Option should be looked at over and over. The military option should be the option of last resort. I think this is like splitting hair. The reality is governor romney has been laying out this it strategy for years. And that was on the topic of just iran, but as you saw there, the president just landing or thats mitt romney i should say landing. Both men are in boca raton. John hileman had a little fun of governor romneys expense regarding what we might see tonight. Im mitt romney, and im running in the middle. Im running in the middle. Running in the middle has hileman tried to mime him. The president arrived in florida only moments ago had a 15point lead and some of the polls on Foreign Policy. That gap has now closed to four points. The president s biggest challenge tonight could be the ongoing questions regarding libya. He spoke to this last week in the debate. Im sure its going to be a topic tonight. I think hell say, look, this investigation is ongoing. We are working at home. We want to get to the bottom of what happened so we can make sure it never happens again but bringing those who killed four American People to justice. Let me bring in the political panel. Michael smirkonish and chris covines and chip saltzman. Lets start off with the obvious. Everyone wants to see what happens with libya, chris. It seems as governor romney after that awkward moment trying to press the president turned out to be wrong, was off his game the rest of the debate. Will romney go in this time around trying to pick up traction on libya . I think its the one area where they think they misplayed it in the last debate. I think hell come hard at the president or as hard as you can when you sit a foot away from the president of the United States. I think the president and his team are prepared for that. Its a relatively easy response in terms of saying this was a fluid situation, an unstable situation. This is what happens when you have a crisis, and i think the president going to be able to kind of push it back. I think the danger for governor romney is does he overreach . He did last time, and it blew up in his face. He cant afford to do it again. Chip, lets bring you in on this issue of libya. If you watch the sunday morning programs, a lot of the surrogates for governor romney bringing up libya and what they categorize as mishandling of the situation and ongoing questions. Nevertheless, Lindsey Graham was on earlier today going after the cia now as well as the Obama Administration. He painted a picture of libya in chaos, this dire situation. My colleague chuck todd played a sound clip from john mccain in july. This is how senator mccain described libya at the time. Let me play it. I was there for their election, and you know how many people i met who had their sons or husbands, their fathers, their family members slaughtered by omgadhafi . To say libya is a failure, actually its a Great Success. A Great Success in july. Today some say ilgts a talking foint for republicans who want to attack the president and politicize what happens there as a result of the four deaths, tragic deaths of the americans on the front line of diplomacy. Chip. A lot changes in Foreign Policy in a week, not to mention a couple of months. Today i think libya is in chaos, and what weve seen is the president and administration changed on what it was. At first it was a video and then an act of terror. We know theres investigations, and thats what the question is. What exactly happened. What do we know, when did we know it . Thats going fob a big point of tonights debate. I think mitt romney will push it as far as he can. He cant overplay his hand, but its a big part of the discussion. What is overplaying his hand, chip . Whats overplaying the hand on libya . What we saw in the last debate is we thought he had the president in a box. He went after it, and Candy Crowley jumped in and pulled the save out. He has it to find the issues to talk about, talk about what the president knew. The administration did talk about this video for a week, and talk a little bit about the video. Which was the video the central piece of what happened here. Talk about the security, why there wasnt more security on the eve of 9 11. Those are issues mitt romney can talk about without overplaying it. Can i get in on this . Yes. I want to ask a followup question, though. You talked about what governor romney would ask, but does he provide what he would do differently regarding libya . Its one thing to hurl the grenades and criticize in the armchair quarterback position. Im the greatest quarterback in the world monday morning, and ive never played football. But in reality you have to present a plan for the country. You got to present a plan for the country, and i dont know if you can say governor romney has said what a plan for libya would look like under his administration from the very beginning of this crisis when gadhafi was still there until now. I think thats what presents a great funt for mitt romney. He has 90 minutes tonight to talk about his outlay of a Foreign Policy under a Romney Administration versus an Obama Administration. Michael. I think the dynamics on benghazi have completely changed as of today, and im referring to not only the New York Times but the wall street journal. The journal is no fan of this president. The front page sfotory reveals w the cia for a period of 10 days was telling the administration including ambassador rice that this evolved out of the protests. Heres ambassador rice, thrown under the bus in certain quarters for a long time now about allegations that perhaps she was carrying political water, and she was lying because they didnt want to say the word ter r ter