Study declares Obama winner of 'interruption debate'

FILE: Oct. 16, 2012: President Barack Obama and Mitt Romney in the second presidential debate, at Hofstra University, in Long Island, N.Y. (AP)

Although the question of who won the second presidential debate itself remains up for debate, a newly released study is declaring President Obama champion of what it calls the “interruption debate.”

The study by Chapman University and the Center for Media and Public Affairs at George Mason University finds Mitt Romney was interrupted 59 times during the debate Tuesday night by either Obama or moderator Candy Crowley of CNN.

Obama was interrupted 43 times during the 90-minute debate at Hofstra University in Hempstead, N.Y.

“President Obama may have benefited in the short run by adopting a much more aggressive style,” said Robert Lichter, president of the nonprofit, non-partisan organization. “But so many interruptions push the boundaries of civility in political debate.”

The study recorded a total 122 interruptions, equal to 1.4 per minute.

Crowley interrupted the candidates 38 times, compared to Romney interrupting her 11 times and Obama nine times.