Nicholas Kamm, AFP/Getty Images
President Obama and Mitt Romney share a friendly exchange before their first debate in Denver.
by David Jackson, USA TODAY
It's the third and final round.
President
Obama and Mitt Romney meet for their last debate Monday night, a
90-minute session devoted to foreign policy. It takes place in the swing
state of Florida, at Lynn University in Boca Raton. The moderator is
Bob Schieffer of CBS News.
USA TODAY will have full coverage
across all of its platforms. Check local listings for telecasts of the
debate,which starts at 9 p.m. ET.
Here are five things to look for in this final Obama-Romney clash:
Obama touts his record.
Expect to hear the president talk about winding down wars in Iraq and
Afghanistan, and the multinational operation that toppled Libyan
dictator Moammar Gadhafi. And how many times will Obama cite the 2011
raid that killed Osama bin Laden? The president is also expected to
emphasize Romney's lack of foreign policy experience.
Romney disputes Obama's record.
Like running mate Paul Ryan at the Oct. 11 vice presidential debate,
Romney may well cite anti-U.S. protest in a string of Middle East
nations. Also look for Romney to question the Obama administration's
handling of the recent attack on a U.S. consulate in Libya, the
rebellion in Syria, and the prospect of a nuclear-armed Iran.
Libya.
The shifting stories about the cause of the Sept. 11 attack that killed
the U.S. ambassador to Libya and three other Americans also came up
during the second debate last week. Obama officials first attributed the
violence to the protest of an anti-Islam film, then days later called
it a pre-planned terrorist attack. But Romney also flubbed the issue in
that last debate, forgetting that Obama had used the term "acts of
terror" the day after the killings.
Iran. The last
Obama-Romney battle takes place amid reports that the Obama
administration may soon enter into one-on-one talks with Iran, seeking
to dissuade it from pursuing the means to make nuclear weapons. Obama
says economic sanctions have pressured Iran to reconsider its nuclear
ambitions. Romney says Obama has done little to slow Iran's drive toward
nuclear weapons, and has left long-time ally Israel in the lurch over
the Iranian threat.
How much talk about the economy? Yes,
it's a debate about foreign affairs, but don't be surprised if the U.S.
economy pops up -- either candidate can argue that it has a direct
effect on global affairs. Romney has criticized Obama over the $16
trillion-plus national debt, and will likely challenge the president
over the prospect of major Pentagon cuts. Obama says Republicans have
not cooperated on a debt reduction plan, and that the United States is
recovering from the severe recession he inherited from predecessor
George W. Bush.