ror. He was told from the cia that this was all evolving from the protest hinged to that movie. What do you want the president to say . Do you expect the president to go on tv and say, the cia is telling me x, but i want you all to know why. Thats untenable. How does he say that tonight . How does the president make that point tonight based on published accounts . Anne, it will be about more than libya. I want to point out the policies and positions of both of the candidates. On iran, president obama prefers Diplomatic Solutions despite the report of there being an agreement on talks, facetoface talks with iran. It seems clear its moving in that direction. Governor romneys adviser, dan senor, today saying the similar thing that all options are on the table, despite the aggressive tone from governor romney when he was in israel discussing iran. We can go through afghanistan. Both men aagree 2014 is the withdrawal date. Romnmitt romney nudging why anne the date. But he supports that withdrawal date. Both candidates support israel. The bottom line, anne, bill keller in the New York Times in his oped wrote on Foreign Policy mitt romney has displaced the worst aspects of neocon and n neofeet. On the stump we get the swagger of a freedom agenda cowboy combined with a gift for gaffe. Who will show up, the swagger cowboy as described by some or the candidate who will essentially hug president obamas policy knowing that this country does not want to go into another war. We dont want boots on the ground in syria and quite honestly anywhere else at this point unless necessary. Well, thats a sharply worded way of putting it in the oped, but the question is the right one. Do you see the differences the two men . Differences jurs around the edges or rhetorical differences. I wouldnt downplay the rhetorical differences too much. Obviously, what we care about is the substantive policy differences. Would one take us to war where the other would not. The rhetorical differences between republicans and democrats are meaningful in recent administrations and whats described as swagger and what republicans call as strentd wanting to exhibit greater american strength could be a bigger difference tonight. In the areas you just described, certainly afghanistan, even syria, iran, maybe to a lesser extent israel, whether theres real differences, theres similarities. Well see how Bob Schieffer does to tease it out. Thats why wed end up returning to libya. Even if mitt romney wont say what hed do differently, thats the biggest point of contention between them. Do you agree with anne cornblut on this . Theyre similar to what governor romney says he would have in place if he were elected. The only real difference tonight where you would see the heat, if i should say, people are craving slib ya. I think its yes and no. Based on the romney today. Not based on governor romney in the primary. Its tuesday, so its a different romney. Putting that aside, i mean, i think the reality here its not just tonal but emphasis. I think the question whether its afghanistan or iran, what are you emphasizing in the course of Foreign Policy . Youre rattling sabers and thats your first course versus emphasizing diplomacy, you may say we want to do diplomacy, but that is a distinction with a major difference. I think whats going to happen here, i think that romney will go into this debate and try to hug the president where he can, and kind of pivot back to the economy. I think the president in this debate has got to be not just focusing on Foreign Policy, because thats the obvious thing to do. When governor romney tries to make this about the economy and domestic issues, to undercut that argument every chance he has. Michael, is there any chance governor romney would come out swinging and perhaps try to paint the president as a person or a leader who does not, for example, support israel, blame the president for iran being able to get to where it is at this point in hopes of enriching uranium, so on and so forth for its Nuclear Program . Does he say what dan senor basically uttered this morning. That his line of thinking in dealing with iran is very similar to the president in that he supported the sanctions and basically the difference is as someone put it earlier, na mitt romney basically talks a tougher game. But on paper and policy it is the same . I think it will be the latter of those two approaches. It wont be the governor romney that showed up in primary season and thumped his chest with all that tough talk. I hope that Bob Schieffer on a subject like iran will press him and will say, what specific aal, governor, distinguishes kwur position from that of the president . Ive long been of the opinion theres no difference except the tough talk. Chip, is that the case . Is it a matter of who can use the best, Strong Language . Is there a difference today between governor romney and what they have outlined as the plan with iran. They say economic sanctions is the way to go. War is the last choice to go. I think what mitt romney does is take these Foreign Policy issues and roll them on how it affects the economy. What does a nuclear iran do to the oil prices in the middle east . Those are effectsive in tonights debate. Will he paint the president as a leader who does not support israel who dropped the ball somehow and allowed iran to move forward . I think you can see less of that tonight and more of an agreement and talk about how it relates to the United States economy. As you know, thats the number one issue on the voters minds. As a republican, are you comfortable with that particular romney if thats what he says tonight . Absolutely. At the end of the day this is about Barack Obamas leadership for the last four years. Yes on Foreign Policy but mostly on the economy. Thank you very much. I greatly appreciate you all joining me. Thank you. To the big nbc news wall street poll 47 is the race. The top three reasons why obama will win, and they also have the top three reasons why romney will win. Joining me now to dig into the new polling numbers, mark murray. Thanks for your time. Thanks for having me, tamron. 