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Adrian Hong, KT McFarland, and Gordon Chang discuss what foreign policy issues were of importance in the final Presidential debate.
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We all on the -- here -- foxnews.com.
Live in the day opt out the final presidential debate.
And for those twelve undecided vote is in Ohio who are actually gonna decide who the next president is.
-- left.
Is to think about.
If you watched the debate closely last night you now know that a whole season van -- less necessary than -- -- Of the stopped all the twentieth century.
And that everybody loves teachers so they how to make a decision what are you waiting full.
Fortunately to guide us through.
The nonsense of last night we have.
-- a fabulous foreign policy panel -- in -- home to my right here managing director.
A Pegasus strategies -- channel -- a nuclear showdown North Korea takes on the world and eighteen but followed.
Who was of course Fox News national security analyst good to see you all.
-- -- I think yeah I mean loss I mean.
-- -- -- Son I -- what's it.
Fascinating because it was foreign policy now meanwhile farm yeah airline but I kept hearing all of them.
Both of these candidates saying we need to do this we need to be strong -- we need to be leaders we need this swinging back the other.
I can't I want to throw some of the TVs have.
We need to tell me how -- you know it.
What was your.
Hero and I know there aren't a lot of British nobody can.
No they would they -- have both Obama and run they had different missions in this debate he -- -- had that mission at first looking like you're Smart enough to mount a stuffy.
We are getting out the subject matter -- -- pass that.
This itself with city passed the commander in chief role did he look like he could be a present yeah I -- finding -- presidential.
But the third and the crucial thing for -- was women.
The undecided electorate in this this election -- -- his suburban women.
So what did they not like about the last debate it when -- -- guys circled each other -- -- -- aircraft while whacking each other right women really reacted badly.
Men didn't mind they thought that was great they were working -- Women -- it.
So what Romney needed to do was to dispel the notion that he's gonna take a whack out of anybody.
And also more importantly to dispel the notion that he's a warmup -- on the Democrats have tried to paint him as this cold warrior looking to fight somewhere Iran Syria China.
-- had to dispel that I think he successfully did.
I have been maker.
Threat -- what was your overall view of Muslim.
Look at the challenger you've got to give the American public have reason to vote for you and by saying I agree so often and sometimes failing to really challenge the president on -- number of things.
I just -- very disappointed there were so many opportunities for Romney to.
Really score the knock out punch so for instance when the president mocked him for.
You know Romney saying in March that Russia is our number one geopolitical -- you know Romney could have come back and said.
We wouldn't be talking about Syria tonight if it weren't for Russia we wouldn't be talking about -- and if it weren't for Russia.
And Romney just sort of let that go -- -- was really just I think very disappointing.
You -- DC didn't seem that Romney was playing sort of -- mole because he feels he's got the momentum.
And that President Obama felt he needed to be more aggressive with -- would you agree with the.
I would agree with that doesn't think he's insisting that there are some points that are on the I -- came out -- -- little moderate on the last few weeks and -- the -- -- that may be because he was privy to intelligence briefings as the -- -- Which I think is very extreme consideration.
In general I think it's troublesome that the American electoral system is built -- we have an hour and a half to talk about the entire world.
And that's it and all you remember a sound -- -- -- form for proper debate people say we should be leaders don't I think we should be losers and we should be we know.
It's really troublesome that -- with this much power is deciding all -- this an hour and a half and people only remember the -- Right and what we will remember what I remember most of -- abandon -- I loved horses and minutes.
Let's have a look now at.
That exchange would it -- it -- fans was it debate about the strength of the US military and how that strength.
Should be project projected around the world -- the two candidates.
It's.
Our navy is smaller now than any time since 1970.
The navy said that he -- 313 ships to -- -- the mission went out under 285.
We're headed down to the the low two hundreds if we go through -- sequestration that's unacceptable to me.
I want to make sure that we have the ships that are required by our navy our air force is older and smaller that any time since it was founded in 1947.
I think governor Romney maybe hasn't spent enough time looking at how our military works you you mentioned the navy for example and we have fewer ships -- we did in 1960.
Well governor we also have fewer horses and -- and that's because.
The nature of our -- changed we have these things called aircraft carriers -- planes land on the where.
These ships that go underwater nuclear submarines and so the question is not.
A game of battleship -- counting -- it's it's what our capabilities.
Much.
Makes -- KT that they will both making a sort of please scoring point if you accessible governor Romney by eight this sort of somewhat irrelevant argument that I'm -- more than it -- You're out on the ships.
And President Obama with the -- we will still have -- -- his -- which I still think it was very funny whether it was relevant or not -- I don't -- It was -- or eight times in that debate in that conversation.
People who vote in Virginia Carolina right they were talking to ruling military voters out.
And he's got a good thing I -- made stronger point.
