![Kim Li, a junior at Denver University, watches the first 2012 U.S. presidential debate between President Barack Obama and Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney on an outdoor screen at Denver University in Denver, Colorado, October 3, 2012.](https://gdb.voanews.com/3fc2f4f6-c5ae-40a9-b4e2-dcb2d7c6d116_w1024_q10_s.jpg)
1
Kim Li, a junior at Denver University, watches the first 2012 U.S. presidential debate between President Barack Obama and Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney on an outdoor screen at Denver University in Denver, Colorado, October 3, 2012.
![Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney, left, listens to President Barack Obama during the first presidential debate at the University of Denver.](https://gdb.voanews.com/e33669ae-2b3a-4489-821b-c99412e4708e_w1024_q10_s.jpg)
2
Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney, left, listens to President Barack Obama during the first presidential debate at the University of Denver.
![President Barack Obama smiles at moderator Jim Lehrer during the first presidential debate with Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney at the University of Denver.](https://gdb.voanews.com/21ef2a36-27d8-435e-8fed-c00c932bf92a_w1024_q10_s.jpg)
3
President Barack Obama smiles at moderator Jim Lehrer during the first presidential debate with Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney at the University of Denver.
![Moderator Jim Lehrer speaks to the audience at the start of the first presidential debate between President Barack Obama and Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney in Denver.](https://gdb.voanews.com/35c24398-ba48-4fb8-9f51-5126d0b1be9c_w1024_q10_s.jpg)
4
Moderator Jim Lehrer speaks to the audience at the start of the first presidential debate between President Barack Obama and Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney in Denver.