Although the FM site makes no endorsements, many posts have discussed the foreign policies and attributes of the candidates for President of the United States. Here they are, along with links to a few other articles you might find useful.
My recommendation: Vote! This might be one of the most important elections in America’s history.
Contents
- FM posts
- FM posts about Gov. Palin
- Other articles
FM Posts about the candidates and the election
Esp note #13, which had the most intense discussion in the comments.
1. How the Iraq and Vietnam wars are mirror images of each other, 7 February 2008 — Now we have McCain, the leading Republican Presidential candidate, talking of an open-ended commitment to victory in Iraq.
2. What do blogs do for America?, 26 February 2008 — As our problems reach critical dimensions and our economy sinks into what is (at best) a severe recession, our national leadership will likely move into the hands of someone with astonishingly little capacity to govern.
3. A look at the next phase of the Iraq War: 2009-2012, 1 March 2008 — What is next in Iraq? None of the leading candidates have expressed any intention of leaving Iraq – except in the distant and vague future. McCain intends to fight so long as (or until) we suffer few casualties, then stay for a long time (perhaps a hundred years, as McCain said here and here) ). On the other hand, Obama has been quite explicit…
4. Our metastable Empire, built on a foundation of clay, 3 March 2008 — We can elect leaders with vast ambitions (foreign for McCain, domestic for Obama), but can no longer afford them.
5. How long will all American Presidents be War Presidents?, 21 March 2008 — The Presidential campaign rolls on in the seventh year since 9/11, with the only debate about the Long War being in which nations America should fight. We see this even the speeches of the most “liberal” candidate, Senator Barack Obama.
6. American history changes direction as the baton passes between our political parties, 18 May 2008 – Importance of the November 2008 political landslide.
7. President Obama, an Muslim apostate?, 2 June 2008 — Nope.
8. Is Obama running for the office of Chief Shaman?, 6 June 2008 — Weirdness from our next President.
9. Does America need a charismatic President?, 15 July 2008
10. More about charisma, by Don Vandergriff…(#2 in the “getting ready for Obama” series), 16 July 2008 — About charisma: know it before you buy it!
11. Obama might be the shaman that America needs, 17 July 2008 — At what point does criticism of Obama’s charisma and rhetoric become criticism of leadership itself — and blind faith in technocratic solutions so loved by policy nerds? Michael Knox Beran crosses that line in “Obama, Shaman“, City Journal, Summer 2008.
12. Obama describes the first step to America’s renewal, 8 August 2008 — Obama’s statement about America may be the simple truth; this may be why so many find it disturbing.
13. McCain believes we are stupid. Is he correct?, 30 August 2008 — What does choosing Palin say about McCain? Esp note the intense discussion in the comments.
14. Alaska is near Russia, and Gov Palin’s other foreign policy experience, 1 September 2008
15. It’s is not just McCain who believes we’re dumb – it’s a crowd, 3 September 2008
16. Spengler describes “How Obama lost the election”, 5 September 2008
17. Governor Palin as an archetype for our time, 9 September 2008
18. Before we reignite the cold war, what happened in Georgia?, 12 September 2008 — Notes from Palin’s first interview.
19. Stratfor says that our war in Pakistan grows hotter; Palin seems OK with that, 12 September 2008 — More from the ABC interview.
20. These days all American Presidents are War Presidents (part 2), 13 September 2008
21. Biden’s gaffes are a threat to American’s complacency!, 13 September 2008
22. Campaign Update – news from the front, 25 September 2008 — Includes part 1 of Couric’s interview of Palin.
23. Gov Palin speaks about foreign policy, 26 September 2008 — Part 2 of Couric’s interview.
24. What happens to the Republican Party after the election?, 2 November 2008
25. The evil of socialism approaches!, 22 October 2008 — Economic crisis … a leftist radical President … Can socialism be avoided, or is it our destined fate?
FM Posts about Gov. Palin
A quick checklist on my posts about Gov Palin:
- Discuss education and background, compare with Obama? Here, here, here.
- Discuss what she said about domestic policy? Here.
- Discuss knowledge of foreign policy? Here, here, here, here, and here.
- Review the Alaska Senate’s investigation into Palin’s alleged abuse of power? here, also see “What the Troopergate Report Really Says“, TIME, 11 October 2008. See the full report here.
Articles from other sources
1. “Biden Admits Errors and Criticizes Latest Report“, 22 September 1987, New York Times — A revealing article from Biden’s past.
2. “Foreign Policy and the President’s Irrelevance” by George Friedman on Stratfor, 5 Feb 2008
3. “Obama Adviser Calls for Troops To Stay in Iraq Through 2010“, New York Sun, 4 April 2008 — No comment needed; the headline tells the story. Will be interesting to see if this is true. If so, only the naive should be surprised.
4. “John McCain’s “100 Years” — putting the controversy to rest“, Moira Whelan, posted at Democracy Arsenal, 30 April 2008 – This gives McCain’s actual words on the war, at various times and places.
5. “Barack in Iraq“, Michael Crowley, The New Republic”, 7 May 2008 — “Can he really end the war?”
6. “President Apostate?“, Edward N. Luttwak, op-ed in the New York Times, 12 May 2008 — Would the Muslim world welcome an Obama presidency? Is Obama an apostate from Islam?
7. “Is Obama the Apostate, or is Bush? A Reply to Luttwak“, Prof Juan Cole, posted at Informed Comment, 15 May 2008 — A rebuttal to Luttwak,
8. “Entitled to Their Opinions, Yes. But Their Facts?“, Clark Hoyt, op-ed in the New York Times, 1 June 2008 — Another rebuttal to Luttwak’s NYT op-ed (above). A definitive one, imo.
9. “The wife U.S. Republican John McCain callously left behind“, Daily Mail, 8 June 2008 — About McCain’s first wife, her accident and abandonment. Again, we need the Brit press to tell us.
10. “Obama May Consider Slowing Iraq Withdrawal“, Washington Post , 4 July 2008 — “Candidate Says He Remains Committed to Ending War.” Yes, just as is McCain.
11. “McCain’s broken marriage and fractured Reagan friendship“, Los Angeles Times, 11 July 2008 — More about the messy details of McCain’s divorce..
12. “The Election From Hell“, John Derbyshire, National Review Online, 25 August 2008
13. “The Inconvenient Obama“, Andrew Breitbart, op-ed in The Washington Times, 26 August 2008 — Senator Obama has a problem. And it lives in a hut.” About his brother-in-law living in poverty, in Africa.
