Who knew that fact-checking the sole foreign policy debate of the presidential campaign would include the ranking of Massachusetts schools and how best to administer Medicaid? Repeatedly, the two candidates swerved to the economic issues that have dominated the campaign.
Even the dispute over the attack on the American diplomatic compound in Benghazi, Libya, which was expected to be a centerpiece, got less attention than the now-familiar dispute over what kind of bankruptcy Mitt Romney had proposed for the ailing auto industry.
But when Bob Schieffer, the moderator, wrestled them back onto foreign policy, the two candidates offered starkly different views of the world. President Obama described a tough, realistic America engaged with allies in "decimating" Al Qaeda. Mr. Romney, even as he markedly moderated his tone and spoke repeatedly of "peace" as his goal, described a far scarier world in which Iran is four years closer to a nuclear weapon.
In many cases, the contrasting claims were a matter of perspective, and on several occasions Mr. Romney said explicitly that he agreed with the president. But both men also made statements that were misleading or exaggerated or that contradicted previous statements.
Here are some of the highlights:
Change in Tone on Iran
Mr. Romney's remark that he wants to use "peaceful and diplomatic means" to persuade Iran not to pursue its nuclear program was a striking departure from the more hawkish tone he has used throughout the campaign.
He urged preparations for war against Iran last year in an opinion article in The Wall Street Journal. "Si vis pacem, para bellum," he wrote. "That is a Latin phrase, but the ayatollahs will have no trouble understanding its meaning from a Romney administration: If you want peace, prepare for war."
Mr. Romney also called for more muscle-flexing aimed at Iran in a speech on Oct. 8 at the Virginia Military Institute.
"For the sake of peace, we must make clear to Iran through actions — not just words — that their nuclear pursuit will not be tolerated," he said.
Mr. Romney has long been dismissive of Mr. Obama's attempts to use diplomacy to persuade Iran to abandon its weapons programs. "In his first TV interview as president, he said we should talk to Iran," Mr. Romney said in his speech at the Republican National Convention in late August. "We're still talking, and Iran's centrifuges are still spinning."
Last year, when asked in an interview what military action he would consider against Iran, Mr. Romney said, "There's a lot more information I need to have to know what type of military strike would be appropriate and effective."
"Would you be prepared to do it unilaterally if need be?" Bret Baier of Fox News asked.
"Of course," Mr. Romney said. MICHAEL COOPER
Troops in Iraq
Mr. Obama suggested that Mr. Romney was mistaken in seeking to keep 10,000 American troops in Iraq. But the Obama administration initially sought to do just that — but never managed to negotiate an agreement allowing them to remain.
Mr. Obama sought to negotiate a Status of Forces Agreement that would have allowed United States troops to stay in Iraq after 2011. Initially, the Obama administration was prepared to keep up to 10,000 troops in Iraq. Later, the Obama administration lowered the number to about 5,000.
Prime Minister Nuri Kamal al-Maliki indicated that he might be willing. But the Iraqis did not agree to an American demand that such an agreement be submitted to their Parliament for approval, a step the Obama administration insisted on to ensure that any American troops that stayed would be immune from prosecution under Iraqi law.
Mr. Obama relied on Vice President Joseph R. Biden Jr. as well as American officials in Iraq to negotiate the agreement. The president spoke to Mr. Maliki only twice during the negotiations. Also, the administration did not begin formal talks with the Iraqis until June 2, 2011, leaving little time for negotiation.
After the talks broke down, the Obama administration withdrew the remaining American troops in December 2011, the deadline set for withdrawing all American forces from Iraq under the Status of Forces Agreement.
Iran has taken advantage of the absence of American forces to fly hundreds of tons of military equipment through Iraqi airspace to Syria. MICHAEL R. GORDON
The Arab Spring
Mr. Obama spoke of the role the United States has played during the Arab Spring uprisings, saying, "We have stood on the side of democracy." But that is not true across the board.
Consider Bahrain, where thousands of people rose up more than a year ago to demand political liberties, social equality and an end to corruption. Its Sunni monarchy, seen by the United States and Saudi Arabia as a strategic ally and a bulwark against Iran, was never left to face the rage on its own.
More than a thousand Saudi troops helped put down the uprising, and the United States called for political changes but strengthened its support for the government. MICHAEL COOPER
Afghan Withdrawal
Has Mr. Romney changed his view on an Afghan withdrawal and timeline? About an hour into the debate, Mr. Romney seemed to adjust his long-held position.
In the past, he has said that while he wanted to follow the same 2014 withdrawal timeline as the Obama administration and NATO allies, he would seek the advice of military commanders on the ground before making a decision. This prompted critics to suggest that Mr. Romney was giving himself wiggle room to keep regular combat brigades in Afghanistan past 2014. (Both the Obama administration and the Romney campaign have talked about keeping a small residual force, presumably of Special Operations forces and military trainers, after 2014 — if the government of Afghanistan allows it.)
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