McCain? Obama?
VOTE NIXON!

In 1968, America was locked in an unwinnable war in Vietnam, incapable of defeating a USSR-backed surrogate. America’s inability to secure victory or stability in Southeast Asia resulted in skepticism in our reliability from vital allies, weakening our international standing, and undermining our position to negotiate globally. But that same year, Republican Richard Nixon won a narrow victory to take the White House. And in a few short years, the tables were turned.

The scandals of Nixon’s administration cloud the evaluation of his administration, but today few experts overlook the drastic change in America’s global strategic position that took place during his presidency. By the time Nixon was forced to resign in 1974, the United States had squeezed out of Vietnam without a technical defeat, commenced friendly relations with the People’s Republic of China, and set Egypt on a path to realign it into the American camp in the Middle East. With Nixon in the White House, the Soviets—so geopolitically secure in 1968—soon found themselves boxed in.

Today, the USSR is gone, but we face a similar situation. For all the public focus on the economy and the global financial crisis, the impact of which candidate is elected president will, in my mind, have little impact on what policies are adopted to counter these problems. Far more important is deciding which candidate has the judgment, knowledge, and strategic understanding to extract America’s military from Iraq and find bargaining chips to use against the motley crew of rogues we face globally. (I’m thinking primarily of the leadership in North Korea, Venezuela, Iran, and Russia).

Our geopolitical future was bleak in 1968, and it doesn’t look bright now in 2008. An exit strategy in Iraq is unclear. We are not strong enough to strong-arm Russia out of Georgia, force Venezuela to soften up, or make the DPRK to drop its nuclear weapons. But with smart maneuvering we can be stronger—there remains no clear challenger to American dominance of military, politics and economics through, at minimum, the first half of this century. It won’t be easy.

Just as important as a president with the right judgment will be selecting the right people to run the foreign policy administration. Who would be Secretary of State and Defense, and National Security advisor, in an Obama or McCain administration? I would encourage readers to vote on those grounds—we geneuinely need a modern-day Henry Kissinger.

It’s not clear what president would be better, but my absentee ballot has already been cast for John McCain and I hope he wins this election. I think he has the sufficient experience, time in government, and international exposure to grasp what needs to be done. But I admit there is much room for debate and discussion and would welcome all opinions to weigh in.