President Barack Obama and Republican presidential candidate and former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney shake hands at the end of the second presidential debate at Hofstra University in Hempstead, N.Y., Tuesday, Oct. 16, 2012. (AP Photo/Charles Dharapak)

NEW YORK (AP) — President Barack Obama spoke longer in the first two presidential debates, but rival Mitt Romney spoke more.

CNN said Thursday that Romney spoke more words in both debates than Obama, even though the network's on-air clock showed Obama had more speaking time. Some of the Republican candidate's supporters had questioned why the president had been given more time.

During the first debate, Obama spoke for 42 minutes, 50 seconds, compared to 38:32 for Romney. But CNN said Romney got in 7,802 words and Obama spoke 7,294 words.

Same thing during Tuesday's debate: Obama's time count was 44:04 and Romney's 40:50. Romney said 7,984 words and Obama 7,506.

CNN said the count was done by a computer program.

Associated Press
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