Was Romney's Debate Performance Enough?
- Cal Thomas Syndicated Columnist
- Updated Oct 24, 2012
Monday night's final presidential debate before the November 6 election revealed little. I wish Romney had pressed the president on Libya and the attack that killed four Americans, including our ambassador. For whatever reason, he did not.
I thought some of the president's remarks were silly, such as claiming Romney wants to build ships and embrace a strategy that's from the bayonet age. The Chinese are building ships. What do they know?
The most important question during the debate was when Bob Schieffer asked about America's role in the world. Neither candidate gave an adequate answer, preferring their campaign rhetoric. But it is a fundamental question.
We can't afford to go everywhere and do everything, no matter how noble the cause. Other nations must step up -- and above all, we must not commit our military unless American national interests and a threat to American security are clear.
That would be my foreign policy.
Mitt Romney didn't lose the debate, and according to some commentators passed the commander-in-chief test. A CNBC analyst said Romney looked more like the president and Obama the challenger. Was Romney's performance enough? We'll know in less than two weeks.
I'm Cal Thomas in Washington.
Publication date: October 24, 2012
