Obama's Edge: Identity, Not Experience, is Most Important Foreign Policy Asset

To be clear at the outset, I'm not a partisan of either Barack Obama or Hillary Clinton and think both would take the country in the right direction. But this whole debate over "foreign policy experience" seems misplaced. If we chose a president on that basis, clearly Joe Biden or Bill Richardson should be the nominee.

But policy competence is not the issue. The main issue in American foreign policy now is repairing America's image in the world. There would be no greater asset in that task than a leader like Obama, who by his very multicultural hybrid biography, renews the fundamental promise of America to the world as a society where every individual is considered worthy enough to get a chance in life. That speaks volumes, far more than a full set of Foreign Affairs magazines on his bookshelf.

In the times ahead, we don't need so much a seasoned diplomat of the already past post-Cold War moment as someone with an intuitive grasp of global politics in a world of hybrid cultures. Dashing a clash of civilizations and making globalization work are the tasks at hand, not negotiating this or that treaty in Geneva.

To "lead by example," as Obama has argued -- instead of the Bush will to power policies -- is the fundamental shift that needs to take place in our foreign policy.

There are plenty of foreign policy experts he can bring along into his team if he wins, including Joe Biden or Bill Richardson. If Hillary doesn't win I'm sure Madeleine Albright and Richard Holbrooke and, for that matter, Bill Clinton and even Joe Wilson would magnanimously lend their patriotic hands to refurbishing America's role in the world.

Finally, a small footnote about Bill Clinton's remark that choosing Obama is "a roll of the dice." That is certainly what I thought of Bill Clinton when I first met the future president, then governor of Arkansas, at a small dinner at Stanley Sheinbaum's home in Los Angeles in honor of Flora Lewis, the legendary foreign affairs columnist for the New York Times. Hillary was also there. Both of the Clinton's sparkled with intelligence and energy, and most important, a sense that the time for change was right and they were the right people to lead it.

But, seemingly intimidated by Flora's vast foreign policy experience, I recall that both Clinton's talked mostly about education, only listening intently on foreign policy subjects. In fact, Bill Clinton was so quiet that someone said afterwards, "Boy, Hillary is really smart. Was that other guy
her bodyguard?"

Could this governor from a marginal state who undoubtedly intuited what the American public wanted at that moment really competently replace George H. W. Bush, the man who was ending the Cold War with a whimper instead of a bang, who ran the CIA and was the envoy to China, not to speak of Vice-President?

Well, it turned out that Clinton's expansive, embracing American nature won the hearts and minds of much of the world as it was leaving the Cold War behind and entering the age of globalization. Once he got a handle on it, Clinton understood that American leadership was about making the world safe for interdependence. He was the right guy at the right time.

The question now about Obama is if he is the right guy at the right time now. The issue is not his diplomatic experience, but whether he is the best person to command America's global battle for hearts and minds.

Comments

[Dontbushme]

You write "The main issue in American foreign policy now is repairing America's image in the world." You must add "...as it simultaneously protects it's citizens from terrorism." If you think repairing our image is the main thing, you are off course and allow people to think you are ignoring a grave threat. I feel repairing our image is essential to fighting terrorism , but to list it as the singular issue is shallow.

[Tellmethetruth]

Sioux City Journal
SIOUX CITY -- When the U.S. took its focus off those who attacked us on 9/11 by invading Iraq, it allowed a resurgent al Queda and Taliban to sow unrest and instability in a truly nuclear-armed country, Pakistan. The Marine commandant now advocates shifting his entire command to Afghanistan to meet this dire threat instead of policing the Iraq Civil War.

The next U.S. president will not have time for a "learning curve" in coming to grips with the wide ranging threats emerging in the Middle East. Time to develop personal diplomatic relationships with Shia, Sunni, Kurdish, Turkish, Iranian, Afghani, Pakistani and other vital countries leadership will be at a premium. Ability to forge domestic bipartisan policies will also be immediately required.

Sen. Joe Biden needs no such education. His foreign policy expertise has already led to a widely accepted Iraqi stabilization plan, one adopted by the U.S. Senate (co-sponsored by Sen. Sam Brownback). He has already met with all Iraqi factions on stabilization initiatives. Biden's personal relationship and knowledge of all world leaders as chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee may be unequaled by any other single American.

