Barack Obama warned voters last night that Mitt Romney would drive America into a “reckless and wrong” foreign policy that would jeopardise their security and future prosperity, as he recorded a victory in the third presidential debate.
In a sharply-argued final presidential debate in Boca Raton, Florida, the US president painted his Republican challenger as a warmongering Right-winger hopelessly out of touch about America’s military and role in the world.
“On a whole range of issues, whether it's the Middle East, whether it's Afghanistan, whether it's Iraq or whether it's now Iran, you have been all over the map,” Mr Obama told him. “Not only were you wrong, you were confusing – sending mixed messages to our troops and our allies”. He added: “This is not a game of Battleship”.
The President also mocked his opponent for complaining that the US Navy had fewer ships than in 1916 – telling him: “We also have fewer horses and bayonets” - and for labelling Russia as America's number-one foe. “The 1980s called,” Mr Obama said. “They want their foreign policy back”.
A snap poll by CBS News found that 53 per cent of people thought Mr Obama had won, while 23 per cent awarded the debate to Mr Romney. Some 71 per cent thought Mr Obama would do better in an international crisis, while 64 per cent backed him to do a better job on national security. A PPP survey of the 11 likely battleground states put Mr Obama's victory at 53-42.
Mr Romney's team accused the President of focusing on “flippant” pre-prepared attack lines. Bob McDonnell, the Governor of Virginia, which is home to the US Navy and the world's largest naval station, called his remarks an “insult to every sailor who has put his or her life on the line for our country.”
The Republican challenger, who was repeatedly reminded by Mr Obama that he had no experience as a commander-in-chief, attempted to fight back by alleging that the President had encouraged Iran to press on with its nuclear programme by apologising for American values.
“They saw weakness where they expected to see American strength,” said the former Massachusetts governor. Using the Sept 11 attack on Benghazi as an example of Mr Obama's Middle East policy “unravelling”, Mr Romney said it “presents an enormous threat to America, to our friends and to the world”.
Mr Romney also criticised Mr Obama for refusing to arm anti-Assad rebels in Syria with heavy weaponry, telling the president: “We should be playing the leadership role there” and rejecting claims that he would risk equipping jihadists who would come back to haunt the US.
However, having aggressively threatened military action against Iran throughout his campaign, Mr Romney struck a remarkably dovish tone, repeatedly trying to reassure war-weary voters that he in fact had no intention of casually sending US troops to a new conflict.
“We don't want another Iraq, we don't want another Afghanistan,” he said, attempting to blunt Mr Obama's central attack line. “That's not the right course for us.” At another point he said that in the Middle East: “We can't kill our way out of this mess”.
Having profited so much from his aggressive stance in the first debate in Colorado three weeks ago, Mr Romney adopted a gentler tone throughout in an apparent attempt to convey the seriousness required of a commander-in-chief. “Attacking me is not an agenda,” he told Mr Obama.
Yet by demurring on urging tougher action, the Republican frequently provided an opening for Mr Obama to say: “I'm glad that Governor Romney agrees with the steps that we're taking”. He told voters: “He doesn't have different ideas”.
“You know, there have been times, Governor, during the course of this campaign, where it sounded like you thought that you'd do the same things we did, but you'd say them louder and somehow that would make a difference,” said Mr Obama at one stage.
Throughout the evening Mr Obama displayed a willingness to use snappy soundbites designed for news bulletins that he lacked in Colorado. “You seem to want the foreign policies of the 1980s, the social policies of the 1950s and the economic policies of the 1920s,” he told Mr Romney
The third debate brought to an end a series of confrontations that have swung the presidential election campaign like none before. Despite its focus on foreign affairs, both men repeatedly attempted to swivel discussion back to domestic economic policy, which is the top priority for most voters.
Mr Romney attacked the President for making America vulnerable by expanding its national debt and proposing reductions to the country's defence spending. “We need a strong economy, we need as well a strong military,” he said. “Budget cuts to the military would change that”.
Yet Mr Obama struck back at the Republican's plans, which he said would devote more taxpayer funds abroad, calling instead for “nation building at home”. He lampooned Mr Romney’s own promise to increase defence spending by $2 trillion and reinvigorate the US Navy and Air Force.
“You mention that we have fewer ships than we had in 1916," said Mr Obama. "Well, governor, we also have fewer horses and bayonets, because the nature of our military has changed.
“We also have these things called aircraft carriers that planes land on, and ships that go under water – nuclear submarines. So the question is not a game of battleships, but what are our capabilities…and how we are going to meet the best of our defence needs.”
The President also tore into Mr Romney's suggestion that he would consider altering America's scheduled exit from Afghanistan by the end of 2014.
“We decimated al-Qaeda’s core leadership,” he said, one of several references to the death of Osama bin Laden. We then started to build up Afghan forces.” He said there was “no reason Americans should die” if and when Afghanistan became capable of looking after itself.
Mr Obama also came prepared to attack Mr Romney's controversial business record as the head of Bain Capital, a private equity house. Attempting to criticise Mr Obama on his Iran record, he was reminded that until recently he held investments in a Chinese oil company that did business with Tehran.
Promising to declare China a currency manipulator on “day one” of his presidency to stop Beijing unfairly poaching American jobs, Mr Romney was told by the President that he should know about outsourcing as the former head of a private equity firm that “shipped jobs overseas”.
