5 foreign policy pointers for the next US president
Victor must tackle terror, be tough on Putin and China, watch the rogue states, and rebuild army
When it comes to voting in elections, Americans weigh domestic and foreign affairs differently.
On domestic issues, they side with candidates who share their views: on foreign policy, they pick candidates they trust and then expect those candidates to keep Americans safe and secure.
So whoever the final presidential candidates are in the general election, they had better be prepared to show they know what problems the voters want them to solve and demonstrate they are ready to take action.
If the next occupant of the White House wants to reassure voters, here are five steps he or she should take:
● Get the terrorists. We need to secure the border. Any candidate who does not show he is determined to turn a corner in the war on terror and does not outline specific steps to do so will not get to measure curtains for the Oval Office. Terrorism and the vulnerabilities of our nation’s southern border are the top threats most voters single out.
President Barack Obama has claimed his strategy will break the Islamic State’s control of Iraq before he leaves office. Americans are sceptical. They will expect the next president to finish the job. Then there is the problem of dealing with the resurgence of al-Qaeda, which is arguably more powerful now than it was on September 11, 2001.