I don’t believe I have met anyone who actually believes that Senator Obama is more qualified than Senator McCain in this arena, though some might argue that he is as qualified. We can argue all day about whether preconditions are the same things as preparations, and if that even matters. What concerns me most is that Senator Obama seems to throw out foreign policy ideas ad hoc, and then form his campaign around them. His style seems juvenile and ill-informed. Would it be nice to increase our “likeability” factor in the world? I guess, though I’m not sure if that’s really possible no matter who is president, or why it even matters. It concerns me that because Obama has run on an anti-war platform, it precludes him from admitting the surge worked. I don’t want a president that is that inflexible when it comes to delicate matters. Senator Biden has rarely been right on any foreign policy matters, so there’s no help there. And then there’s the little matter of Biden promising that the world will test Obama in the first six months and begging the public to support him even if he doesn’t handle it well. That was a bit scary.
I do believe in Reagan’s philosophy of peace through strength. It is how most animals keep control of their herds, packs, etc. It is how I am able to keep control of my household. When my children know that I am in control, and I am calm but firm, they are more likely to do what they are supposed to. I believe that, generally, the world needs a superpower to act in the same capacity. If my children thought they could get their way by acting up enough without recourse, they would do it ALL THE TIME. I just don’t see Senator Obama being taken seriously as the one in control.