Republicans on Different Pages in New Hampshire

by John M. Curtis
(310) 204-8700

Copyright April 21, 2015
All Rights Reserved.

              Gathering in Nashua, New Hampshire over the weekend, the GOP’s growing list of declared and undeclared presidential hopefuls showed they’re not on the same page on domestic and foreign policy.  While they agree on ripping President Barack Obama and Democratic front runner former Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton, they can’t agree on the most basic policy issues, including what to do with the U.S. economy or with the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria.  “The other Republicans will criticize the president and Hillary Clinton for their foreign policy, but they would just have done the same thing—just 10 times over,” said Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) who announced for president April 7.  Paul, a Tea Party favorite of Reince Priebus and the Republican National Committee, routinely attacks his fellow Republicans, violating President Ronald Reagan political creed.

             Paul, well known for his isolationist tendencies, claims he’d work more rigorously on diplomacy with China, Russia and a host of unfriendly regimes.  He has no answer for how to deal with ISIS because he thinks it’s outside the bounds of proper U.S. foreign policy.  “There as group of folks in our party who would have troops in six countries right no, maybe more,” said Paul, practically excluding himself from the Republican Party.  Paul’s isolationist tendencies stem from his eccentric read of Austrian Ludvig Von Mises’s Austrian economics, believing deficit spending leads to hyper-inflation, currency debasement and eventual depression.  Paul thinks the military-industrial complex spends too much taxpayer money, much the same way the government spends too much on entitlement programs, something nor authorized in the original U.S. Constitution.

             All GOP candidates wish to criticize Obama’s economy but run into problems when compared to the last Republican administration of former President George W. Bush.  By most metrics, the economy under Obama has made a stunning recovery, especially Wall Streets that more than doubled since his swearing in Jan. 20, 2009.  When the Gross Domestic Product keeps rising, unemployment drops and federal budget deficits shrink, it’s hard to argue against Obama’s economic polices.  Republican presidential hopefuls walk a fine line like 2012 GOP nominee Mitt Romney arguing against Obama’s economy when all metrics say otherwise.  Paul’s opposition to foreign intervention put him in the same camp as Obama, who’s been reluctant to commit U.S. troops overseas.  After ending the Iraq War Dec. 15, 2011, Obama has been leery of more U.S. foreign involvement.

             Former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush, who’s yet to announce a bid for 2016, doesn’t acknowledge any of his brother’s mistakes, especially in Iraq.  “Our enemies need to fear us, a little bit, just enough for they to deter the actions that create insecurity,” Jeb told New Hampshire Republicans, making no sense.  If Jeb was paraphrasing President Teddy Roosevelt, namely, “walk softly but carry a big stick,” you’d never know it.  GOP hopefuls like Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker, a favorite of the Koch Brothers, and Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fl.), advocated more military involvement overseas to deal with ISIS and the terror threat.  “We’re not going to wait till they bring the fight to us,” said Walker, repeating a favorite line of “W” in the wake of Sept. 11.  “We’re going to bring the fight to them and fight on their soil,” Walker said, sounding like he’d learned nothing from the Afghan and Iraq Wars.

             South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham echoed a more aggressive U.S. foreign policy.  “You go over there and you fight them so they don’t come here,” said Graham, referring to ISIS, who’s threatened to bring the fight to the U.S.  Graham, and his counterpart on the Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman John McCain (R-Ariz.), often urge Obama to take a more aggressive stance toward terrorists overseas.  Both often blame Obama for creating ISIS by leaving Iraq prematurely, creating another power vacuum to seize some 30% of Iraq and Syria.  Graham and McCain don’t come to grips with the problem with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.  If you join the Sunni revolt to topple al-Assad, you risk opening up more terrorist floodgates, similar to what happened in Iraq after Bush toppled Saddam Hussein April 10, 20013.  McCain and Graham have no clue what Syria would look like after al-Assad.

             Political upstart former Hewlett-Packard CEO Carly Fiorina offered more platitudes.  “The world is more dangerous and more tragic place when America is not leading,” Fiorina said, forgetting that Bush lead decisively toppling Saddam, causing the mess seen today in the Middle East.  Contrasting himself with the rest of the GOP crowd, Paul called for more diplomacy.  “I think the Russians and the Chinese have great potential to help make the world a better place,” said Paul, forgetting that both communist regimes routinely seize sovereign land like in Ukraine and the South China Sea.  Paul offers no solution for how to get Putin to return Crimea to Ukraine, prevent more land grabs in Eastern Europe and stop him from meddling in U.S. business in the Western hemisphere.  Paul wants Bashar al-Assad out of Syria, knowing he’s a key ally of the Kremlin.

 About The Author

John M. Curtis neutral commentary analyzing spin in national and global news.  He’s editor of OnlineColumnist.com and author of Dodging The Bullet and Operation Charisma


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