War over the Wonks: Advisors to Presidential Candidates

[marden]

I am sorry, but you make it sound as if there is much difference between the leading candidates on either side. You lampoon the law enforcement centric approach that you ascribe to the democrats, even though Sen. Clinton has repeatedly demonstrated her willingness, if not desire to escalate things with Iran, and Sen. Obama has spoken publicly endorsing air strikes in Pakistan. The law and order approach you deride on a micro policy level, is remarkably similar to the macro level “Team America: World Police” policies executed by this administration. Regime change of “bad guys” in order to pursue an ideological quest of remaking the region, nation building, binary vision, these are equally as naive as the ones you ascribe to the dems.

Further the United States is a conservative political culture in that politics that radically deviate from the status quo are not welcome. In congress, we have only one socialist on the left, and Ron Paul may very well be the only actual conservative in the building. Campaign spending this election, like last, will eclipse $1 billion, and the candidates of both parties will have to kiss-the-ring of a myriad of interest groups. We should stop kidding ourselves that there is much of a difference between the two parties.

I have suspicions about Ron Paul's tolerance level for bigots. I suspect he rather likes them.

I am certain he doesn't understand Islamic Jihad.

And I was hoping someone here might have already run a thread describing how Paul's proposed Fortress America would work.

I am absolutely certain he would be the worst possible President.

Although there is little doubt he will not win the Presidency by any stretch of the imagination.

But having said that, I ask you how you could possibly expect anyone with an understanding of foreign affairs to vote for Paul?

On the unofficial list of advisers you posted was Michael Scheuer. No doubt an honorable man and a dedicated public servant. But he doesn't "get" Jihad, either.