47 . What does that mean at this point, other than obviously what we see on the screen . Get into the hearts and minds of voters. What you and i have talked about, this is a close contest. This shows among likely voters you couldnt be even closer. One of the things in president obamas favor is he has room to grow. While the race is tied, president obama is up five points, 49 to 44 among registered voters. If he gets more to the poll, he has room to grow and get close to 350 . Mitt romney, one thing helping him in this survey, and this poll comes after the two president ial debates weve had thus far, people are getting more and more comfortable with the president mitt romney and thats what these debates have done for him. You see these two forces at play. Also benefitting president obama, some Economic Optimism continues over the past few months. Thats where we are right now. You can have a case where president obama wins and a case that mitt romney wins. You have room to grow on the president s lists of why he will win. You say more Economic Optimism, but thats a good and bad thing it sounds like. Well. The good thing for president obama right now is people think the country is on the right track, more so than they have since june of 2009. Also, people are much more optimistic about the economy, 45 say the economy will improve in the next year. Thats up some 18 points from when we asked that back in july. However, despite that Economic Optimism, mitt romney has a narrow lead over president obama on which candidate would better deal with the economy and your panel was mentioning thats probably why you hear mitt romney talk about the economy and bring that back up, even on questions pointed to Foreign Policy. On the list of reasons romney will win, you point out that doubts about a second obama term, 62 say the president should make major changes in his second term if reelected. Thats probably the biggest red flashing light for president obama in the entire poll that shows you that mitt romney, people are getting more comfortable with him but unclear about the direction of the second obama term. I would note however that george w. Bushs number on that exact same poll question was at 55 . So not too far off the 62 . Of course, we saw george w. Bush was able it to eek out a victory in 2004. Mark murray. Youll come back and talk about two key voting blocs in this race that certainly have our eyes and ears on them. Thank you very much, mark. Thanks. China syndrome. The final topic in tonights debate, the rise of china and tomorrows world. On his first day in office, governor romney says he will go after china on currency manipulation. Zac tells us what chinsz will do in response on the second day and could it affect american jobs . It may sound harsh but its real. Why white men versus latinos matters in this it election. First read asking the question which group is more important in the election. Look at the latest numbers out of ohio and pennsylvania, two key states. I dont have to tell you that. A check on the latest battleground polls in pennsylvania. President obama leads governor romney 50 45, in ohio a quinnipiac poll shows the same number, president obama up by 5 leading into the big night of the debate. Humans even when we cross our ts and dot our is, we still run into problems. Namely, other humans. Which is why, at Liberty Mutual insurance, auto policies come with new car replacement and accident forgiveness if you qualify. See what else comes standard at libertymutual. Com. Liberty mutual insurance. Responsibility. Whats your policy . Every room deserves to look us what our great. Te color is . And every footstep should tell us we made the right decision. So when we can feel our way through the newest, softest, and most colorful options. Across every possible price range. 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Id like to thank eating right, whole grain, multigrain cheerios mom, are those my jeans . [ female announcer ] people who choose more whole grain tend to weigh less than those who dont. Multigrain cheerios tonights debate will have six sections. The rise of china in tomorrows world. According to moderator Bob Schieffer, a lot of time will be spent on the arab uprising and the aftermath, particularly the deadly attack on the u. S. Consulate in libya is a hot topic. Its an area the Romney Campaign thinks president obama is the most vulnerable. But governor romney stumbled on that very issue in last weeks debate. You said in the rose garden the day after the attack it was an act of terror . It was not a spontaneous demonstration. Is that what youre saying . Please proceed. We want to get that for the record because it took him 14 days. Get the transcript. He did, in fact, sir. So let me call it an act of terror. Can you say that a little louder, candy. He did call it an act of terror. It did as well take two weeks or so for the whole idea of there being a riot out there about this tape to come out. Youre correct about that. Joining me now, former state department joel ruben and daily beast contributor zachary carib e caribel. Libya is on the agenda, and the president most recently on the daily show with jon stewart admitted mistakes were made. We know about the intelligence and when it came into