It is no accident that Senator Biden has come out on top in every single Democratic debate. He won't hit the ground running, he is already there working to protect America. -- Michael J. O'Brien

http://www.siouxcityjournal.com/articles/2007/12/26/news_opinion/letters/52bfdc0da4b00569862573bd00162d22.txt

[BionicWoman]

Freckels: you are right. Hillary will inspire all little girls around the world. We do not need anymore mediocre white advantaged men to try to lead us. Edwards says he will do more for women - well, frankly, I do not want a man to do anything more for me. Its an insult to hear that we need him to help us. We should be helping ourselves. I'm for Hillary. No matter what - there will be little girls everywhere who will be forever changed.

[BionicWoman]

If Hillary is elected President, the foreign policy message we would be sending around the world is that the White House will return to the same style as Bill Clinton maintained. It doesn't really matter if she participated in foreign policy as first lady. All the players know her and Bill and will have a sense of what to expect. For details, Hillary can bring Biden aboard her cabinet. I'm happy with this. Hillary for President!!!!!!!

[mikebw]

All this talk about experience? It is rare when you hear candidates talk about today's news, not yesterday's events. We hear about mideast peace talks, more Isreali land grabbing and settlements, Turkey's attacks on Iraq, Iraq again, deteriorating relationships with Russia, problems with the dollar, problems in southern africa, least we choose to ignore them. We never hear these candidates talk concurrently so we cant actually differentiate or measure the validity of who makes better judgements on foreign policies. Surely, by now the media would recognize that spin machines dont work. At the end of the day, bloviating equals stupidity with no certainty of success. Demand equal time on both sides, the lack of it is a great injustice.

My take is Edwards, he is the best performers in public and does'nt carry Clinton's baggage. Edwards just seems smarter and seems to more honest or sincere than the others, my endorsement makes him the winner.

Obama is a good well spoken guy, dont like the foreign policy strong talk, he's already pissed off around. Allegences with Oprah scare me, dont need any more spin doctors.

Like other posts, I could never forgive Clinton for the Iraq war, she has never come clean on to this day (at least Edwards has) to that end she is no less a liar than her expedient husband. She is candy for the repubs, dems had better think of that.

[avidobserver]

"The American experience is that experience is no predictor of presidential success."

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ucds/20071222/cm_ucds/experienceisnoguaranteeofsuccessfulpresidency

[cacatua]

Since when is some Pied Piper created by media hype what we need for a president? I certainly don't see anything special about Obama. He's just another wannabe president. What makes him a "leader"? I don't get it at all.

Joe Biden is 10 times the leader, and one with the knowledge to actually see the bigger picture and the intricacies involved betweeen domestic and foreign policy.

Joe Biden was the leader who worked for 2 years to get ol' Bill Clinton to finally get off his indecisive butt and go put a stop to the geniocide in Bosnia. While Hillary was having tea and crumpets with world leader's wives, old Joe was over there confronting Milosevic face to face, after seeing for himself just what kind of butchery was going on over there.

Joe Biden authored and worked for years to get others to sign on and suppoert the Violence Against Women Act. He put more police on our streets to stop rising crime rates witn the biden Crime Bill. He created a registry for sex offenders so you can find out if one lives down the street from you in the Adam Walsh Act.

Now just what sort of leadership have we gotten from the Obomanable one outside of him muddying the water for those who are really competant?

[bighat]

Will Obama take polls just so he will know the thought of his constituency?. I would hate for any president to make a move without reading the liberal posters comments

[Rebelfriend]

The right person now is John Edwards. Both Obama and Edwards have the charisma that you seem to prize. Certainly rebuilding America's image is crucial, but it will begin by changing the way we do things -- by having a leader with bold, innovative, ideas -- a vision of what we can be, and the intelligence and strength to make it real. The person who has had the courage to set forth his vision in this entire campaign from Day One has been John Edwards. He has led, the others have followed. Obama practically quotes Edwards repeatedly, making statements and taking positions that John Edwards put out there months before. We need a leader now more than ever. Not a charming, smooth, talented Johnny Come Lately, who simply is not ready for the job. Your points are interesting and well-made. But you have missed the heart and soul of the issue. John Edwards has proven he is the one the Democrats need to nominate, because he can win the General Election, and he has the vision, the courage and the strength to take this country in the right direction. It has been a very long time since Americans have had the opportunity to select a leader who will give them back their country. It remains to be seen whether they deserve it.

