This ends AFP’s Live Report on the presidential debate. Both candidates outlined their visions for US foreign policy and tried to highlight their strengths for voters.
Whether either man was able to woo the few remaining undecided voters to his cause or inspired his partisans to head to the polls will be seen in two short weeks.
0242 GMT: With another friendly handshake, the two men close their final meeting before the November 6 election. They are joined on the stage by their families before leaving the hall.
0240 GMT: Romney, having won the coin toss for three out of three debates, got to go last. He reiterated his optimistic vision for America.
“We have an opportunity to have real leadership. Americans will continue to promote principles of peace to make the world a safer place, and make people in this country more confident that their future is secure.
“I also want to make sure that we get this economy going. And there are two very different paths the country can take.
0230 GMT: Obama starts the closing statements.
“Over the last four years we’ve made real progress digging our way out of policies that gave us prolonged wars. Governor Romney wants to take us back to those policies, a foreign policy that’s wrong and reckless, economic policies that won’t create jobs, won’t reduce our deficit, but will make sure that folks at the very top don’t have to play by the same rules you do.
“I have a different vision for America. I want to build on our strengths, I put forward a plan to make sure we’re bringing manufacturing jobs back to our shores by rewarding companies and small businesses that are investing here not overseas.
0228 GMT: Romney repeats his criticism of Obama’s economic policies, saying a weak US economy emboldens China.
“It is a tragedy in a nation as prosperous as ours, that the last four years have been so difficult.”
0220 GMT: Romney reiterates his pledge to label China a currency manipulator on his first day in office.
“We’ll also make sure we have trade relations with China that work for us. I’ve watched year in and year out as companies have shut down and people have lost their jobs because China has not played by the same rules.
“They have to understand we want to trade with them. We want a world that’s stable. We like free enterprise, but you have to play by the rules.”
0219 GMT: Twitter says a staggering 5 million tweets have flown over the last 50 minutes as people watch the debates.
0218 GMT: Obama says terror networks is the biggest threat to the United States and moves to China.
“China is an adversary, but also a potential partner. If they play by the rules.”
0215 GMT: Scheiffer asks the president what is the greatest future threat to the national security of the United States.
0213 GMT: Scheiffer, after asking whether Pakistan could still be considered an ally, raises the controversial issue of drones. Romney says he fully supports the technology.
0209 GMT: Both candidates insist Afghanistan will be ready to take over security in 2014, with Obama taking credit for bringing stability there through the surge.
0204 GMT: With Obama turning the conversation to the killing of Osama bin Laden, Scheiffer asks Romney what he would do if, at the end of 2014, it is clear that Afghanistan cannot provide for its own security.
0202 GMT: Obama says, “Governor, on a whole range of issues … you’ve been all over the map.
0200 GMT: The president denies report US, Iran agreed to one-on-one nuclear talks.
0155 GMT: Obama, showing flashes of anger, slams Romney’s characterization of his presidency as featuring an “apology tour.”
“That has been the biggest whopper of this campaign.”
0149 GMT: Romney calls for even more pressure on Iran, adding that President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad to be indicted for incitement to genocide.
0147 GMT: In light of rising tensions with Iran, Obama declares his unequivocal support for Israel.
“I will stand with Israel if they are attacked.”
0143 GMT: After Romney slams Obama’s plans for military spending, saying the US Navy has fewer ships, Obama gets in his first big zinger.
“Well, governor, we also have fewer horses and bayonets.”
0138 GMT: After generally agreeing on the importance of US leadership internationally, Romney took the first chance to pivot the subject to the US economy. The discussion moves to domestic issues like job creation, tax policy, budgets and even education reform and the importance of teachers.
0130 GMT: In a sign of how many people are paying attention to this debate, Twitter announced that less than 30 minutes into it, more than 1 million tweets had been sent on the issue.
