James Carville and Karl Rove might have been under pressure when they formerly served as presidential aides under President Bill Clinton and President George W. Bush, respectively. But Tuesday they were under a different type of pressure, the microscope of an  auditorium full of college students.

As part of an Ohio Union Activities Board-sponsored event, Carville and Rove conducted a debate on the 2012 election Tuesday in Mershon Auditorium.

Ohio State professor of political science Herbert Asher mediated the event.

“I think that those in the presidential debates should take advice from the speakers tonight,” Asher said.

The debaters were animated throughout the event, often abandoning their podiums to address the crowd more directly. Carville heavily referenced charts, while Rove countered his arguments.

Main issues addressed were the economy, national debt, increasing political polarization of Congress and the future of particular parties. The analysts also offered background on their career accomplishments.

One exchange stemmed from the topic of President Barack Obama requiring Catholic employers to offer contraception.

At one point in debating the current state of the economy, Carville blamed Bush’s tax cuts and said,  “Obama has created more jobs in four years than Bush did in eight. “

Without hesitation, Rove gave his own stance.

“If Bush’s tax cuts are to blame for the economy, why didn’t Obama revoke them as soon as he got into office?” Rove said. “In fact, he gave them an extension.”

About the only topic that the polar-opposite analysts agreed on was that gerrymandering is a problem in politics today.  

Check The Lantern Thursday for a full recap of the event.