The on-going liquidation of what’s left of America’s economy has been the primary focus of 2012’s presidential election, however, the final Romney-Obama debate held at Lynn University in Florida was centered around what is an abiding issue in American politics--foreign policy. To most, discussions regarding the failing economy are of utmost importance but one must not overlook the importance of safety and national security, which have regularly been the bone of contention to the American public. Considering the fact that Domestic policy had significantly gotten far more play than foreign policy in the past two debates, this may have been the biggest challenge each of the Presidential candidates have had to face in correlation to the prior two presidential debates; because this was the final internationally broadcasted debate before the Presidential Election on November 6th, it was essential that both parties addressed and satisfied the global interests of the American masses (including terrorism, intervention, war in Afghanistan, etc.) to a greater degree than their opponent. Here’s a recap:
The opening question of the night was directed towards Mitt Romney asking why he said that the “Middle East was unraveling before our eyes after the attack in Libya”. Romney’s response was simple. Because war is not the answer. Because we need a plan of attack to rebuff “this kind of extremism”. Interestingly enough, Romney supported both invasions of Iraq and Afghanistan and Obama was the one who ended the war in Iraq, planned transition from Afghanistan, refocused on the fight against al-Qaeda, and liberated Libya. When asked what his foreign policy plan was, Romney was just being Romney in the description his foreign policy, contradicting himself yet again, as “ pretty straightforward… but broader…” . Also, Romney's best flip-flop line of the evening was when he argued that “you can't kill your way out of the Middle East” then responded when asked a question of a similar basis that “ Of course I will kill the bad guys!” If only I had a dollar thrown at me for every time Romney has beat around the bush. Obama took Romney’s foolish statement as the perfect opportunity to remind the audience that Romney keeps changing his positions (which is a tad redundant for “equivocation” is the definition of Republican politicians) and thinks Russia is the world’s No. 1 threat. Obama concludes his counter by saying what the Middle East needs is “strong, steady leadership, not wrong and reckless leadership.”
On a similar note, both men had previously claimed that they will “crack down” on China. Romney said that american goods aren’t able to compete with the prices of china’s goods because of China’s “unfair” industrial practices; his statement was true in that China has structured their infrastructure with the goal to take complete advantage of the surplus of labor in their country. What’s unsettling is Romney’s ultimate suggestion that we should pay our employee’s a dollar a day like the Chinese in order to increase our national income. Disappointingly, when the topic of China was brought up in the debate, both parties spoke in a muted and timid fashion. I was on the verge of purchasing a plane ticket to Florida when “softened” and observed that “we can be a partner with China.”
Third presidential debate in a nutshell: flip-flopped. Only those living in a bubble where facts don’t get in can truthfully argue that Romney was the victor of this debate. Every time he finished agreeing with President Obama, Romney made futile and frantic attempts at pivoting to domestic issues.There was absolutely no depth or even basic understanding of the magnitude of some of the issues discussed, especially when it came to Romney. War is not to be taken as a card game. Real human beings are sacrificing everything they own, everything that they are for a man who idly sits and morphs into a faded copy of an unfit leader every time he opens his mouth. One commentator brilliantly gave his verdict of the final debate, expressing that “Obama sounded firm and assertive, kind of like a Republican, and Romney tried to ensure that the female vote, which has apparently risen for him, doesn't go away, but tried not to sound like a war-mongering Republican."
