(OBSERVER) During the second debate of the 2012 presidential election, Candy Crowley asserted herself in a way that just may have changed the changed the course of history. Ditching the moderator’s long-established protocol as neutral poser of probing questions, the CNN correspondent corrected Mitt Romney’s answer to her inquiry about the attack on the U.S. diplomatic mission in Benghazi, Libya.
The exchange clearly rattled Mr. Romney. After crushing President Obama in the first debate, Mr. Romney had felt new energy behind his campaign. Ms. Crowley’s unusual self-appointment as fact-checker helped unravel Mr. Romney and he never quite regained the confidence or poll numbers he enjoyed after his strong first debate.
