From CBS News

Although President Obama faced high expectations going into Monday night’s foreign policy debate, he may have exceeded them, according to CBS News’ post-debate poll. Among uncommitted voters, President Obama was declared the winner by 53% of respondents, versus only 23% for former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney. 24% thought the debate was a tie. A CNN/ORC poll of debate viewers, which included proportionally more Republicans, also found President Obama the winner, 48% to Romney’s 40%.

The President needed a big win, and these numbers certainly qualify. The President saw his momentum reversed by a disastrous performance (polling-wise, at least) in the first debate, and while he scored a clear victory in the second debate last Tuesday, the results from Monday night’s debate are much more convincing, perhaps enough to move the needle on tightening swing state polls. Unfortunately for the President, there will likely be less viewers for this debate, and less interest in foreign policy as a voting matter, but the two candidates did steer things around to kitchen table issues, as well.