MYRTLE BEACH — Two Grand Strand residents involved in local political parties shared their views on the third and final presidential debate Monday night.
Russell Fry, vice chairman with the Grand Strand Young Republicans, and Mary Max Neely, with the Democratic Women’s Council of Horry County, said about an hour into the debate that their respective candidates were performing well in the final debate just three weeks before the election.
“President [Barack] Obama is doing very well,” Neely said. “He’s the incumbent and he’s the smarter of the two guys.”
Fry said as the current commander in chief, Obama had an advantage going into the night’s debate because he has experience dealing with foreign policy every day. But, Fry said Gov. Mitt Romney had more polished plans for the nation.
“Obama, much like his economic policy, is failing to come up with a plan on foreign policy,” he said. “The president has been all over the map. We’ve gone back and forth sending mixed signals about Libya and what happened there by not calling it a terrorist attack. He’s attacking Mitt Romney for being all over the map, when I think it’s been the president who’s been all over the map.”
Neely disagreed.
“Romney is all over the map in his words and in his speeches,” she said. “But, Obama is speaking to the point.”
She said Obama was correct to point out what she called Romney’s dated plans.
“When Obama said Romney would like to take the economic policies to the 1920s, the foreign policies to the 1980s and the social policies to the 1950s, he was right,” Neely said. “That’s exactly what I hear.”
Fry said Romney’s plans regarding foreign policy will take America in the right direction.
“Romney’s done a very good job of laying out his plan in that we need to keep our friends close and make sure that we are on the same page with them,” he said. “At the same time with all these various issues in the world you need to have a president who is willing to draw a hard line with our enemies. He’s pointed out several times where the president hasn’t done that. You can’t do that.”
Both Neely and Fry agreed that this debate should help any undecided voters make a selection.
Neely hopes people recognize Obama’s strong leadership and focus on education.
“As far as rebuilding America, President Obama is right on key,” she said. “We have got to stress education and as Gov. Romney keeps saying he’s going to cut education. We have to invest in education and research and that’s what Obama will do.”
Fry said he hopes those still undecided see that Romney cares for and understands the nation’s role in the world.
“When we have a domestic policy that racks up huge deficits it inhibits our ability to be a leader on the world stage,” he said. “What I would hope the undecideds look at is that we need to fix our spending at home and in turn, because of that, we become a strong United States and can have a leading role in the world.”
Contact AMANDA KELLEY at 626-0381.
