Washington D.C., Oct 17, 2012 / 13:05 pm
In an election year that continues to be dominated by economic concerns, one public policy analyst believes that social issues could still play an important role in November.
"The race became much more tightly competitive" after the first presidential debate, said Dr. Mark J. Rozell, professor of public policy at George Mason University.
He explained to CNA on Oct. 17 that a close race could mean that social issues such as abortion and the federal contraception mandate might end up being more influential in the presidential election than they otherwise would.
On Oct. 16, President Barack Obama and former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney met at Hofstra University in Hempstead, N.Y. for the second of three presidential debates in the 2012 campaign.