I think I think Obama made got a couple laugh lines that you're good people that thought it was really funny but if you're in the -- -- near refresh your memory Hewlett about accidental.
He and the fact that he said well now we have -- capable of I guess that same question of the sheet metal operations a couple of months ago you know we have a much -- -- when I was in the Pentagon.
In the Reagan years at a 600 ship navy what do you how you can make due with less than 300 feet and -- -- -- -- much more capable.
Yeah but guess what the oceans haven't gotten any smaller and you may have the most capable aircraft carrier or submarine in the mad or in the Persian gulf surrounding Iran but if you if you -- hair and you need to ministries of lock on the south China -- It's -- a long way for -- naval ships and aircraft to go halfway around the world -- numbers really count donating.
-- tomorrow line for Mitt Romney.
I agree.
But -- but the point is we're not talking about what Romney said last night we're talking about the president's line and I think that what it shows is that Romney just didn't come back.
On a number of occasions not just this one with some other ones as well and that to me is troubling because you want a strong leader if your -- yeah.
I -- you know after all.
Kelly that's what you already decided made -- Romney has the male vote by a significant percentage.
What he needs to get is that loss percentage she had nice content not batteries made up.
The eighteen point gap is made up eleven of those points that he can break even on the female but he win.
Definitely there are too many of those lines where the president had that we're talking about now we're we're not really saying what Romney talked about and I think that that's going to be part of the national conversation.
And if Romney in fact loses this election people are gonna point to this debate we're Adrian that there is -- Argument to be may need.
-- to I've seen it made on a lot of the sort of more left leaning web -- today.
That governor Romney appeared less knowledgeable than the president I mean that's natural when you -- as is the president and you've not had a lot of foreign policy experience the -- Does that -- -- we so we I mean you don't you go back over the most recent presidents George Bush the second George Bush did not have any foreign policy experience Bill Clinton didn't have any foreign policy experience it's not something you necessarily come into office what does it does anybody care.
I think your judgment is more important than what your -- at the moment you're on the card -- advisors and a specialist information anyway -- intelligence so you're right it doesn't matter that you have a lot of experience so much is what you're judgment has been like.
-- I was making those took us.
-- let's so let's look at the Middle East -- one of the every region that we are probably most concerned about right now.
And Romney Egypt Syria Libya we could go on and on and on here's the two discussing.
The Middle East last night.
I believe that a -- must go I believe he will go.
But I believe we want to make sure that we have the relationships of friendship with the people that take his place.
So -- in the years to come we see Syria as a as a friend.
And Syria as a responsible party in the Middle East.
Despite this tragedy you have tens of thousands of Libyans after the events of -- Gaza marching and saying -- our front.
We stand -- them.
Now that represents the opportunity we have to take advantage of and you know governor -- I'm glad that.
You agree that we have been successful in going after -- Qaeda.
But I have to tell you that help your strategy.
Previously has been one that -- been all over the map and is.
Are out of -- three some broad -- a week kind of should look at that Libya and and and would that -- resurgence if there is one of al-Qaeda.
Syria and -- so let's go will will go -- all of us in.
It -- each of those festival KT Libya one -- we surprised that governor Romney didn't know.
Take the opportunity that it has been presented to him with the attack on the -- -- -- in -- Ghazi.
And what do what do you think this situation is with the resurgence all not -- Qaeda.
Doesn't want to attack on -- consulate as tragic as it wasn't mean as a reservist.
I think -- at this point a campaign I've run for office I can tell -- at this point in the campaign nobody's having anything spontaneous that they're saying just have resolved and called Andy and thought through through through the infinite degrees.
So the fact.
That Romney didn't go after work to me I'm sure Gordon felt like real easy openings where he could have gone after the president the fact that he didn't.
I think means that they poll that made they've said that.
You know Bolivia may be a tragedy and then -- is horrible but it's not -- animator really wasn't going in that direction as far as al-Qaeda another point that I -- -- Romney might have made but didn't.
Wise you could make the case that in 2001.
Al-Qaeda was -- one maybe two countries Afghanistan.
Northwestern Pakistan's.
By the time Obama took office that he was in five countries but it sounds thirty countries and so al-Qaeda is not finished as Romney says governor and US President Obama said.
Five days before the -- -- the attack but again.
Romney didn't take out and I got to listen it's because they're calling tell them it's a loser continue to talk about other things talk about jobs.
National security is fixing the economy which Islamist on.
An -- and it is the Libya.
-- A -- -- headed for the president is that is the recipients.
-- continuing strength of al-Qaeda a weak point oh was he governor Romney right to avoid those because a lot of people who make adjustments certainly biffle Benghazi have made the judgment that the president was doing pretty darn well in the war on terror.
