General Discussion
Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsDemocrats could blow election to Trump, Sen Chris Murphy warns
Politico Article) Democrats need to get serious about foreign policy in 2020 or risk losing to Donald Trump.
Thats the blunt warning from Chris Murphy, a second-term Democratic senator with increasing sway on the Foreign Relations Committee who just maneuvered a bipartisan condemnation of Trumps foreign policy through Congress. And Murphy, whos making his case to several White House hopefuls, is increasingly worried his party is too focused on domestic policy and needs to train its fire on Trumps haphazard national security record.
snip
The quickest way to pierce [Trumps] image of toughness is to show what a laughingstock America has become across the world, Murphy added. Talking about national security and foreign policy is a perfect mechanism to go strike at the heart of Trumps brand, on a topic that he cant handle.
The president was, indeed, laughed at when he spoke before the General Assembly at the United Nations. And he has frequently spooked allies and his own generals be it with his surprise Syria pullout, his threats to blow up NATO, his repeated attacks on the European Union or his withdrawal from the Iran nuclear deal and Paris climate agreement.
Trumps erratic policy shifts appear to be taking a toll with the public. While Republicans still maintain an edge over Democrats when it comes to national security and foreign policy, recent polls show that the gap is narrowing more than at any other point so far in the Trump era.
And so Murphy sees an opportunity for the party and is pushing his half-dozen colleagues pursuing the White House to make Americas standing in the world more of a campaign issue.
Read More:
https://www.politico.com/story/2019/04/08/dems-fopo-murphy-1259699
JDC
(10,129 posts)watoos
(7,142 posts)Our foreign policy is pro-Israel, pro-Saudi Arabia. It doesn't matter if our foreign policy benefits America. People who bash Bibi are called anti-Semitic even though it looks like at least have of Israel voted against him.
What good reason, why does it benefit America to back SA in murdering women and children in Yemen, and then to back a blockade to prevent aid from reaching them?
We pulled out of Syria because Russia is backing an Iran/Iraq gas pipeline and Trump takes his orders from Putin.
We pulled out of the Iran peace plan because Bibi told Trump to back out of it.
We pulled out of the Paris climate accord because the fossil fuel industry bribes our politicians.
Trump pushed for Brexit because Putin told him to.
Trump bashed NATO because Putin told him to.
Our foreign policy has not been hard to understand, who does the most for Trump; Putin, Bibi, or MBS.
qwlauren35
(6,148 posts)It embarrasses me how little many Americans care about what the rest of the world thinks about us, but there it is.
It's not a high priority voting issue. Take a poll and see.
Demit
(11,238 posts)"Foreign policy by tweet has not made the United States either safer or more prosperous in the world, said Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), who gave a foreign policy address last November.
Bettie
(16,110 posts)those so-called "kitchen table issues" are far more important to people than foreign policy.
Yeah, they should talk about foreign policy, our candidates all know how to walk and chew gum at the same time, but everyday issues are more important to most people.
dalton99a
(81,516 posts)Oneironaut
(5,504 posts)Were in an era where aesthetics are more important than facts. Nobody actually listens to candidates positions. Theyre all assumed to be liars by an increasingly cynical populace.
People will vote emotionally and selfishly. The only way theyll vote Democratic is if we show them how voting for Trump will negatively affect them. This will be hard to do given the economy, but not impossible.
Stop thinking about the world. Americans dont care about foreign policy. As soon as you start talking about it, they instantly tune out. Style matters over substance now.
Think about it - did Trump actually ever commit to anything? No - he focused on rhetoric and aesthetics. People want to be entertained and excited first and foremost, and then theyll listen.