Michelle Obama and Ann Romney both appeared to be going after the women’s vote at the second presidential debate with an obvious fashion choice.
The First Lady wore a coat-style, hot pink dress while Mrs Romney wore a shift with capped sleeves in exactly the same shade.
The wives of the presidential candidates took their seats as their husbands appeared on stage at Hofstra University in New York on Tuesday.
Twitter users suggested that both wives had chosen the color to honor Breast Cancer Awareness Month.
While Mrs Romney wore a necklace made of several strands of glass beads, the First Lady favored a single row of pearls.
The second of three presidential debates on Tuesday night brought the desired energy from the president sought by worried Democrats after a lackluster performance in the first encounter nearly two weeks ago.
A forceful Obama defended his policies and challenged Romney on shifting positions on key issues while arguing his Republican rival’s proposals would favor the wealthy if elected in three weeks.
Romney repeatedly attacked Obama’s record, saying millions of unemployed people and a sluggish economic recovery showed the president’s policies had failed.
“Most improved — that award goes to Barack Obama,” said CNN Senior Political Analyst David Gergen. “I think he had a much stronger debate tonight.”
Romney also performed well for a second straight debate, Gergen said, adding that Obama got the edge on Tuesday night.
A snap CNN/ORC International poll showed 46% of respondents thought Obama won, compared to 39% for Romney. The result was within the survey’s margin of error.
Obama was on the attack from the start, but waited until his final answer — with no chance for Romney to respond — to raise his opponent’s controversial “47%” comments at a fundraiser in May.
In remarks made public by a secretly recorded video of the event, Romney described 47% of the country as people dependent on government aid who refused to take personal responsibility.
“Think about who he was talking about,” Obama said, listing people on Social Security “who’ve worked all their lives,” veterans “who’ve sacrificed for this country,” students, soldiers and “people working hard every day.”
The president said he wanted to fight for those people “because if they succeed, I believe the country succeeds.”