There yes to both because you know essentially I think the American public has gotten it that the administration was in disarray.
Over Libya Egypt and Tunisia and so it was right not to attack the president last night but also you know we saw in the Pew Research Center survey.
You know the president had a commanding fifteen point lead on foreign policy in September.
That's down and out -- four which is almost the margin America result probably run these pitches as you say I think.
Was the right one for last night the only thing he could have done was he could have said why is the Middle East -- dangerous right now.
And he -- gone back to that line in March we talked about Russia.
And he could've talked about China and he could have really abandoned the president by making the president look.
Less than intelligent about these matters across the world and how to play to what people and right now are accustomed -- think the president is not as good on foreign policy -- they thought a month ago.
Thank -- indeed.
Do you think Democrats were heaving a sigh of relief that -- you know any particular event Gaza attack and strength or otherwise al-Qaeda did not come up in more detail -- -- I think they have some things that they're very concerned about and this chaos of the initiation response afterwards shows a lot of holes and management.
I think on Romney's part they just stop talking about it and I was almost speaking -- -- forced airlines that type of there was just too much on Libyan people just get tired of the.
Right I'm only only Syria and I Katy Perry and he certainly did that wasn't a lot of daylight between them again between the two candidates that are -- Syria.
Governor wrong he said several times.
We need to on the opposition we need to on the opposition that we need to get weapons are the ones that we know -- on -- side.
That's really easy to say and dreadfully hot.
It was absolutely but what it again from that point of view of voters and getting those women about -- what they need to do he needed dispel -- notion that we were gonna get involved background -- or any kind of a war experience of this.
Lady saying something rather than saying anything -- Just -- depressing way to run a debate -- Actually -- equipment that's isn't hate it's an election -- and remember this is all bad getting votes getting his -- -- an -- coalition.
And getting over the finish line and so it made happy and our great farm policy debate that you're gonna take -- Harvard you know the Kennedy school at Harvard.
But that's not the point this thing at the point getting ballots and winning states and winning.
Interest groups.
Going I think that that's that's right I don't care what what did you what do you make it certainly seems to me there was no daylight.
Other than this vague idea -- -- the guys that are on our side without any suggestion of how we gonna find out who's on.
-- -- and one of the interesting things is that some people senator Chris Stevens the ambassador who was killed and -- doesn't was actually talking to insurgents.
Who indication that had anti American views and have done things to kill American soldiers.
But we were probably giving them weapons because we wanted them to use in Syria.
And that is an incredibly complex subject very very critically important and no mention of it at all last night.
Well I think the whole debate over Syria Adrian.
It doesn't appear to me that we have the a candidate running for the presidency have really has any firm ideas on how we change the situation -- here.
I think the biggest problem here is that the Syrian opposition has not proven to be capable or united I've met with -- sat down with them and I don't have a high degree of faith.
And there and their strength -- the moment and that's why it's hard to push for any big changes knowing that the people that fill the vacuum would potentially be islamists.
Or others that would be opposed to the United States and it was interest -- -- The -- the -- regime responded to the idea that Lakhdar Brahimi the UN peace envoy might be coming to Damascus with a new.
Proposal for a cease fire mop the facility.
By saying if you come negotiate a cease fire.
Within opposition that doesn't have any kind of leadership I mean I guess they're like hey if I don't anything that they're -- regimes says but.
That's it's not an unreasonable point there is no leadership waited weeks.
Negotiate in the in the opposition.
-- -- -- -- And I think that's but the exiled leadership has concluded why negotiate with anybody first they're concerned are still there and they still have -- two powerful allies Russia and -- -- they're not going anywhere.
And ended the their great fear now just don't go more broadly on this subject at golden.
Is the spreading of all this conflict coming week we've seen them.
The tit for -- across the border with Turkey which it was morning in itself but even more concerning is the violence in -- Nazis come only in Lebanon the violence.
There's sort of say.
Everybody concedes that -- -- and I think part of it is because of the president's mideast policy just was not adequate.
That's not necessarily a criticism because I'm not sure that anybody could have had an adequate policy here but here you would have liked to have heard governor Romney talk about.
Really the erosion of America's standing in the Middle East and North Africa.
And why that contributed to the problems we're seeing right now including Ben -- We didn't get that we didn't get the context that I think is so important that people would have said -- Romney really gets.
-- -- -- -- A lot of time.
-- unique in several of these countries.
Is there any truth to the idea that the Arab Spring is -- to -- to be less of back.
Democracy.
And more about a battle for power between the Sunni and Shia Muslim -- There's no easy answer but the truth is that they're using democracy to get power and that's kind of both and the challenges that I don't necessarily agree that American prestige has been falling in the last four years and the reason.
But I don't think -- for stable influence whether -- is that accurate or not.
