Obama's foreign policy a campaign issue?
08 Dec '11 19:30For awhile we were hearing Carter comparisons regarding Obama, but event the Republicans' attacks on Obama's foreign policy have been half-hearted, whereas that was a major talking point against Carter at this time in 1979. Whether by design or luck, Obama has had some major war front successes, and in reaction to accusations that he's an appeaser, he responded:
“Ask Osama bin Laden and the 22 out of 30 top Al-Qaeda leaders who have been taken off the field whether I engage in appeasement… or whoever’s left out there.”
He took out Bin Laden, and probably Al Qaida entirely. And he's essentially being credited with taking out Qaddaffi, even if the Republicans didn't like his multi-lateralist approach. Whether fair or not, the end of the Iraq war is happening under his watch. Afghanistan was looking dicey for awhile, but nobody seems to be holding anything against Obama in terms of policy choices. The drone bombings are drawing criticism from the left, which actually reinforces his political meme that he's a moderate.
Given the state of the economy, foreign policy is unlikely to be a make or break issue this campaign, but how do you think the Republicans are going to handle it? They can argue that he just got lucky with Qaddaffy, but I don't think that's going to fly and in fact some of the early Republican criticisms are probably going to come back to haunt them.
China?
“Ask Osama bin Laden and the 22 out of 30 top Al-Qaeda leaders who have been taken off the field whether I engage in appeasement… or whoever’s left out there.”
He took out Bin Laden, and probably Al Qaida entirely. And he's essentially being credited with taking out Qaddaffi, even if the Republicans didn't like his multi-lateralist approach. Whether fair or not, the end of the Iraq war is happening under his watch. Afghanistan was looking dicey for awhile, but nobody seems to be holding anything against Obama in terms of policy choices. The drone bombings are drawing criticism from the left, which actually reinforces his political meme that he's a moderate.
Given the state of the economy, foreign policy is unlikely to be a make or break issue this campaign, but how do you think the Republicans are going to handle it? They can argue that he just got lucky with Qaddaffy, but I don't think that's going to fly and in fact some of the early Republican criticisms are probably going to come back to haunt them.
China?
