Debate on Foreign Policy

GOP Debate, Source:cnn,com

                The tenth debate for the Republican candidates was held on Saturday in South Carolina; the topic centered on foreign policy. The debate was the first to feature any discussion about foreign policy which included the war in Afghanistan, nuclear weapons, foreign aid, and even torture. The focus on such topics has not been prominent thus far in the campaign as the most popular topic has been the state of the economy. While the candidates differed on some issues, it was evident that none of the possible Republican nominees are used to discussing such intense and controversial topics. In contrast, the Obama administration has successfully been able to state that foreign policy has been President Obama’s strong point in his first term.  With the elimination of Osama bin Laden, successful drone strikes against ranking figures in Al Qaeda as well as the fall and death of Col. Muammar el-Qaddafi in Libya, President Obama has been able to stop the typical Republican criticism against Democratic foreign policy. However, last night, the candidates did not hesitate to voice their opposition to President Obama’s various policies and actions in regards to foreign countries.

                Among the attacks against the current Commander in Chief made by the Republican candidates were opposition to the use of water boarding, Iran and nuclear weapons, and the war in Afghanistan.  Former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney stated that he believed Obama was acting too quickly with his withdrawal of troops. Romney believes that Obama had political motives in making the decision had to bring troops home by next September while his own timetable would have troops home by 2014. More criticism came when discussing Iran and how to deal with their recent supposed attainment of nuclear weapons or the material to create them.  While some candidates like Romney and former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich feel the need to use military force when dealing with Iran, others like former Texas Governor Rick Perry suggested economic sanctions. Although they various views on the matter, all candidates agree that President Obama will not effectively deal with such issues.

                The candidates gave the most heated arguments when dealing with the use of torture to obtain information from detainees, more specifically water boarding. The issue divided the candidates as some feel that water boarding is a form of interrogation while others see it as torture that should be made illegal. Former CEO Herman Cain directly stated when asked that he believed that water boarding should be used in order to obtain certain information. He added that he trusts the US military to use the technique appropriately; Representative Michelle Bachmann agreed. Known for his isolationist approach to foreign policy, Representative Ron Paul made clear his stance on the matter. He believes that such a technique is torture. Jon Huntsman, former Utah Governor,  agreed stating that “We diminish our standing in the world and the values that we project, which include liberty, democracy, human rights and open markets, when we torture,”(nytimes.com). The following video includes the discussion about torture.

http://video.nytimes.com/video/2011/11/12/multimedia/100000001168688/republican-candidates-on-torture.html 

                 

                 The debate held at Wofford College in South Carolina showcased the candidates in a different light. They were all forced to give their opinions and ideas on issues that many may not have ever dealt with before. Former ambassador to China, Huntsman, claimed our country’s future can be found in Asia. Romney also gave another steady performance as he stays ahead in the polls. Herman Cain also gave a decent performance taking into consideration his recent comments in regards to foreign policy and his inability to name the president of Ubeki-beki-beki-beki-stan-stan. Overall, the candidates survived yet another debate with basically the same results.

Below you'll find a clip from the debate that took place on Wednesday night. Enjoy!



Sources:
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/11/13/us/politics/up-for-debate-foreign-policy-and-obama.html?pagewanted=2&_r=1&ref=politics
http://www.cnn.com/2011/11/12/politics/gop-cbs-debate/index.html
http://www.cnn.com/2011/11/13/politics/things-we-learned-gop-debate/index.html
http://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/foreign-policy-debate-brings-gop-candidates-to-south-carolina/2011/11/12/gIQALIEEGN_story.html

Issues with Presidential Debates

1                Member of the Citizens’ Debate Commission George Farah discusses the issues with the debate system, circa 2004. Issues including the lack of a third party presence in national presidential debates.

Presidential Debate of 1976

1.                        The following clip is from the 1976 Presidential Debate between Governor Jimmy Carter and President Gerald Ford. The clip is a perfect example of the typical televised debate in terms of rules and style. The clip shows Carter giving his first lengthily response directly to the camera.

