Section: The American Conservative (USA)
Why Kasich Flopped
One of the curious aspects of the GOP campaign is that John Kasich has not done better, especially in the northeastern or mid-Atlantic states where “moderate Republicanism” still has a political resonance. David Drucker contemplated the surprising Kasich weakness and cited one strategist who concluded “Kasich has proven there is no market for a...
Kasich’s Foreign Policy Recklessness on Display
John Kasich spoke to the editorial board at The Washington Post and reminded everyone why he should never be president: HOFFMAN: Well, isn’t there a risk if you provide lethal weapons to the Ukrainians that Putin then can essentially escalate you with more lethal weapons? KASICH: No, I am for doing it, period, end of story [bold mine-DL]. I...
TAC Talks Foreign Policy In Dallas
If I were you, I would strongly consider going to this event: The American Conservative presents “What Impact Will the 2016 Campaign Have on U.S. Foreign Policy?” — a discussion with some of the magazine’s most prominent contributors. You won’t want to miss this opportunity to hear from: Daniel Larison, senior editor, The American...
Trump and Obama Aren’t Realists
Dan Drezner goes another round with realists: I don’t doubt that realists disapprove of either Trump or Obama. I just don’t think they’re doing it for realist reasons. Since I have written on more than one occasion that Trump and Obama aren’t realists, I suppose I should say a few things about this. It’s possible to...
The Week’s Most Interesting Reads
Let’s end America’s hopeless war for the Middle East. Andrew Bacevich calls for the U.S. to stop trying to remake a part of the world we don’t understand and shouldn’t be trying to change. Whose foreign policy is scarier, Trump’s or Cruz’s? Fred Kaplan compares the statements of the two leading Republican...
Pro-War Dead-enders and Our Unending Wars
Andrew Bacevich has written an excellent article on the need to end our ongoing “war for the Greater Middle East.” This part jumped out at me in connection with the debate over the Libyan war: A particular campaign that goes awry [bold mine-DL] like Somalia or Iraq or Libya may attract passing attention, but never the context in which that...
Writing a Blank Check on War
Let’s face it: in times of war, the Constitution tends to take a beating. With the safety or survival of the nation said to be at risk, the basic law of the land—otherwise considered sacrosanct—becomes nonbinding, subject to being waived at the whim of government authorities who are impatient, scared, panicky, or just plain pissed off. The...
What Trump Has Wrought
As Wisconsinites head for the polls, our Beltway elites are almost giddy. For they foresee a Badger State bashing for Donald Trump, breaking his momentum toward the Republican nomination. Should the Donald fall short of the delegates needed to win on the first ballot, 1,237, there is growing certitude that he will be stopped. First by Ted Cruz;...
A Misleading Argument About Georgia and NATO
Jackson Diehl tries to blame Trump for waning Georgian interest in NATO membership: The rhetoric from Trump has given a boost to pro-Russian parties in Georgia’s campaign. Their argument, said [President] Margvelashvili, has been consistent: “You might want NATO. You might want Europe. But it is not going to happen.” Until now, it...
Trump’s Unpredictability Doctrine
Emma Ashford does a fine job summing up the flaws in Trump’s handling of foreign policy issues: Indeed, it is nearly impossible to tell whether he actually believes these statements, or is simply monumentally ill-informed. Based on his comments to the Washington Post, Trump is apparently unaware of European sanctions on Russia, of the fact...
