Tonight marks the third and final Presidential debate. Thank goodness.
Tonight's debate will focus on foreign policy - and while it may not be the key issues that will sway undecided voters, it is still important to gauge how each candidate will act as commander in chief and in terms of diplomacy. We can already sketch the stances of both candidates as a result of some snippets in the past debates especially with respect to China, Iran, and the recent unfolding of events in Libya. What more can we expect to be addressed tonight?
1. Israel. Both candidates will reaffirm their commitment to protecting the state of Israel. This will not change. In fact, you may even find candidates competing to prove who loves Israel more and who will truly defend it. Now discussion of Israel's protection can be held without including...
2. Iran. Iran's nuclear development, its intentions, and its denials have posed what some believe to be a threat to Israeli security and for stability in the region. How should the President respond to this increase? Stick to the sanctions or make adopt a more overt approach and threaten for war?
3. China. Romney has made promises that he would "crack down on China." For doing what, exactly? Those generic statements he made in the last debate didn't explain why he would get tough on China. And this wanton "toughness" should be approached carefully, after all, China remains the largest American trading partner and is still a crucial global economic force.
4. Exactly what happened in Benghazi, Libya? Obama's answers, although more direct and forceful in the last debate, are still not satisfactory. His handling of the affair can prove to be a handicap for re-election and an open-wound for Romney to attack. Whatever events unfolded, whether they were premeditated or spontaneous, must be laid out in the open. The recent events in the Middle East displayed its enduring fragility. Foreign policy in the Middle East demands skilled diplomacy and the nurturing of relationships. In his first term, President Obama was weak with his diplomatic relations. Whether it is in support of the Arab leaders or the Arab people, the United States must make their position clear.
Now, my personal bias has been revealed here considering three out of the four topics concern the Middle East. Certainly, there are plenty of foreign policy issues worth discussing tonight - I didn't include European Union relations, the global economy, Russia, and North Korea. But then again, neither has Schieffer.
