For the final debate, the two presidential candidates met in Boca Raton, Fla. to discuss foreign policy
Ian Benson
News Editor
President Barack Obama came out on the offensive against Republican challenger Mitt Romney in the third and final presidential debate on Monday at Lynn University in Boca Raton, Fla. Obama, who has been criticized for his passive approach in the first debate, sharply criticized Romney, saying “Every time you’ve offered an opinion, you’ve been wrong.”
While the debate lacked the finger pointing and interruptions of the previous debate, the two candidates frequently traded jabs, even on topics they agreed on. They grew especially heated on issues relating to their differing views on domestic policy, such as education and energy.
Despite the debate’s focus on foreign policy, the candidates repeatedly brought up domestic issues such as the economy, which polls have shown is the number one issue for most voters heading into the election.
However, there were some issues on which Obama and Romney found common ground. On the topic of Israel, Obama pledged that he would stand with the nation should they be attacked, moments before Romney said, “If Israel is attacked, we have their back.” They also agreed on a lack of direct U.S. involvement in efforts to remove Bashir Assad, the Syrian President.
Romney shifted focus in the Middle East to Egypt, Libya and other nations that have ousted despots in the past year, saying that despite early hopes, they have produced a “rising tide of chaos.” He criticized the president for a lack of a strong policy to counter these changes, bringing up Ansar Dine, an al-Qaeda-like group that has seized northern Mali.
Romney did take the time to praise the president for the assassination of Osama bin Laden, but said “We can’t kill our way out of this… We must have a comprehensive strategy.”
On the topic of the military, Obama fired back at Romney, who criticized the president by pointing out that the U.S. Navy possess fewer ships than they did during World War I. Obama replied “Well, Governor, we also have fewer horses and bayonets because the nature of our military has changed.”
Obama also criticized Romney for saying that Russia is the United States’ number one geopolitical foe. “Governor, when it comes to our foreign policy you seem to want the policies of the 1980s,” he said. “Just like you want to import the social policies of the 1950s and the economic policies in the 1920s.”
With only a few days left before the Nov. 6 election, the candidates have now hit the road, focusing on a few final battleground states in the home stretch before Election Day. President Obama was joined by Vice President Biden for events in Ohio and Florida, while Romney and Rep. Paul Ryan campaigned in Colorado and Nevada.