Bob Schieffer of CBS News is the moderator for the final presidential debate which takes place tonight, October 22, at 9:00 p.m. ET in the Lynn University auditorium in Boca Raton, Florida. Schieffer chose and announced the topics which will be addressed – subject to late-breaking news. They are, in random order:
America’s Role in the World
Our Longest War – Afghanistan and Pakistan
Red Lines: Israel and Iran
The Changing Middle East and the New Face of Terrorism I
The Changing Middle East and the New Face of Terrorism II
The Rise of China and Tomorrow’s Word
The issue of what happened in Benghazi, Libya in September 11, 2012 is likely to come up in at least one if not several of the different topic areas. President Obama will seek to put a definitive end to the questioning about how his administration handled the crisis, and presidential-hopeful Mitt Romney will seek to lay out the inconsistencies in the narratives presented by this administration over the course of the six weeks since the tragedy.
The consequences of the “Arab Spring” is likely to come up during at least one of the topics, as will the question of whether or not terrorism is being routed by President Obama’s policies, or whether it is in the rise, in part because of the president’s policies.
The decision to leave Afghanistan and the continued drone policy favored by President Obama is also likely to be discussed tonight.
Israel is most likely to be discussed in the “Iran Red Line” topic, and each candidate will try to show why he is the candidate whose policies will be most effective in protecting Israel and promoting regional stability.
An economic aspect of foreign policy may come up in the form of a question about the European financial crisis and what role the United States should play in addressing that problem. In addition, questions about the economic fallout of China’s ever-growing and influential role in the global economy is sure to further highlight the stark differences between the two candidates.
The format will be six 15-minute segments addressing each of the different topics.
Bob Schieffer has been with CBS News for more than 30 years. He has covered all four major beats in Washington – the White House, the Pentagon, the State Department and Capitol Hill. Schieffer has covered every presidential race since 1972.