And I think there's the problem with both candidates is that they both say similar things but neither is presents a real grand strategy for the reason reason at all.
And that's and that's desperately lacking unless they get on top of that -- gonna have some.
Serious issues I guess it away from me -- here prestige.
-- is just is simply the idea that these people getting.
Just the tiniest smell of democracy -- or at least.
The ability to influence their own country for the first time in generations in some cases they -- being -- -- led by anybody from the outside whether America or anybody.
You know the problem we've seen this -- this movie before whether it's Iran or whether it was a -- now.
Libya and potentially serious harm revolutions a three act play and I've talked about terrible first second win of the dictator and I -- let's get rid of the dictator.
Second -- that was when all the people who used to agree on.
Getting rid of the dictator it's your -- to govern and they don't necessarily good very well.
And the third act is when somebody.
Comes of the -- either everybody figures it out and gets along and when there's a democratic system that was how our country was formed you or they don't and that's Iran.
Or they don't and that's Iraq or they don't and that's potentially Libya -- and so right now to say.
You know -- you can't we all just get along and then I think that Adrian is right there what's happened is the Arab Spring may not have been something al-Qaeda can Islamist started.
But they sure are trying to -- -- hijacking player.
I just quickly before we I don't get to China as well but quickly before we do that you mention Iran.
Golden -- again that no no apparent difference in policy.
Got -- -- -- sanctions sanctions sanctions President Obama sanctions sanctions sanctions both of them neither of them will allow.
Iran getting nuclear weapons so military action is an off the time we didn't learn anything new.
You know and governor Romney could have said you know the president brags about the sanctions but.
Romney should have said that the White House -- the sanctions tooth and -- in December 2011.
And when they were actually put in place what does the White House did it granted twenty have waivers from them.
This is what governor Romney should have done the fact that he didn't do it is really troubling in the sense that this was a missed opportunity for him to just torpedo the president.
-- those submarines that the president.
Talk about -- -- thought behavior there Iran we did -- again.
I think it's so difficult I mean I I have to say you know -- little bit brain trust we have the I -- does anybody really had a different idea of how did.
Deal with a running time to find -- you will you do but.
Why didn't -- but it doesn't involve war.
That's deafening economic worker crap out of kinda knew if we're talking about economic warfare I think in some ways that it is a little bit unfair to say that the White House except.
These things and everything else because unless you have full participation from everybody.
You don't -- you know from North Korea unless -- -- China and Russia on board as well even if it is watered down get nothing.
You know that if you show resolve the did you use the economic leverage of the United States and our diplomatic power.
We could have done a lot better on those and that really is a critical issue because nobody wants more so how do you get there without war you're right -- The US could've done better but you need everybody to play otherwise you -- -- Tell -- you know the cardinal made it -- I had I had the ball playing against six months from our institute sanctions.
If he has six and acted quickly to say no American -- -- clinic clearing checks to Iraq now.
-- you could crash it within a couple weeks right there are absolutely.
-- to man and man.
You know no war that a lot of people on the streets of Tehran -- economic pressure basically.
But not just pressure -- the regime as a dream you're not gonna do anything unless they think it's -- next -- nukes focus our.
I'm gonna get China -- it -- as well relations with China which.
Alston talked about it in the economic terms here's the candidates.
On US China relations.
They sell us about this much stuff every year.
And we sell them about this -- stuff every year so it's pretty clear who doesn't want to trade war.
And there's one going on right now which we don't know about -- -- -- one and and their winning just recently.
Steelworkers and Ohio and throughout the midwest Pennsylvania are in a position now to sell -- to China because we won that case.
We had a tire case in which they were flooding us with cheap domestic tires are herd -- Chinese tires and we just put a stop to what.
And as consequence save jobs.
Throughout America I have to say that governor Romney criticize me for being too tough.
In that tire case said this wouldn't be good for American workers and that would be protectionists but I tell you those workers don't feel that way.
They feel as if they had finally an administration was gonna take this issue series.
KT you're gonna to slide at any second ago and I've talked to Governor Huckabee on his radio show.
Arms so let me come to you first on on China.
Either -- make a point that really means anything to the American -- -- a big payback to the economy.
Which might have got more people's attention had they not already switched off -- baseball football and think.
Mom and I didn't think it didn't strike me that that was a lone major points.
You know whether it's China whether it's Iran matters Syria there's not a whole lot of different -- these issues are nuanced issues -- you which is something lost in a debate.
You know made -- again at the Kennedy school like Harvard University but it is not.
Great for somebody who is deciding whether to watch a football game at a baseball game of the debate my guide its all big picture stuff.
All right we'll let you go see the -- give him admiring guns you can slide out he was enjoy watching you take -- microphone off anyway the whole lot of fun and a foxnews.com.
Live -- -- takes the.
