I’d really like to believe that a President-elect Kerry would bring in the Democratic Party’s heavy-hitters on foreign policy – the Lee Hamiltons, Sam Nunns, Zbigniew Brzezinskis, the Holbrookes, Fuerths, Bergers and Galbraiths – and listen to a wise, old, Republican or two. Except right now I don’t see it. I see a Senator who talks like he hangs around too many committed partisan ideologues who think the War on Terror is simply a P.R. exercise to re-elect George Bush, masterminded by Karl Rove.
Hopefully, if Senator Kerry wins, Tom will be right and I’ll be proven wrong. Hopefully President Kerry will react the way Dave has predicted. I’d be delighted because the war really is the overriding issue – no one who thinks that Mr. Bush should be ousted for spending money like a drunken sailor – which he has – will naturally gravitate to a Massachusetts liberal for comfort on fiscal discipline. Even the traditional third rails of American politics – Social Security, Race and Abortion – are faint apparitions compared with the war. The sense that our country’s future well-being hangs in the balance isn’t omnipresent but it’s in the shadows, lurking unquietly. The rest of the world is watching too, our friends and our enemies alike – enemies who will hate us not one iota less for our electing Mr. Kerry than for re-electing Mr. Bush.
I will be voting for Mr. Bush, I believe he is the better choice and for that I make no apologies. If George W. Bush wins, I will do a jig of neoconservative glee. However, if Mr. Kerry is the winner he deserves a clean slate and a fair chance on handling the war without the Clinton-bashing, Bush-hating orgy of ridiculous partisan venom commencing the instant the polls close.
The nation is at war and he will need our help.
UPDATE: Apparently Dr. Barnett’s biggest fans are uniting to take him to task on endorsing John Kerry.
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Andrew:
October 19th, 2004 at 2:53 pm
I read Dr. Barnett’s piece as well and also found myself disagreeing with it. I know he touched on a lot of points, but I would boil it down to whether or not you think Bush is still the best choice to continue to the policies he has initiated. In the end, Bush will still be Bush. He will exude that moral certitude and he will inevitably put some people off. But he will have to be more willing to cut deals however, because that is ultimately what will decide the fate of Iraq. We have to entice participation on the part of other countries. What the chances of this are, I don’t know. Much depends on how the circumstances in Iraq unfold, but some changes in direction are inevitable. I think that some of it is becoming evident already.
Kerry, on the other hand, would innately be better at dealing with our allies (after all he has spent some of his political capital in this campaign talking to the rest of the world at the expense of his own election hopes) , but the rest of Kerry is a complete mystery to me. Where does he come down on the use of force? Does he think that Kim Jung Il has to go? What are his long term views about the nature and role of our military? To qoute Churchill, Kerry is a riddle wrapped in a mystery inside an enigma. I just cannot decipher his rhetoric.
That brings me back to the initial question; is Bush the best fit to continue the policies he has initiated or is Kerry at this point? I would rather gamble on the chance that Bush will adopt a somewhat more conciliatory tone than gamble on whatever Kerry will see as his mission once in office. He will definitely be willing to make more deals, but to what end is the real question. You noted that TMLutas raised the claim that recent Republicans soften in their second terms. I don’t know if this is trend or coincidence but you gotta think Bush can’t get any harder.
mark:
October 19th, 2004 at 8:21 pm
Hi Andrew,
I’m dubious that Kerry has a comprehensive, strategic view of foreign policy of any kind – as opposed to a set of positions on issues over the years, generally suspicious of American power. The legislative mindset tends to gravitate not to forests or even trees but to leaves and bark which is why members of Congress tend to be good critics of presidents but poor presidential contenders.
JFK and Nixon were exceptions but they were also very mediocre legislators – Nixon was famous for Alger Hiss and tough campaigning and JFK for his charm, looks and wealth – both men were naturally suited to the executive branch. I don’t think Kerry is, anymore than I could see Bush functioning well as a member of Congress.
lindsey:
October 22nd, 2004 at 5:43 am
“The solution set that America must push over the next four years cannot be the same one we pushed over the last four years. Over the last four years we concentrated largely on getting our house in order and projecting that new order on the rest of the world. The next four years must be all about getting the Gap in order by enlisting the entire Core’s aid in making that happen, and that unity won’t come until we assure the rest of the Core that the new rules we’re pushing in security will not only make America more secure, but them as well.”The problem I have with Barnett’s reasoning for his endorsement of Kerry is that I do not believe Kerry with push the new security rules. In fact, I believe he will undo them because it is obvious that the Democrats simply do not endorse the new rules.
mark:
October 23rd, 2004 at 4:58 pm
Lindsey,
Setting aside Kerry’s visceral, political, preferences in foreign policy I’m not certain that he ” gets ” the big picture aspect of thinking. Not to say that he isn’t smart but that his perspective is cognitively skewed toward details, compartmentalization, process, examining things in isolation rather than in context.
We have that problem already with too much of our government and academic experts, particularly State – the view from a specialized niche.
St Louis Cardinals BUFF:
October 11th, 2005 at 2:31 pm
So many blogs and only 10 numbers to rate them. I’ll have to give you a 7 because you have good content but lack of quality posts.
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