This campaign is notable principally because of the participants. The fact that one candidate is black and the other a woman overwhelms Old Media coverage, and so it is the responsibility of New Media to uncover the facts and provide analysis of the candidates’ policies.
What is clear is the lack of attention to foreign and defense policy this election cycle. We know McCain’s excellent record on these issues, but we do not know Obama’s. His campaign will only cast foreign and defense policy in a general light, as one would expect. In the past, the Old Media would have labored to tell us. Not so anymore. The cheerleaders for Obamessiah would not be caught dead investigating his policies. The American people suffer for their lack of professionalism.
Were he elected, Obama will face key foreign and defense policy challenges. How will he address the growth in Chinese military power? What are his policies on Taiwan? Will Obama protect Taiwan from Chinese coercion? Or will his election embolden the PRC’s leadership?
How will he respond to Russia’s increasing aggressiveness? What about the commitment to Europe? How will stop North Korean proliferation? Will the next president reverse the decline in America’s strategic forces? This is only the beginning of the list of important policy decisions that will have to be made.
We know that each new president is tested by America’s foes. I feel comfortable with McCain’s ability to respond. I do not with Obama’s. Nor should other Americans. He has some excellent advisors, but the bench is not deep. If he is elected, it is certain that his inexperienced advisors will make many mistakes as they come up to speed and as reality forces them to abandon their policies.
In the meantime, America’s foes China, Cuba, North Korea, Iran, Venezuela will test the inexperienced president. It did not have to come to this. And may not, if Americans make the right choice on November 4th.
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