Both Barack Obama and John McCain vow to abolish torture and shut the Guantanamo, Cuba, facility where suspected enemies are jailed without trial.
Both would add troops in Afghanistan, and both support firing missiles into Pakistan when necessary in the war on terrorism. Each would also meet with other nations to address climate change, and they both espouse the benefits of foreign trade.
But beyond those areas of general agreement, the presidential candidates have clashed regularly over international crises — involving Iraq, Iran and Russia in Georgia — though both hold tight to the Bush administration’s assertion of first-strike war when necessary to prevent harm to U.S. interests.
Should tonight’s scheduled debate devoted to foreign policy come off, expect both candidates to focus on the areas where they disagree either philosophically or on the specifics.
Obama would beef up diplomacy as an alternative to military force, his advisers said in recent interviews. He promises to withdraw all U.S. combat troops from Iraq within 16 months, then leave an unspecified number in neighboring countries. He favors direct talks with Iran but hasn’t made it clear how far he would go to try to prevent Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons. When Russia invaded Georgia last month, Obama initially urged “all sides to show restraint” before later challenging Russia.
Doing “what works”
Obama would bring “a return to pragmatism” in U.S. global policy and focus on “the strengthening of our alliances,” said Denis McDonough, Obama’s senior adviser on foreign policy and national security.
“What you’ve seen is an administration for more than seven years with a willingness to rely overly on the use of one critical element of national power — our military power,” McDonough said.
Obama would tap “other elements” from economic clout to cultural sway, he said. “The bottom line is getting back to what works.”
McCain calls himself “a realistic optimist” who wouldn’t hesitate to use force in fights worldwide. He supported the post- 9/11 push to invade Iraq that Obama opposed. McCain says conditions in Iraq will determine how long he would keep troops there, refusing to commit to a timetable.
He would let Europeans do the talking with Iran, wielding military options should Iran develop nukes or harm Israel. He immediately backed Georgia against Russia. He denounces Russia’s Vladimir Putin as a dictator and proposes to kick Russia out of the Group of Eight leading economic powers.
Who’s the fastest gun?
One question for voters, said former U.S. Sen. Gary Hart of Colorado, who is seen as a foreign-policy heavyweight, “is, Who reaches for his gun quickest?”
McCain probably “would reach for his gun quicker” but “he’s not a starry-eyed romantic who could be seduced the way George W. Bush was by the neocons (neo-conservative advisers) into thinking he was Woodrow Wilson or a savior of the world,” Hart said.
Obama’s personal image as an embodiment of U.S. ideals gives “a huge advantage” in negotiating with allies from Berlin to Bangalore, he said.
“They see him as a new kind of American,” Hart said. “He gets 10 quality points just walking in the door.”
Others say the winning candidate may surprise even supporters once he occupies the Oval Office.
“Despite his oft-repeated emphasis on diplomacy, President Obama is likely to disappoint some of his supporters with a tougher, more pro-Israel policy in the Middle East than they may have hoped for,” said Walter Mead, senior fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations.
“Neo-conservatives will find that, for all his tough talk, a President McCain will listen to realists like Brent Scowcroft and Henry Kissinger a little too often,” he said. “We’re in turbulent historical times. The only guarantee we have is that our next president, whoever he is, will have to move beyond the comfortable platitudes of the campaign in order to meet the challenging events of the next four to eight years.”
Bruce Finley: 303-954-1700 or bfinley@denverpost.com
Key disagreements
IRAQ
McCain pushed early for the 2003 invasion, favors keeping troops in Iraq, warns terrorists will “follow us home” if troops leave too soon.
Obama opposed the invasion, says he’d withdraw troops in 16 months but leave some in the region to target terrorists.
RUSSIAMcCain denounces Prime Minister Putin as “a dangerous person” and proposes kicking Russia out of the G8 club of leading economic powers. He says Russia must get out of Georgia.
Obama calls Russia neither enemy nor close ally yet recognizes a need to deal with Russia in areas such as de-emphasizing nuclear weapons. He condemned Russia’s invasion of Georgia.
IRANMcCain favors EU-led talks while reserving the option of U.S. military action, saying Iran with nuclear weapons presents an unacceptable risk.
Obama proposes to open a conditional dialogue with Iran, in part to encourage Iran to play a constructive role in Iraq.
CLIMATE CHANGEMcCain has pushed for legislation to encourage innovation to cut greenhouse- gas emissions.
Obama warns of the threat to the planet and vows to lead an international coalition to cut greenhouse-gas emissions. He says he would invest $150 billion over a decade to boost clean-energy technology.
Sources: Denver Post research; campaign policy advisers; Council on Foreign Relations