In a sharply-argued final presidential debate in Boca Raton, Florida, the US president painted his Republican challenger as a warmongering Right-winger hopelessly out of touch about America’s military and role in the world.
“On a whole range of issues, whether it's the Middle East, whether it's Afghanistan, whether it's Iraq or whether it's now Iran, you have been all over the map,” Mr Obama told him. “Not only were you wrong, you were confusing – sending mixed messages to our troops and our allies”. He added: “This is not a game of Battleship”.
The President also mocked his opponent for complaining that the US Navy had fewer ships than in 1916 – telling him: “We also have fewer horses and bayonets” - and for labelling Russia as America's number-one foe. “The 1980s called,” Mr Obama said. “They want their foreign policy back”.
A snap poll by CBS News found that 53 per cent of people thought Mr Obama had won, while 23 per cent awarded the debate to Mr Romney. Some 71 per cent thought Mr Obama would do better in an international crisis, while 64 per cent backed him to do a better job on national security. A PPP survey of the 11 likely battleground states put Mr Obama's victory at 53-42.
Mr Romney's team accused the President of focusing on “flippant” pre-prepared attack lines. Bob McDonnell, the Governor of Virginia, which is home to the US Navy and the world's largest naval station, called his remarks an “insult to every sailor who has put his or her life on the line for our country.”
The Republican challenger, who was repeatedly reminded by Mr Obama that he had no experience as a commander-in-chief, attempted to fight back by alleging that the President had encouraged Iran to press on with its nuclear programme by apologising for American values.
“They saw weakness where they expected to see American strength,” said the former Massachusetts governor. Using the Sept 11 attack on Benghazi as an example of Mr Obama's Middle East policy “unravelling”, Mr Romney said it “presents an enormous threat to America, to our friends and to the world”.
Mr Romney also criticised Mr Obama for refusing to arm anti-Assad rebels in Syria with heavy weaponry, telling the president: “We should be playing the leadership role there” and rejecting claims that he would risk equipping jihadists who would come back to haunt the US.
However, having aggressively threatened military action against Iran throughout his campaign, Mr Romney struck a remarkably dovish tone, repeatedly trying to reassure war-weary voters that he in fact had no intention of casually sending US troops to a new conflict.
“We don't want another Iraq, we don't want another Afghanistan,” he said, attempting to blunt Mr Obama's central attack line. “That's not the right course for us.” At another point he said that in the Middle East: “We can't kill our way out of this mess”.
Having profited so much from his aggressive stance in the first debate in Colorado three weeks ago, Mr Romney adopted a gentler tone throughout in an apparent attempt to convey the seriousness required of a commander-in-chief. “Attacking me is not an agenda,” he told Mr Obama.
Yet by demurring on urging tougher action, the Republican frequently provided an opening for Mr Obama to say: “I'm glad that Governor Romney agrees with the steps that we're taking”. He told voters: “He doesn't have different ideas”.
“You know, there have been times, Governor, during the course of this campaign, where it sounded like you thought that you'd do the same things we did, but you'd say them louder and somehow that would make a difference,” said Mr Obama at one stage.
Throughout the evening Mr Obama displayed a willingness to use snappy soundbites designed for news bulletins that he lacked in Colorado. “You seem to want the foreign policies of the 1980s, the social policies of the 1950s and the economic policies of the 1920s,” he told Mr Romney
The third debate brought to an end a series of confrontations that have swung the presidential election campaign like none before. Despite its focus on foreign affairs, both men repeatedly attempted to swivel discussion back to domestic economic policy, which is the top priority for most voters.
Mr Romney attacked the President for making America vulnerable by expanding its national debt and proposing reductions to the country's defence spending. “We need a strong economy, we need as well a strong military,” he said. “Budget cuts to the military would change that”.
Yet Mr Obama struck back at the Republican's plans, which he said would devote more taxpayer funds abroad, calling instead for “nation building at home”. He lampooned Mr Romney’s own promise to increase defence spending by $2 trillion and reinvigorate the US Navy and Air Force.
“You mention that we have fewer ships than we had in 1916," said Mr Obama. "Well, governor, we also have fewer horses and bayonets, because the nature of our military has changed.
“We also have these things called aircraft carriers that planes land on, and ships that go under water – nuclear submarines. So the question is not a game of battleships, but what are our capabilities…and how we are going to meet the best of our defence needs.”
The President also tore into Mr Romney's suggestion that he would consider altering America's scheduled exit from Afghanistan by the end of 2014.
“We decimated al-Qaeda’s core leadership,” he said, one of several references to the death of Osama bin Laden. We then started to build up Afghan forces.” He said there was “no reason Americans should die” if and when Afghanistan became capable of looking after itself.
Mr Obama also came prepared to attack Mr Romney's controversial business record as the head of Bain Capital, a private equity house. Attempting to criticise Mr Obama on his Iran record, he was reminded that until recently he held investments in a Chinese oil company that did business with Tehran.
Promising to declare China a currency manipulator on “day one” of his presidency to stop Beijing unfairly poaching American jobs, Mr Romney was told by the President that he should know about outsourcing as the former head of a private equity firm that “shipped jobs overseas”.
Author is in love with Obama--a love fest. Not a peep--about both lapdogs for the AmericanJudas.Israel Israel our lovable best ally. NUTS to both creeps!
ReplyDeleteAsk not what your country can do for you, ask what your country can do for Israel. The grovel meter went off the chart last night.
ReplyDelete