 

Debate Style

1.                        This clip shows a recent debate between Republican Candidates Herman Cain and Newt Gingrich. The debate’s style was meant to be modeled after the great Lincoln-Douglas debates for the Senate seat in 1858. Although the result was not a fiery, passionate debate on an important issue but a casual sit down. 

Will Tuesday's Election Results Carry Over to 2012?

Voters in Ohio, Source: washingtonpost.com

             The results of Tuesday’s elections across the country have given a new hope for Democrats in regards to the 2012 election.  Democratic victories occurred yesterday in decisions from ballot initiatives to legislative contests and gubernatorial races. Some of these victories are very significant such as Ohio’s decision to repeal the restriction on collective bargaining. This victory, Democrats insist, is a sign that there is a concern with Republican policies and a determination to get rid of such unwanted policies. Although there were definite losses for Democrats, their overall feeling is optimistic. The results of yesterday’s election prove that there is still a significant presence of Obama supporters in important states that are passionate and active.

                The decision in Ohio seems to be the most significant win for democrats. Labor unions came out no top as they repealed the legislation enacted by Republican Governor John Kasich. The controversial policy would restrict union workers the right to collectively bargain. There has been a strong distaste for the policy from union workers since it was passed last year. The win to undo the restriction gives a huge statement to Republicans that there is still a strong union presence in the state. Democrats across the country see this win in Ohio as significant in what to expect in 2012. There was a push by the Obama campaign to organize voters in Ohio that had gone largely unnoticed. The win is a sure sign that President Obama’s supporters still have the passion and determination that won the 2008 election. The ability to organize voters and subsequently win an election is vital for Obama in 2012 and this Ohio win contests to that.

                However, Ohio is by no means a sure state for Democrats in the 2012 election. While labor unions and the state succeeded in undoing a policy, Ohio also voted to ban the individual mandate to purchase health insurance.  This mandate is obviously an important aspect of President Obama’s health care plan. This vote is seen as a loss for Democrats and its result highlights the unpopularity of Obama’s plan in many parts of the country.  So with a victory came a loss for Democrats in Ohio. The result gives insight to the election in 2012 that will no doubt be a struggle for both parties. 

Opposition to Anti-Abortion legislation in Mississippi, Source: politico.com

 

            Other wins for Democrats in yesterday’s election were in states like Mississippi, Kentucky, and Arizona. A very surprising win was the decision in Mississippi to vote down the amendment that would redefine “personhood” in the state constitution. The redefinition would give full rights of “persons” to unborn fetuses. If this amendment was passed it would result in heavy consequences including the prohibiting some contraceptives and in-vitro fertilization and even the possible requirement of criminal investigation of miscarriages. The amendment was expected to pass easily in the deeply conservative state of Mississippi however, the legislation failed to gain support due to the broad terms and unclear consequences of such a decision. Another win was seen in Kentucky as the Democrat Steve Beshear won his second term as Governor. In Arizona a tight race commences between Senate President Republican Russell Pearce and his challenger and fellow Republican Jerry Lewis. Pearce is the creator of the controversial Arizona anti-immigration law. Democrats favor the challenge because it proves the lack of support for such anti-immigrant rhetoric, even within the Republican Party. There were also various wins across the country by Democrats in mayoral races, Senate seat races, and the establishment of majorities in state chambers like New Jersey; a state where Democrats were able to prevail despite Governor Chris Christies public campaign for the GOP.

                The results of Tuesday’s elections across the country in many ways foreshadow what could come in the general election of 2012. Democrats see their own victories as a sure sign of rejuvenation for their voters and the proof that the Obama campaign can still create passion and organize within a community. However, their losses also prove that the 2012 election will be a very strategic struggle. The swing states are surely up for grabs. The Obama campaign must also focus on the states he won in 2008 that are now mostly disapproving of the president’s performance. It will be interesting to see where the president will focus his campaigning and if they correlate with the wins and losses from yesterday’s elections.

Sources:

http://www.politico.com/news/stories/1111/67903_Page2.html 

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/the-fix/post/election-day-2011-and-what-we-learned/2011/11/09/gIQABheS5M_blog.html?hpid=z1 

http://thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/11/09/in-tuesdays-election-results-democrats-see-hope-for-2012/?ref=politics