On Iran, the debate will, at best, address how to “solve” (no one will dare say manage) the nuclear threat by using sanctions and military action. A serious discussion of how to sustain fledgling multinational negotiations between Iran and the world’s six most powerful countries (the so-called P5 + 1) – a process denounced by many American pundits as a waste of time – is unlikely.
尽管第三次辩论将针对外交政策问题，但论者可能仍无法从中寻找治国方针。在美国政坛，外交政策通常是用来展示实力而不是智慧的。在伊朗问题上，竞选辩论充其量只能决定怎样通过制裁和军事手段“解决”（没人敢把它说成是应对）核威胁的问题。怎样维持伊朗核世界六大强国（即所谓的P5+1）之间刚刚形成的谈判局面——许多美国专家认为这纯属浪费时间——的问题是不可能出现在辩论中的。