Monday night marks the third and final presidential debate between President Obama and Governor Romney. The season finale of debates takes place at Lynn University in Boca Raton, Fl. The debate format is similar to that of the first debate: It will be broken up into six sections, giving each candidates a two minute response time followed by a discussion. Also, unlike during the town hall debate, each candidate will be given two minutes for closing remarks. The focus of this debate will be purely on foreign policy. Longtime CBS anchor Bob Schieffer will be the moderator of the debate, and hopefully he will be able to control the candidates, unlike Jim Lehrer during the fiasco of the first debate.
Considering Florida is a swing state, how important is Monday's debate, and could it be a turning point for the election? According to the latest NBC/Wall Street Journal Poll, President Obama and Governor Romney are tied at 47 percent among likely voters. Real Clear Politics has this as a tight race with Governor Romney at 47.3 percent and President Obama at 47. As we have said before, the electoral projections are really what matters in this election. To win the White House, a candidate needs 270 electoral votes; so where does each candidate currently stand? According to the Real Clear Politics electoral map, President Obama is at 201 and Governor Romney has 206 votes, leaving 131 toss-up votes up for grabs. Thus, the swing states, including Florida where tonight’s debate is being held, are becoming even more appealing to each candidate.
Some other notable headlines to take into tonight’s debate include the NBC/Wall Street Journal Poll which shows 44 percent believe that President Obama will make a better Commander in Chief compared to the 41 that said Romney. However, while this number is in favor of Obam,a it is also down from his 8 point pre-debate lead. According to the same poll, if the President wins re-election, 62 percent want major changes in his second term, while Romney holds a 6 point lead over the President regarding who would better handle the economy.
So, with only 15 days until Election Day, this race is heated. One thing has become clear: Monday's debate could sway those undecided voters one way or the other and help decide our next president of the United States. Be sure to tune in at 3pm for full pre-debate analysis, as Touré gives us a breakdown of the scene at Lynn University, and our Cyclists weigh in on their predication's for tonight’s debate.