(LinkAsia: October 26, 2012)
Yul Kwon:
So who won the debate?  Here's Japanese broadcaster, NHK, with one analyst's opinion.

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NHK World NEWSLINE
Airdate: October 23, 2012

Fumiko Nishizaki:
I think foreign policy is usually the domain of the incumbent president, and I think President Obama used the opportunity quite well by explaining his specific foreign policy agenda and priorities and so on. Whereas, Governor Romney tended to be more general. He had this broad approach mapped out as his foreign policy agenda, but he was a little weak on specifics.

I guess they spent a whole lot of time on the Middle East, Middle Eastern policy and the Al Qaeda and Pakistan, Afghanistan-what impressed me was that President Obama was emphasizing a lot about his multilateral approach to many things, like in Libya or Iran. How the administration has dealt with in cooperation with the other countries. And in that sense I think Governor Romney tended to emphasize on leadership, on America's leadership. And he was attacking President Obama for not exerting strong American leadership.

Among the three debates I think the first debate made the strongest impression on the American public, because President Obama unexpectedly did not very well. He was not so focused and energetic and so on. The third debate, President Obama was clearly the winner I think. But it deals with foreign policy, first of all, and it's not something that the American public is most concerned about. They were worried about the economy and domestic policies. It is very difficult to say that either of these debates would have a definitive impact on the account of the election.