The October 22, 2012 Presidential Debate focused on foreign policy. In contrast with the first Presidential debate, where it is generally agreed that Obama did a poor job, in this debate, Obama did an exemplary job, while Romney’s engagement was lackluster. Obama provided a highly factual narrative, while Romney relied more on rhetoric. Further, both candidates debated in a very professional manner, generally respecting each other and the moderator, which contrasts significantly with the previous debate where both candidates debated in a more passionate and arguably less-than-professional fashion. It seems likely that Obama had the advantage going into this debate. As President, he had significant foreign policy experience, and is keenly aware of current events. Romney on the other hand played little to no role in American foreign policy as a state governor. This explains why Obama relied more on logos based arguments, whereas Romney relied on pathos based arguments: Obama was more acutely aware of foreign policy issues, and could therefore speak to them, and Romney lacked that knowledge and experience, resulting in a need to appeal to ideology. In the debate, both candidates made a number of factual errors. Romney stated: “Syria is Iran’s only ally in the Arab world. It’s their route to the sea.” The statement “it’s their route to the sea” is not factual. By simply examining a map, it is discovered that Iran is bordered by Turkmenistan, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Iraq, Azerbaijan, and Armenia. Iran does not share a border with Syria, and is separated from it by the upper length of Iraq. Further, Iran has significant access to the Caspian Sea and to the Arabian Sea from their own coast. As such, Syria is not Iran’s “route to the sea.” During the debate, Obama stated that the public record clearly showed that Romney opposed federal assistance to troubled automakers. Obama’s statement was wrong – or at the least misleading. As an article by the Detroit News states (http://www.detroitnews.com/article/20121023/POLITICS01/210230441/1361/Auto-bailout-piques-voter-interest-as-Obama-uses-it-to-criticize-Romney), Romney was indeed in support of federal financing for troubled automakers, albeit on the condition that those automakers turn to bankruptcy first. Though Obama was clearly the winner in this debate, as he debated with the most passion and experience, both he and Romney spoke falsely at times. However, it is to be expected that when in a high-pressure environment such as a live televised debate, memories may not be in top form, with resulting lapses in accuracy.