Monday night, President Barack Obama and Republican rival Mitt Romney faced off in the third and final presidential debate of the 2012 election campaign.
The debate, sponsored by the Commission on Presidential Debates and hosted by Lynn University, focused on foreign policy.
Bob Schieffer of CBS News moderated the debate. Schieffer said he composed all of the questions and did not share them with the candidates in advance.
On the topic of American policy in the Middle East, Obama said his administration had been successful in targeting the true perpetrators of the 9/11 attacks on the World Trade Center.
“We ended the war in Iraq, refocused our attention on those who actually killed us on 9/11. And as a consequence, Al Qaeda’s core leadership has been decimated,” Obama said.
On the same subject, Romney said American policy in the Middle East should be directed toward persuading the Islamic world to reject violent radicalism.
“We can’t kill our way out of this mess,” Romney said.  “We don’t want another Iraq, we don’t want another Afghanistan.”
Romney said he believes America should pursue terrorists, but, more importantly, help to change radical ideology.
“The right course for us is to make sure that we go after the people who are leaders of these various anti-American groups and these jihadists, but also help the Muslim world,” he said.
In response to war clouds looming in the Middle East and escalating tensions between Israel and Iran, Obama said Israel has the full support of the United States if it faces an attack from Iran.
“I will stand with Israel if they are attacked,” Obama said.
Obama also said Israel is “a true friend and our greatest ally in the region.”
Romney also vowed support for Israel and said the United States should stand with Israel “not just diplomatically, not just culturally, but militarily. That’s number one.”
When Schieffer asked what each candidate considered the greatest foreign threat to the United States, Obama said he believed non-government entities such as Al Qaeda posed the greatest threat.
“I think it will continue to be the terrorist networks,” he said. “We have to remain vigilant.”
On the other hand, Romney asserted that a nuclear-armed Iran is the foremost threat to American national security and Iran must be prevented from obtaining nuclear weapons.
“A nuclear-capable Iran is unacceptable to America,” he said.
Symphonie Eddins, sophomore kinesiology major, said the debate did little to change her opinions due to its emphasis on foreign policy rather than domestic issues.
“I wouldn’t say it affected me all that much,” Eddins said.
Darius Flagg, freshman biology major, said he noticed a difference in the speaking style of the two candidates during the debate.
“I think Obama was more aggressive,” he said. “Romney kind of played it safe this time.”
According to The Washington Post, the final presidential debate was the least watched of the three, as expected based on historical data as well as major sporting events airing at the same time.
Ashley Jackson, junior biochemistry major, said she did not watch the debate because of her schedule Monday evening.
“I didn’t watch it because I had homework,” Jackson said.
Nakesha Grayson, sophomore social work major, said she chose not to watch the debate because she had little interest in it.
“My friends have been telling me about the campaign, but I’ve never really been into politics,” Grayson said.
Grayson added that she did not plan to vote.
“I think whoever wins, wins,” she said.