Candidates to discuss foreign policy at Lynn presidential debate

BOCA RATON – When President Obama and (presumably) Mitt Romney face each other Oct. 22 at the third and final presidential debate to be held at Lynn University, they will talk about foreign policy.

The Commission on Presidential Debates (CPD), which announced the four debate formats, said Lynn’s 90-minute debate will begin at 9 p.m. and will consist of six 15-minute segments on topics selected by the moderator. The candidates will have two minutes to respond to each question followed by a discussion on the topic facilitated by the moderator. The CPD will announce the moderator in August.

Foreign policy is an especially fitting topic for Lynn whose student population is made up of nearly a quarter international students. These students will have a unique opportunity to capture a front-row seat to one of the largest events in American politics.

“Global citizenship is at the heart of the Lynn experience,” said President Kevin M. Ross. “With students from 80 countries and 40 states, we have a 50-year heritage of internationalism. We look forward to welcoming the world to our campus and hosting a conversation on foreign policy with America’s next leader.”

“I have been keeping my fingers crossed that we would get the foreign policy debate,” said Marcheta Wright, professor of international relations in Lynn’s College of Liberal Education. “In the fall I’m teaching a new class, Debates Go Global, in which my students and I will not only compare the candidates’ views on foreign policies, but we will also examine how the rest of the world perceives the United States’ electoral process. Having the foreign policy debate on campus will benefit our students in and out of the classroom.”

Frank J. Fahrenkopf, Jr. and Michael D. McCurry, co-chairmen of the non-partisan, non-profit Commission on Presidential Debates also announced formats for the presidential and vice presidential debates that feature extended discussion of major issues to be announced in advance.

The formats for those 90-minute debates are as follows:

First presidential debate (October 3, 2012, University of Denver, Denver)

The debate will focus on domestic policy and be divided into six time segments of approximately 15 minutes each on topics to be selected by the moderator and announced several weeks before the debate.

The moderator will open each segment with a question, after which each candidate will have two minutes to respond. The moderator will use the balance of the time in the segment for a discussion of the topic.

Vice presidential debate (October 11, 2012, Centre College, Danville, Ky.)

The debate will cover both foreign and domestic topics and be divided into nine time segments of approximately 10 minutes each. The moderator will ask an opening question, after which each candidate will have two minutes to respond. The moderator will use the balance of the time in the segment for a discussion of the question.

Second presidential debate (October 16, 2012, Hofstra University, Hempstead, NY)

The second presidential debate will take the form of a town meeting, in which citizens will ask questions of the candidates on foreign and domestic issues. Candidates each will have two minutes to respond, and an additional minute for the moderator to facilitate a discussion. The town meeting participants will be undecided voters selected by the Gallup Organization.

Fahrenkopf and McCurry said that the formats reflect extensive study by the CPD board of directors: “There are serious issues facing this country and the public has the right to expect a serious examination of those issues during this fall’s debates. The CPD believes this can be accomplished best by focusing big time blocks on major domestic and foreign topics. The topics will be selected and announced in advance of the debates by the debate moderators.

“The debates are the most widely-watched political programs of any kind. These format changes are designed to promote substantive dialogue before, during and between the debates about the major issues of the day. They will permit citizens and candidates to come prepared for a series of voter education forums that inform and engage the public.”

The CPD has sponsored and produced all the presidential and vice presidential debates since 1987, the year it was established. More information can be found at www.debates.org.

Captions: The Wold Performing Arts Center at Lynn University, where the Oct. 22 presidential debate will be held