Ex-Gov. Hunt makes case for Obama in living rooms

Caroline Doherty, who participated in the 30-minute conversation chronicled by news cameras and reporters, said it was amazing to meet the governor up-close and hear about his passion for education. Hunt was known as the "education governor" who successfully raised teacher salaries and created the Smart Start early childhood program.

It's great "to see how a lifetime of service to our state really has paid off and how one person really can make a difference," Doherty said.

Hunt gave his own take on the presidential campaign later with reporters, saying news Friday that the nation's unemployment rate had fallen to 7.8 percent was good but that the rate was still too high. Responding to a question about the president's widely panned debate performance this week, Hunt jokingly recalled a U.S. Senate candidate in 1984 — himself — who many say won his first TV debate with Helms.

"The next two were a little closer, but the first one was no contest," Hunt quipped. "So President Obama can come back."