With just 15 days to go until the election, President Barack Obama and Mitt Romney square off in a debate for the final time tonight.
Score tied
The debate will have the same question-and-discussion format as the first one Oct. 3, when a dispirited-looking Obama stood by while Romney took control from ineffective moderator Jim Lehrer and scored a handy win. But it was a different Obama who showed up for last Thursday’s town hall debate and by most account evened the score, though conservatives complained moderator Candy Crowley intervened in the president’s favor.
Topic: foreign policy
While the format will be familiar, the topic for this debate is different: foreign policy instead of the focus on the economy and jobs that has dominated the previous debate. Conventional wisdom says it’s an area that should favor Obama, but unabating questions about the administration’s handling of the Sept. 11 terror attack on the U.S. Consulate in Benghazi, Libya, give Romney an opening to question Obama’s leadership in foreign affairs. Overall, the debate should offer a contrast between Obama’s emphasis on building networks of diplomacy and partnership and Romney’s vision of a world where U.S. dominance remains unquestioned.
Details
When: 9-10:30 p.m. ET
Where: Lynn University, Boca Raton, Fla.
Moderator: Bob Schieffer of CBS News
Coverage: All major broadcast TV and cable news channels
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