Condoleezza Rice: 2012 Republican Candidates Must Know Foreign Policy

Former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice insisted Sunday that the Republican presidential candidates must learn more about foreign policy in the time leading up to the 2012 election.

When asked about several GOP candidates' foreign policy gaffes on CNN's "State of the Union," Rice said it was important for any presidential hopeful to know the country's place in the world and to at least be aware of the basics of foreign policy.

"A potential president has to know the role of the United States of America and that it's an exceptional role, that we have, in fact, been willing to bear a lot of burdens over the last 60 plus years in order to promote a balance of power favor -- that favors freedom," Rice said.

Host Candy Crowley specifically mentioned Herman Cain's comments that he's "not supposed to know anything about foreign policy," to which Rice replied that a presidential campaign is the ideal time to learn about America's role on the world stage.

"I would say to the candidates, yes, you don't have to know the ins and outs of foreign policy because nobody would expect that kind of exposure," Rice said. "But the basis of foreign policy, you can -- you can master those during the campaign. And it's important for the American people to know that you care enough about these issues to do that."

 

 

Comments

[adictgamer]

02:43 PM on 01/11/2012

She is smart, educated, and informed. I wish she were running for president or hopefully a vp position. Compared to our current crop of Republican candidates she would be a swan surrounded by turkeys.

[Josh Donovan]

03:47 PM on 11/26/2011

Nice to see there are still sane Republican candidates:-). I may not agree with all of her positions, but thank you Dr. Rice, for attempting to restore some sanity to your party!

[Counterglow]

09:05 AM on 11/22/2011

Let's be fair. This crop of GOP candidates regards, "Spell cat" as a gotcha question.

[negogato]

06:39 PM on 11/21/2011

Condoleezza Rice part of a campaign to deliberately misled the country into war with Iraq.

Senate Intelligence Committee chairman, Jay Rockefeller Senior US Senator from West Virginia (R)
Before taking the country to war, this Administration owed it to the American people to give them a 100 percent accurate picture of the threat we faced. Unfortunately, our Committee has concluded that the Administration made significant claims that were not supported by the intelligence. In making the case for war, the Administration repeatedly presented intelligence as fact when in reality it was unsubstantiated, contradicted, or even non-existent. As a result, the American people were led to believe that the threat from Iraq was much greater than actually existed.
It is my belief that the Bush Administration was fixated on Iraq, and used the 9/11 attacks by al Qaeda as justification for overthrowing Saddam Hussein. To accomplish this, top Administration officials made repeated statements that falsely linked Iraq and al Qaeda as a single threat and insinuated that Iraq played a role in 9/11. Sadly, the Bush Administration led the nation into war under false pretenses.
There is no question we all relied on flawed intelligence. But, there is a fundamental difference between relying on incorrect intelligence and deliberately painting a picture to the American people that you know is not fully accurate.
http://intelligence.senate.gov/press/record.cfm?id=298775
http://www.youtube.com/watch?NR=1&v=uBEyZUdaK9o
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x18vAVnVoQY&feature=related

[Ariel Finn]

06:22 PM on 11/21/2011

I lovvvvve Condi Rice! How I wish she was our President! She is so smart and not political like the GOP candidates or President Obama for that matter. She is an amazing role model for ALL of us.

[negogato]

06:58 PM on 11/21/2011

Condoleezz­a Rice was part of a campaign to deliberate­ly misled the country into war with Iraq.

[hursh 4 ever]

12:14 AM on 11/29/2011

The American public was also a part of the campaign wanting hurried answers and resolutions and demanding action.

[Lamar Chapman III]

05:51 PM on 11/21/2011

Greetings America:

Secretary Rice says that GOP Hopefuls must brush up on "key issues"! I respectfully disagree! Working in collusion with the right Network, the GOP Hopefuls can create "key issues" that they are most familiar with and look media smart for the manipulated people of America.

An all electronic eCongress is the answer! A balanced buget would be the results. GOD HELP US!!!!

LAMAR C. CHAPMAN III
Oak Brook, Illinois

[ashley22]

12:12 PM on 11/21/2011

Rice just can't give up her glory days.Thanks for reminder about the pointless tragedy of the Bush,
Cheney Iraq war.We didn't have a victory,We are still having bloodshed in Iraq,until they stop killing
each other other in Allah's name.there claim of Saddam's connections to al-Qaeda and WMD's were
discredited long ago.the war cost immeasurable damage and bloodshed,now they are returning
home to a weakened economy caused by the war in Iraq.Rice,Bush,Cheney all belong in prison
instead of writing books and giving talks.

[Catchlight]

11:05 AM on 11/21/2011

Glad to see a rare intelligent suggestion from a Republican, about foreign policy of all things, albeit from a woman who was on the bridge during the most disastrous administration in history.

None of the GOP hopefuls have what it takes to steer the US back into stability and prosperity. Obama might have, if the Republicans would stop their treasonous attempts to ruin the economy
for their own political gain.

[ashley22]

10:20 AM on 11/21/2011

Rice needs to get real.we have no victory in Iraq.there will keep killing each other in Allah's name.
this is apointless tragedy of the Bush and Cheney Iraq war.

[ashley22]

10:11 AM on 11/21/2011

Rice needs to get real,the war in Iraq ended without victory.Our military involvement in Iraq achieved
three goals : Hussein was removed from power and his sons are dead.America sits on huge amoumts of crude oil ands its oil interests.Serious divisions remain among the Sunnt and Shite
Muslims in these factions continue to kill many more of each other than anyone else.There will be no
end to the bloodshed in Iraq until and unless the Iraq people decide they are tired of killing each other in Allah's name.

[Hufrelief]

09:56 AM on 11/21/2011

Condoleezza not only needs to remind Republican hopefuls to brush up on their foreign policy. She should remind 286 of 289 Republicans in the Congress; that we do not have a dictator in America named Grover Norquist. Nor do we honor a no tax pledge over the US constitution.

[CSKAP]

09:43 AM on 11/21/2011

Typical Washington “elite”. She thinks that a President needs to know what’s happening in the world. Nonsense, everyone just has to do what we say or we nuke them. We need to double the size of the military while deeply cutting taxes except on the poor who should pay more.
All that fancy learning distracts from time with the Bible anyway.

[Si1ver1ock]

09:40 AM on 11/21/2011

Why isn't she running? Better her than Cain.

[Wm S]

03:16 PM on 12/09/2011

She's a lesbian and it would come out pretty quickly in a Presidential campaign.

[Typical Boston Liberal]

09:17 AM on 11/21/2011

"Brush up" refers to a notion that they learned it in the first place. What they need is to "get an education".

[BritishAmerican]

09:15 AM on 11/21/2011

Why is she still talking?