Which way is it? Are Obama and Romney's policies "starkly different" or basically in alignment? The New York Times front page can't decide.
A caption below a debate photo on the front of Tuesday's Times claimed "The two rivals offered starkly different views of the world," before leading readers to page A13 to read a fact-check of the debate. But the lead story on the debate [1] adjacent to the picture, by Peter Baker and Helene Cooper, said the debate "underscored that the differences between the two men on foreign policy rest more on tone, style and their sense of leadership than on particular policies."
For all its fireworks, the debate broke little new ground and underscored that the differences between the two men on foreign policy rest more on tone, style and their sense of leadership than on particular policies. Mr. Obama and Mr. Romney seemed to align on matters like withdrawal from Afghanistan, the perils of intervening in Syria and the use of drones to battle terrorists.
While they varied in degree, the heart of their clash rested on who would pursue the same national goals more effectively and ensure America’s enduring economic and security role overseas.