This Friday, the candidates will come together for the first debate in this crucial election.
Focusing on national security and foreign policy, this is a great opportunity to learn where these candidates truly stand. With no false attack ads or sarcastic one-liners to hide behind, I'm looking forward to a real discussion about how to keep this country safe, because I know that's a debate Barack Obama will win.
John McCain has repeatedly shown bad judgment on the most critical foreign policy issues facing America . In fact, it seems the McCain foreign policy agenda amounts to an even more extreme version of the failed policies of the past eight years.
John McCain was wrong in cheerleading the rush to war in Iraq. And now he believes we should continue to spend $10 billion a month there, even though the Iraqis have a $79 billion surplus and we should be investing here in America.
McCain was wrong on Afghanistan, saying in 2003 that no one there posed a threat to the United States. And he's wrong on Iran, saying that it would be a mistake to engage in tough diplomacy with them, even as five former secretaries of state urge exactly that.
But McCain isn't just wrong in the Middle East. He's wrong in Europe too. He says we should kick Russia out of the G8, which would only alienate allies whose partnership we need to create stable relationships. And he even says he won't meet with the prime minister of Spain!
All of this wrong judgment continues to dig our country deeper into the hole of isolation that has left us less safe while simultaneously destroying our ability to lead in the world.
Contrastingly, Obama displays the wisdom and insight we need to turn around America's global image.
Obama was right on the Iraq war in 2002 and as president, he will responsibly end it. He didn't just oppose the war, he predicted its consequences with striking prescience, saying it would distract us from the terrorists in Afghanistan who attacked us on 9/11. He has been right from the start in saying we need to finish the fight in Afghanistan and supporting sending more troops win that war. Obama will pressure Iran with smart, tough diplomacy. And he will rebuild our relationships around the world so we can lead again.
Today, we live in a more dangerous world than we experienced four years ago. The Bush administration's cowboy diplomacy has led America down a treacherous path. Now John McCain proposes an even more reckless trajectory that threatens to further worsen our security at home and our standing abroad.
Barack Obama offers the 21st century vision and sound judgment to lead American foreign policy in a much needed new direction. With that in mind, look for Obama's performance at Friday's debate to continue to win over Wisconsin's crucial independent voters.
-- Rogers is executive vice president of the Wisconsin State AFL-CIO.
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There is no question the presidential and vice-presidential debates over the next few weeks will have more influence on the final outcome of the election than any debates in recent history -- maybe ever.
They will certainly be the most-watched debates in history. A new Rasmussen poll shows that 74 percent of likely voters are very likely to watch the debate this week. That is an amazing number when you consider the debate is on a Friday night and likely conflicts with the family fish fry, high school football and a night on the town.
Voters want to compare McCain and Obama head to head. This is especially true for soft supporters of both candidates and independent voters. The debates will allow independent voters to evaluate both candidates without any filters. The question now is whether voters will get to see these guys go at it this week or not.
John McCain said Wednesday he is suspending his campaign and heading to Washington to help solve the financial crisis facing America. McCain says country must come before politics. McCain did the same thing when he suspended the GOP convention because of hurricanes in the gulf coast.
Truthfully, this is a very high-risk strategy for McCain. But many pundits argued choosing Sarah Palin was high-risk too and it turned out to be genius. It is hard to imagine this decision working out quite so well, but I have learned over the past year McCain is at his best when the odds are against him.
Presidential debates are all about expectations. Obama is not expected to win a debate on foreign policy. But there is plenty for Obama to achieve in the first debate. He needs to bring home the rest of Hillary’s supporters. Obama is struggling to convince more than 40 percent of Hillary supporters to vote for him. A new AP/Yahoo poll says Obama is supported by 58 percent of Hillary voters, which is the exact same percentage as the day Hillary withdrew from the race.
He must look presidential and demonstrate a strong working knowledge of foreign affairs. Most important, Obama must convince voters that he will keep America safe from future terrorist attacks on our soil.
If Obama can battle McCain to a draw on foreign policy it will give him a major boost for the final weeks of the campaign.
McCain is expected to do very well in a debate focused on foreign policy. After all, McCain has more foreign policy experience than any presidential candidate since 1988. The key for McCain is to demonstrate his vast experience while highlighting Obama’s inexperience so soft supporters and independent can see a clear contrast. But McCain must keep his temper in check and not appear condescending as that may turn off independent voters.
The first debate is McCain’s to lose.
-- McCoshen is senior vice president of the lobbying firm Capitol Consultants and served as Commerce secretary under former GOP. Gov. Tommy Thompson.
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