0128 GMT: Next question: What is America’s role in the world? Romney gets to answer first.
0125 GMT: CNN is running an on-going focus group to gauge reaction to tonight’s discussion. The positive reaction to Obama shoots up as he says US foreign policy should focus on helping women.
0122 GMT: Romney says the US should be taking a leading role in the fight to remove Assad. Obama quickly counters “We ARE playing the leadership role.”
0120 GMT: Schieffer has moved the discussion onto the civil war in Syria, asking Obama what can be done to stop the blood shed there a year after he said President Bashar al-Assad should leave office.
0116 GMT: “Attacking me is not an agenda,” Romney repeats in response, taking issue with Obama’s description of his foreign policy stands. The two men go head-to-head over Iraq and their positions on leaving US troops there.
0112 GMT: Obama jumps on Romney’s lack of foreign policy experience and says, “every time you have taken a position on foreign policy, you have been wrong.”
“Governor, here’s one thing I’ve learned as commander in chief. You’ve got to be clear. Both to our allies and our enemies about where you stand and what you mean. You just gave a speech a few weeks ago in which you said we should still have troops in Iraq.
“That is not a recipe for making sure that we are taking advantage of the opportunities and meeting the challenges in the Middle East.
0109 GMT: Romney called for US leadership in the region to counter extremism.
“I congratulate him on taking out Osama bin Laden and going after the leadership in Al Qaeda, but we can’t kill our way out of this mess.
“We’re going to have to put in place a very comprehensive and robust strategy to help the world of Islam and other parts of the world reject this radical violent extremism which is certainly not on the run.”
0107 GMT: The first question goes to Romney, who is asked about the attack on the US consulate in Benghazi, Libya.
0103 GMT: The two candidates come to the stage and greet each other with a firm handshake. Both are wearing dark suits, Obama with a bright blue tie, Romney with red stripes.
0055 GMT: The two candidates spent the weekend off the campaign trail to prepare for the debate, with Obama at the presidential retreat Camp David and Romney in Florida.
Just as for the other two contests, Senator John Kerry played Romney for Democrats and Senator Rob Portman reprised his role as Barack Obama for the Republicans.
Kerry, an old foreign policy hand in Washington, has been widely floated as a potential secretary of state in a second Obama administration. For his part, Portman is famous for his skill in channeling the Democratic contender in debate prep.
0048 GMT: The candidates’ families have entered the hall. Mitt Romney’s wife, Ann, is wearing a dark green short-sleeved dress with necklace of chunky, clear glass beads. She is seated near her several of her five sons.
Michelle Obama is wearing a custom Thomm Browne dress she wore during the Democratic National Convention in September. Tonight she has added a boe-tie broach to the gray short-sleeved dress with black lace.
0040 GMT: Tonight’s debate is being held at tiny Lynn University in Boca Raton, Florida. The school has only 2,400 students, a full quarter of who are from another country.
The school made a bid for a presidential debate in an effort to raise the university’s profile and it will certainly work with 65 million people expected to tune in for the debate.
0032 GMT: Welcome to AFP’s live report on the third and final debate between US President Barack Obama and his Republican challenger, Mitt Romney.
In a departure from a presidential campaign that has largely focused around domestic issues and the lagging US economy, tonight’s debate will center on foreign policy.
The moderator is Bob Schieffer, a long-time host of a political chat show for the CBS network. He has promised a substantive debate and released a series of topics including the role of the United States in the world, the long-running war in Afghanistan, the Iranian nuclear crisis and China. The attack in Beghazi, Libya in which four Americans were killed, and specifically the Obama administration’s response to it, is sure to take up a lot of time.
The debate will be divided into nine segments of approximately 10 minutes each. The moderator will ask a question and each man will have two minutes to give his answer, the remaining time is left for open discussion.
The stakes couldn’t be higher for the two candidates. Romney was largely considered the winner of their first encounter and Obama gave a strong showing in the second. With only two weeks to election night and the polls narrowing sharply showing a tight race, early voting has already started in several states.
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