Battle for Hearts and Minds

Is America safer today than it was eight years ago? It’s the sort of question that the crafty Ronald Reagan asked to Jimmy Carter and turned him into a smiling soft Buddha in front millions, and so forever doomed his reelection chances. In 2008, the Republican nominee cannot dare asked a similar question and risk further tarnishing his image amongst the staunch Reaganist and Conservative fan base that are concerned about winning and the prospects of stacking the Courts with more judges. Likewise Obama the Democratic nominee must thread cautiously as the country has changed considerably since the Clintons held office. If he does not want to be stuck with the Carter label, then he must remember that a henchman with a similar sounding name to his masterminded one of the most devastating terrorist attack on the USA with far reaching implications.
It resulted in two ongoing wars, millions of resources and finances, and the country in a more tenuous and precarious economic situation the likes few have ever seen except in the history books about the depression. The big question that is now posed in the media and before the people is, who can make you safer? Is it the old school, hot tempered fiery maverick with the foul mouth that can keep his powerful wife in her place, or the young charismatic idealist that finds this task to be a challenge without the help of Woppi Goldberg, Barbara Walters and Joy Bahor to rein her in?
Mr . Mc Cain is proud of his history and boast of defending his country in a war that was lost, and believe that the experience should serve him well in the next war that the country is carded to be involve with for the next hundred years. He has the confidence of the Generals in the Military because he was one of them. He has been around the political block on Pennsylvania Avenue for over four decades, and believes that he has the track record to reach across the isle and get thing things done with little efforts. He is confident that he has no racial skeletons in his closet as he is the proud father of a black Indian baby and was very moderate on the immigration border issues much to the wrath of his own party and a few minuet on the Arizona are Mexican border. Obama likes his chances, as the agent of change that is geared to shake Washington up, and his failure to be enamored by any special interest lobbyist with their pocket full of money and kickbacks. He believes that as long as he stays on message, and gives hope the people’s revolution will succeed.
Back to the safety issue what should now be considered is to what extent does wearing a uniform and waging in battles make you a better candidate to run the country? To Obama camp the track records of former Generals who became commander in chief are not always pleasant for the country. It should be noted that it was under General Ike that the first CIA orchestrated coup ever took place by America on Iran some 55 years ago. The US then continued to pump millions of economic and military aid including nuclear technology to help bolster the image of the puppet regime by the western educated dictator, Mohammad Reza Shah Pahlavi. This massive militarization and spending enabled the emergence of the Shah as a regional super power and “policeman of the Persian Gulf.” The blowback led to the fist psychological victory by militant Islam against American Super Power in 1979 when 52 of its citizens were held captive for 444 days by a mob. To counteract Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini “fanatical Shiism,” a barbarian Iraqi Arab call Saddam Hussein was created by the Americans. This presented even more danger in the world as he soon began four successive wars in the next twenty four years that have surely contributed to further destabilization of an already unsafe world- especially for the world sold Superpower and global police.
Both wars in Afghanistan and Iraq it seem is heading no where soon towards a positive victory, and so much was lost with very little achieved. Both leaders at times have appeared to be very disingenuous and have flip flop on stated policies even before assuming office. On the domestic scene the nation have been lucky thus far, thanks perhaps to the vigilance by law enforcement officials, or is it that the terrorist bad guys have learned their lessons. It is at the foreign policy levels where the mettle will be tested. Anyone that can be more trustworthy to safeguard the country with prudent leadership, as well as firmly define what constitute the national interest, will be the real challenge.


Wayne C. McWilliams & Harry Piotrowski, The World Since 1945: A History of International Relations, Lynne Rienner, Boulder Colorado, 2005, Ch.4, Pg. 97.
Mohsen M. Milani , Iran ‘s Ambivalent World Role .University of Florida- ( Steven W. Hook)Ch.10 Comparative Foreign Policy. Pg. 219
John Perkins, Confession of an Economic Hitman, Plume Book, NY , 2006,Pg. 137-138