Debate At Lynn Generating Worldwide Headlines
BOCA RATON (CBSMiami) – Lynn University, a school many across the nation are hearing of for the first time Monday will be the center of the political world when President Barack Obama and Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney face off in the third and final presidential debate.
"In 1971, there were 196 students and we were surrounded by orange groves and scrub pines," said Lynn University founder Donald Ross.
Lynn has earned its way onto the national stage with Monday's debate. More than 3,500 journalists were credentialed for the debate with journalists from as far away as Vietnam descending on the small school in Boca Raton.
"People want to know in Asia, in Pacific Asia, what policy do both candidates have for China?" said Khanh Nguyen of Radio Free Asia. "And we hope to have the answer by tonight."
There will be plenty of answers for questions on Monday night at Lynn, but getting to the truth may be a little more difficult. The journalists are entrenched in an area known as "spin alley" and both parties will be out in full force trying to make the case their respective candidate won the debate.
The debate Monday night will focus on foreign policy and will be moderated by CBS' Bob Schieffer. As such, the politicos selected by the party's to be in the spin room are all foreign policy veterans.
"This is a president who doesn't seem to know how to treat our allies or our adversaries," said Republican Congressman Mario Diaz-Balart.
"The president has gone after the top leadership in Al Qaeda; he's brought bin Laden to justice," said Democratic Congressman Ted Deutch. "He said that he'd end the war in Iraq and he did."
The spin room even attracted former Florida Governor Charlie Crist, who has been rumored for months to be making a switch to the Democratic Party. Crist is in Boca on behalf of President Obama. He said the debates matter "a lot," but spun his way out of any questions about returning to Florida politics.
"Are we going to see you on the campaign trail anytime soon in Florida," asked CBS4's David Sutta. "Well yeah, I'm on one right now for President Obama."
Still, even through the spin from politicians and their representatives, there is one guiding principle that inspires people around the world to follow the presidential debate, democracy.
"When you talk about democracy, you have to talk about the U.S. That's a role model," said Nguyen. "So people want to learn from those debates, come to elections, and we hope that we have that one day back home."
Obama and Romney on the issues: Weigh in on the Presidential Forum (Presidential Forum should link to http://presidentialforum.cbslocal.com)
