Live Blog: The Third U.S. Presidential Debate

Moderator Bob Schieffer enters debate hall, thanks the audience as well as the candidates wives. Schieffer says debates have become such an important part of election process in this country. He says the audience has to be "quiet as mice" because "we want a debate that is worthy of the presidency of the greatest country in the world."

Debate party hosted at Lynn University. Get on my level! #president #presidentialdebate #p @ Lynn University instagr.am/p/RGpmWekxaT/

— Zakariah (@makingufamous) October 23, 2012

Round 3 for Obama and Romney and media will key in on any missteps especially with new polls showing race a dead heat. #debates @voa_news

— Jim Malone (@JMaloneVOA) October 23, 2012

U.S. President Barack Obama and his Republican challenger, Mitt Romney, are just minutes away from their third and final debate. The 90-minute debate, focused on foreign policy, is being held in the closely-contested southern state of Florida.

The debate comes as public opinion surveys show Romney has cut sharply into the president's perceived advantage on foreign affairs. Romney has pointedly criticized the White House's changing explanations about the September 11 raid on the American consulate in Benghazi, Libya that killed four U.S. diplomats.

In addition to the Benghazi attack, the candidates are expected to discuss the 2011 raid in Pakistan that killed Osama bin Laden, China's role in the world economy, Obama's plan to end American military involvement in the war against the Taliban in Afghanistan by late 2014, the deadly conflict in Syria, rising tensions between Israel and Iran over Tehran's nuclear development program.

Moderating the debate will be Bob Schieffer of CBS News.