Reading level of Obama and Romney's debate responses

Reading level of Obama and Romney's debate responses

By Carrie Mihalcik / current.com / @CDMihalcik
President Obama and MItt Romney did their best to look smart before the American public at Wednesday night's presidential debate.
Moderator Jim Lehrer, host of PBS's NewsHour, focused his questions on the economy, health care and the role of government. Both candidates got in a handful of "zingers," but mostly stayed on topic.
But were they able to convince voters that they had the smarts for the job? We analyzed the questions asked by Lehrer, as well as the responses from Obama and Romney to determine their reading level.
Lehrer's questions were asked at a fifth-grade reading level. Here are some books Scholastic suggests at this reading level:

• "Goosebumps HorrorLand #4: The Scream of the Haunted Mask"
• "Ramona and Her Father" by Beverly Cleary
• "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone"

WATCH: Mitt's spent his career debating himselfObama's responses were given at a ninth-grade reading level. Here are some books Scholastic suggests at this reading level:

• "Jane Eyre"
• "Four Perfect Pebbles: A Holocaust Story"
• "To Kill a Mockingbird"

Romney's responses were given at a sixth-grade reading level. Here are some books Scholastic suggests at this reading level:

• "Middle School, The Worst Years of My Life"
• "Artemis Fowl: The Graphic Novel"
• "The Little Prince"

(Photo: Getty Images)