[Tankan]

The experience tactic is merely a failed attempt to drag support from the candidate you fear most, the shabby battle for hearts and minds!

The voting public have the experience of electing experienced candidates, forever it seems, and have been sold down the river, failed, deceived and lied to, the reputation of the nation dragged through the gutter by so called experienced Presidents. Would a so called inexperienced candidate fare any worse than the present administration? As for Senator Obama, he is not a bought and paid for puppet, so he is seen as a threat to the wealthy status quo, and they are doing all they can to discourage people from supporting him.
They will succeed, despite the fact that Americans are sick to death with the corruption, the lies and deceptions, false Christianity, illegalities, you name it.
And yet, they will elect a President who will give them more of the same, it's just like groundhog day, keep making the same dumb mistakes until they eventually learn to do the right thing and actually think for themselves!
The day is not too far away when blogs like this will become illegal, free speech will perish because the "perfect people" realise that blogs are educating and teaching the political zombie how to think for themselves and filter out all the baloney and veiled racism and gutter tactics that are being used to manipulate how a candidate is received or rejected. Blogs are also being used by the "perfect people" to counter what they see as a challenge to their mind games, many of which are self evident, pouring scorn upon blogs that don't suit their point of wiew, the hope being to prevent the reader agreeing with the message! They will succeed!

[realitytrumpsbull]

Better candidate vetting questions:
What kind of friends do you have overseas,
anyone that might induce you to screw with our
energy policy?
Point to Iraq on a map.
Spell 'nuclear'.
What is the current level of the national debt?
Have you ever been in the military?
Point to the United States on a map.
What state are you from, and how badly in
debt is your state?
Do you have difficulty speaking the English
language?
Do you own an oil well?
Do you know anybody that owns an oil well?
Have you ever worked for an oil company?
Do you have any stock in oil companies?
Do you know what oil is?
Are you now, or have you ever been, a real
estate agent?
Spell 'mortgage'.
How much money do you have?
Point to Mexico on a map.
What does the word 'pander' mean?
Are you SURE you don't have any stock in oil
companies?

There's more, but that's a good starter list.

[YankeeCanuck]

So, how does no clear policy, no experience in international relations and no image vis-a-vis foreign leaders make someone competent?

[pointblank]

This "edge" is pure drivel ... Obama is a rookie and a lightweight by any measure. It will take years of hard work to wipe out the damage Bush has done. It will take the collective talents of all our experienced diplomats and world savvy leaders to clean up the mess after the Bush/Cheney/Rice crowd leaves town. The world is a tough place, and Bush as made everybody mad. Not so simple to clean up. Since we in the US are viewed as idiots, sending a rookie can't get the job done. Wake up ... we've had enough pie in the sky idealogues at work.

[darkladyofala]

For a virtual DINO Bill Clinton was okay; as a DEMOCRAT he failed us and himself.

NAFTA,WTO,allowing the FCC to turn our media over to a few corrupt fat cats; if he thought that selling out would make the Rapepublicans (sic) like him, he was sadly mistaken. They double and triple teamed him all the way to impeachment!

Unable to nail the Clintons on real crimes, pornograher Ken Starr and the sleezy sold out press, a few continue to be vigilent, hounded him 'til the end. So, before anyone kneels and kisses the ring of either Clinton, remenber the harm done to our nation that had nothing to do with Monica!

The only thing that changed afer 9/11, is that many of us had to admit that millions of our fellow Americans are just as craven, greedy and cruel, as most of those sworn to represent us.

Merry Freakin' Xmas, folks. People continue to kill, torture and die in our name; there will be many empty chairs at the table today, for what appears to be, and for many years to come.

Having said all of that; alas, any Dem, or DINO would have to be better, for now, then any Republican!

[janmB]

GWB MAY have helped his legacy if only he surrounded himself with those that were good at their job. Cheney was good at helping Halliburton & 70 companies profiteering from a un-necessary war. You know how great RUMMY was and do-nothing RICE and the rest of the bunch.
So any of the democrat candidates need to get some good people aboard once they are PREZ.
I rather liked the Clinton era so I'm counting on Hillary and her side-kick to get our country BACK again and I'm opting for the change-back to the way it was or better.