McCain's Foreign Policy Isn't Stellar

Senator John McCain has promoted himself as a foreign policy genius. However, a quick perusal of his record suggests he is lacking in some essential qualities necessary for an international leader. In fact, he's erratic and doesn't appear to consider much other than his gut feeling on matters that require a great deal of understanding and caution. Some examples:

1. Iraq: In the aftermath of 9/11, McCain was focused on Iraq. This is in line with Bush Administration thinking, but McCain claims to be a "maverick". Many on the left cried foul when the pursuit of Osama Bin Laden led to a war against Al Qaeda in Iraq, primarily because it was never established there was a strong AQ presence in the country.

2. Georgia: A person with foreign policy knowledge could have easily predicted a military confrontation was brewing between Russia and Georgia ahead of time, and distanced himself from Georgia before it got the idea the US would be its protector. Senator McCain, however, signaled to Georgia that our fortunes were linked to theirs, when even President Bush was silent. McCain gave a speech saying "We are all Georgians". This was such a gross overreaction to the situation, a heightening of hostilities in a battle we shouldn't have been involved in, that most called it what it was: hysterical. A hysterical reaction.

3. The Czech Republic & Slovakia: Earlier this summer, Senator McCain twice referred to 15 years gone Czechoslovakia in speeches. A sign, perhaps, that McCain is still living in a Cold War kind of world?

4. North Korea: McCain called North Korea "the greatest challenge to U.S. security and world stability today". His views toward them don't seem to have changed over the past 14 years since his 1994 declaration that war with North Korea was inevitable. The New Republic argued in May of this year that McCain's "saber rattling" was doing nothing but aggravating important relationships the US has with countries involved in the North Korea nuclear talks such as China.

Senator McCain always wants to take it up a notch, is hysterical when conflict arises, and makes most of his decisions from "his gut". If there was evidence McCain had a good grasp of the foreign policy implications of US actions, or evidence McCain understood the situations and could make a rational decision from his gut, that would be fine. However, McCain repeatedly demonstrates he is more interested in being decisive than being rational. The last thing the US needs is another cowboy getting us involved in battles where we don't belong. Having experience doesn't mean much if it means you make bad decisions. I would take experts and an informed reaction over obviously flawed experience any day.