The Democrats . . . have not been clear about what an alternative foreign policy strategy would be, and, unless we present as a party a different vision about how we would approach national security, how we’d approach battling terrorism, I think that we are going to make ourselves vulnerable in the fall, and, more importantly, we’re going to be doing a disservice to the American people.
This is from Senator Barack Obama on Meet the Press last Sunday. He is a wise man, and any formal inexperience he has in foreign policy matters is offset by his wisdom. To take the title of a Dennis Ross book I've been meaning to read, Obama understands Statecraft, and How to Restore America's Standing in the World. They go hand in hand. Using all the tools of diplomacy (statecraft) by approaching each situation with an open mind and a sharp eye for the broad consequences of any diplomatic endeavor, America will re-gain the respect it commanded until say, 5 years ago. Hillary Clinton may also prove a capable commander-in-chief, but we should not dismiss Obama for having little international experience . . . other than, you know, having lived overseas.
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