By LaToya Irby

The War in Iraq and the economy have topped the public’s list of concerns for this election, but the breakout of violence in (The Republic of) Georgia has demonstrated the importance of foreign policy in this and any election. We don’t have to look far to understand how the candidates would enact their public policies if they won this year’s Presidential election. Take their responses to the recent Georgia-Russia conflict as an example.

Barack Obama’s initial statement strongly hinted at his ignorance of the situation:

I strongly condemn the outbreak of violence in Georgia, and urge an immediate end to armed conflict. Now is the time for Georgia and Russia to show restraint, and to avoid an escalation to full scale war. Georgia’s territorial integrity must be respected. All sides should enter into direct talks on behalf of stability in Georgia, and the United States, the United Nations Security Council, and the international community should fully support a peaceful resolution to this crisis.”

The statement accuses Georgia of being an equal contributor to the conflict, which is not only insulting but disheartening. America is supposed to be an ally of Georgia, yet the President-hopeful slaps them on the wrist for defending themselves. I don’t know about Obama, but if someone invaded my home and attacked me, showing restraint wouldn’t cross my mind. At least not until the invader had been completely neutralized.

This vague and blanket statement reveals the inexperience of which Obama has been widely criticized. Reminds me of the time Bush continued to read My Pet Goatto elementary school students after hearing the country was under attack.

John McCain, on the other hand, demonstrated extensive knowledge on the history of the conflict as well as the implications it would have on America. In a speech delivered to Erie, Pennsylvania ,he went into great detail explaining what’s going on, why we should care, and what we should do – all very important elements of a response.

What puts me off about McCain’s response is the premature and aggressive nature of his solution. He first accuses Russia of wanting to overthrow the Democratic government Georgia has in place stating, “This would be unacceptable to all the Democratic countries of the world, and should draw us together in universal condemnation of Russian aggression.” Is it me or does this sound like an invitation to another Cold War?

He went on to suggest that NATO enter an emergency session to talk about deploying peacekeeping troops. Yeah, we’re going to force Russia to be peaceful.

Meanwhile, Obama must have done some research because he made a later statement that showed more education on the conflict and echoed many of McCain’s initial recommendations.

The thing is, neither of these candidates has displayed desirable reactions to the Georgia-Russia conflict. As always, McCain’s ready to declare war. Obama doesn’t know enough to declare anything. Sadly, when it comes to selecting a candidate based on foreign policy standpoints, it looks like a choice between the lesser of two evils.

This week's previous posts (most recent first): Looking Abroad.