4 Key Takeaways From the Final Presidential Debate

Oct. 22, 2012— -- President Barack Obama and Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney had an inconsistent final presidential debate on foreign policy Monday night.

Both candidates sparred over turmoil in the Middle East in countries like Syria and Libya, but the debate also veered off topic at many points into subjects like the economy and education.

And sure, the 90-minute match featured heavy discussions about Israel and Iran, but it largely ignored other pressing areas like Latin America.

In the end, Obama sought to impugn Romney's foreign policies, and Romney indicted Obama's record as ineffective, saying he would make a more assertive commander in chief and build stronger relationships with U.S. allies.

So what exactly is worth noting? Here are some of the key moments:

1. "All Over The Map"

Obama set out on a mission to paint Romney as a man who is not ready to serve as commander in chief. The president started off the debate forcefully, dinging Romney for calling Russia the nation's biggest geopolitical threat.

"When it comes to our foreign policy, you seem to want to import the foreign policies of the 1980s, just like the social policies of the 1950s and the economic policies of the 1920s," Obama responded.

The president attacked Romney's line on the nation having its smallest Navy since World War I.

"Well, governor, we also have fewer horses and bayonets, because the nature of our military's changed," he said. "And so the question is not a game of Battleship, where we're counting ships."

And Obama repeatedly attacked Romney's stance on fighting terror and drawing troops down in Afghanistan as "all over the map."

Meanwhile, Romney accused Obama of trying to divert attention from his own record.

"Attacking me is not an agenda. Attacking me is not talking about how we're going to deal with the challenges that exist in the Middle East," Romney said.

"We can't kill our way out of this mess," he added.

One of the most shocking exchanges came when Romney went after Obama's record on Israel.

He accused the president of putting distance between the U.S.'s strongest ally while going on an "apology tour" in Muslim nations in the Middle East while skipping the Jewish state."Mr. President, America has not dictated to other nations. We have freed other nations from dictators," Romney said.

Obama fired back aggressively, invoking his visit to Israel's Holocaust memorial when he was a candidate. "If we're going to talk about trips that we've taken -- when I was a candidate for office, first trip I took was to visit our troops. And when I went to Israel as a candidate, I didn't take donors," he said.

"I didn't attend fundraisers. I went to Yad Vashem the Holocaust museum there, to remind myself the nature of evil and why our bond with Israel will be unbreakable."

While Obama came well prepared to counter Romney in an effort to score a clear win, the Republican candidate sought to prove he had the knowledge and expertise to be commander in chief. At one point, he even referenced al Qaeda activity in the African nation of Mali. Romney deflected Obama's jabs but overall, but took a more cautious approach on sensitive issues like the attack on the U.S. consulate in Benghazi.