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A Big Difference
Matthew Yglesias —
Ross Douthat forecasts Barack Obama’s political strategy:
Even with the GOP brand in the toilet, Republicans are still trusted as much or more than Dems on foreign policy, mostly for somewhat nebulous “toughness” reasons. So why give the Right a chance to play what’s just about its only winning card, when you can satisfy your base with a phased withdrawal from Iraq that’s scheduled to happen anyway while waxing hawkish on Pakistan, Afghanistan … and who knows, maybe Iran as well? (I have a sneaking suspicion ...
Barack The Hawk
The Daily Dish | By Andrew Sullivan —
Ross makes a prediction: On an awful lot of issues, the Obama foreign policy will end cutting to the right of Bill Clinton's foreign policy, which was already more center-left than left. Even with the GOP brand in the toilet, Republicans are
still trusted as much or more than Dems on foreign policy, mostly for
somewhat nebulous "toughness" reasons. So why give the Right a chance
to play what's just about its only winning card, when you can satisfy
your base with a phased withdrawal from Iraq that's scheduled to ...
What planet is Ross Douthat living on?
INSTAPUTZ —
Wrong. Even with the GOP brand in the toilet, Republicans are still trusted as much or more than Dems on foreign policy, mostly for somewhat nebulous "toughness" reasons. No they don't, Ross. I'd like to see some hard evidence to support Douthat's claim.
Hawkish hints
Ben Smith's Blog —
... Obama as a dove were always vague: He's an internationalist, he's globally popular, he used to have Palestinian friends, he wants to meet dictators, and he's a Democrat. But he's also talked tough on Iran, Pakistan, and other specific cases, and because he's a Democrat, there's more pressure on him to prove his toughness.
His early moves seem to be involving people like Robert Gates, Hillary Clinton, Rahm Emanuel, and Dennis Ross -- none of them favorites of Peace Now.
Ross Douthat articulates this theory, and hope among conservatives:
On an ...
The Inappropriateness of Using a Left-Right Spectrum on Foreign Policy
democracyarsenal.org —
... regarding Obama’s foreign policy orientation. I just wanted to comment that, while I understand what Ross is saying, I still find this part somewhat baffling: ...
11/25: Judging Obama By The Company He Keeps
Blogometer —
... Obama's likely national-security appointments as a blow to those who hoped for a real progressive turn in foreign policy. Having basically made this argument myself , let me offer one thought by way of counterpoint -- namely, that foreign policy is one arena where progressives might (might!) end up being well-served by having their agenda implemented by other people. By 'their agenda' I mean specifically the withdrawal from Iraq, which Chris Hayes , the world's smartest progressive, ...
The Limiting of Options and the Broad Consensus on Foreign Policy
democracyarsenal.org —
There has been a lot written in the past few days about the insufficient nature of the right-left spectrum on foreign policy. It inspired me to go back and reread Barry Posen and Andrew Ross's classic 1996 article Competing Visions for U.S. Grand Strategy (PDF). Ross and Posen outline a much more intellectually honest paradigm for breaking down American foreign policy schools. They discuss four basic strategic choices that to me break down into five separate schools of thought:
1. ...
