GLOBAL TOUR
Daniel W. Drezner
Projecting Power
The competitive race for president may help repair the damage to America's image abroad, even before George Bush leaves office.
It's a truism among foreign policy wonks that during the Bush administration America has seen an erosion of its ability to persuade other countries to do what it wants them to do. The unilateralism, the blunders in the Middle East, and the Manichean view of the rest of the world have been so off-putting that, as poll after poll shows, the attitudes of people in other countries toward the United States have declined precipitously. To borrow Joseph Nye's phrase, the country has suffered a loss of its "soft power." Once Bush leaves office, the argument goes, America's image abroad will improve—but that won't happen until January 2009.
In the meantime, a more unexpected phenomenon seems to be occurring. The competitiveness of the 2008 presidential election itself might already be augmenting America's soft power.
This development might surprise most Americans. Watching the campaign, the Democrats seem to be incapable of going a sentence without saying, "hope," "change" or "experience." The Republicans are falling over themselves trying to do their best impersonation of Ronald Reagan. The Lincoln-Douglas debates these are not.
Nevertheless, interest abroad has been palpable. The Washington Post recently reported that the Iowa caucuses and New Hampshire primary had been generating unprecedented interest in Africa and Europe. More than 700 correspondents from 50 different countries covered those events.
Why the strong interest? Any leadership transition in a great power will command attention, but there's something more at work here. The narrative arc of the campaign has certainly been gripping. Front runners have risen, fallen, and risen again. On the Democratic side Clinton and then Obama have been brought low by the shifts in voter sentiment. On the GOP side it's been even more dramatic. McCain was the front runner, then Romney, then Giuliani, then Huckabee, and now McCain again.
Part of it is the candidates' personal histories. Barack Obama's rise to prominence has excited citizens in Kenya, the homeland of his father. Hillary Clinton has rock star status in Europe. One British news editor commented, "They are almost like superhero cartoons: the Mormon, the woman, the black, the millionaire, the war hero … We do love a good show over here."
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Member Comments
Posted By: Kathy4Huckabee @ 01/23/2008 3:57:20 PM
Comment: Mitt Romney: Keep in mind as you read this: This is the same Bain capital who just bought clear channel. Fox news supplies over 100 clear channel stations with news content. Romney basically owns Limbaugh, Hannity, Beck and the others on Fox Programs. Bain capital is one of the major contributors to the Romney Campaign Commonwealth PAC.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/3032553/ then go to the videos and watch ???Tempers flare on the campaign trail???
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080118/ap_on_el_pr/democrats_black_vote
Read about Romney putting the nations security at risk with a Chineese company. Now there is a man of terrible leadership and judgment. The following is from Duncan Hunter
San Diego, CA - - - Presidential candidate and current Ranking Member of the House Armed Services Committee, Congressman Duncan Hunter, today called on former Governor Mitt Romney to send a "clear statement" to the leadership of the company he founded, Bain Capital, to terminate a proposed business deal with a controversial Chinese corporation seeking to acquire U.S. defense contractor 3COM.
Bain Capital is attempting to form a business arrangement with Huawei Corporation, a Chinese corporation founded by an officer of the Peoples Liberation Army of Communist China, which faces allegations of assisting Saddam Hussein in the targeting of U.S. aircraft and in helping the Taliban develop surveillance equipment.
"I am extremely concerned that Governor Romney's company would tout a highly suspect Chinese corporation as a strategic partner," stated Hunter.
"Forming a business partnership with a corporation known to have direct ties with terrorists and dictators while, at the same time, openly seeking to acquire a major U.S. corporation that performs vital cyber security work for the Department of Defense, can only be characterized as irresponsible."
A resolution has been introduced in Congress, H.Res. 730, which states; "The preponderance of publicly available evidence clearly suggests that as currently structured, the proposed transaction involving Huawei threatens the national security of the United States and should not be approved by the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States ." A copy of this resolution is provided.
Hunter stated in his letter to Governor Romney, "???while it is true that you no longer control Bain Capital, the contributions you have received from its principals as its founding member indicate that your influence within the company remains strong.
"Further, while the Committee on Foreign Investment has yet to rule on the Huawei transaction, this corporation's connection to Saddam Hussein, the Taliban and the Army of Communist China should clearly disqualify them from becoming, in the words of your former company, "a strategic partner" in acquiring a U.S. firm such as 3COM, which performs vital cyber-security work for the U.S. Department of Defense
Posted By: Kathy4Huckabee @ 01/23/2008 3:45:08 PM
Comment: Face your choices for which Presidential Candidate will represent your wishes in appointing aging Supreme Court Justices for possibly the next 8 years (30 years in the life of Justice appointments):
Rudy Giuliani
Has appeared twice on Saturday Night Live in Drag. I???ve seen Giuliani in two different dresses and a man???s suit top and bare legs and nylons below the waist.
He has had 4 different wives, misplaces firemen command centers, and doesn???t even try to pretend to be pro-life long enough to get elected.
All we have is his word for it that he will appoint conservative judges even though he is against it.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=giZx5i3Ntv0
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=clrPqZq_cO4
I do not trust the word of a man who has obligated himself to a Las Vegas casino owner who is supplying the Giuliani campaign with a jet.
Go To http://www.mikehuckabee.com/
Donate using Ranger Code R2737
eBay item #230173981712, 230173984739, 230173986927, 230173986240
Posted By: RStan123 @ 01/20/2008 2:58:19 PM
Comment: John McCain should capture the republican nomination after winning SC. His credentials and personality outmatch all other candidates.
Interestingly enough, JohnMcCain.name is unused and for sale.