Party Favorites The candidates disagree over the policy of meeting with foreign leaders of ill repute. How is your candidate's position better? Realize the value of communication

Author: Jessie Singleton

Sarah Palin did a fine job of memorizing her foreign policy vocabulary words for the VP debate last week; however, I'm not exactly sure what she said, or what she meant to say, or what questions she thought she answered. I get it: Iran hates Israel, Ahmadinejad is a really mean dude, and Hamas is the wrong leadership for Palestine (thank you GWB). But I still want to know what she and John McCain are going to do about it.

After digging through JohnMcCain.com, I finally found a bullet point-press release outlining the McCain-Palin approach: "diplomacy." Did the third graders in Alaska get extra-credit for helping draft this, too? Let's get real: ignoring the people who hate us does not punish them, nor does it teach them a lesson the "hard way;" it appeases them, adding fuel to the fire in their fight against Western values, American elitism, and the failed Bush policies of the last eight years. John McCain, you should know better, America cannot put other nations in "time-out."

I care about our country's position and prestige within the world community and I want to make sure my vote goes to the best team to restore both the influence of our soft power, and also our legitimacy in using hard power when necessary.

The Obama-Biden plan does this, taking a few hints from the godfather of diplomacy, Henry Kissinger. Kissinger still insists on the value of communication, the importance of bringing friend and foe to the table, and the need to garner widespread support through inclusion. The Democrats know that the challenges of the global fight against terrorism, climate change, disease, and poverty can be addressed through America's restored leadership in the world. But we can't do it alone, and we can't do it if we're acting like children.

Sorry, Sarah. I guess it turns out third grade foreign policy doesn't work in the 21st century.