The Presidential Debate Commission, recently revealed to be comprised of naked partisans, has announced the topics for the last presidential debate which now include “national security, fighting COVID-19, race in America, leadership, American families, climate change and leadership.” Traditionally, the last debate focuses on foreign policy.
Campaign manager Bill Stepien sent a letter to the Commission stating that while moderator Kristen Welker’s chosen topics “are serious and worthy of discussion, but only a few of them even touch on foreign policy.”
“Indeed, almost all of them were discussed at length during the first debate,” the letter continues. “We understand that Joe Biden is desperate to avoid conversations about his own foreign policy record, especially since President Trump has secured historic peace agreements among Israel, the United Arab Emirates, and Bahrain.”
The move obviously helps Biden because, as Stepien writes, it robs Trump of the ability to showcase his foreign policy achievements. But it also helps Biden avoid addressing the extent to which he is bought and paid for by all the countries that have hired son Hunter to do millions of dollars of “work.”
But the American voter deserves a conversation about important foreign policy issues. Does Biden plan on reigniting the endless wars of the previous administrations? Does Biden plan on deploying more troops around the globe to interfere with other nations? Will Biden continue Obama’s agenda to “recalibrate” the power balance in the Middle East, away from Israel and toward a nuclear Iran?
Shouldn’t voters hear about Biden’s plans for a strong national defense? Do the candidates support the Ground-Based Midcourse Defense System (GMD)? What resources will be dedicated to the “only US missile defense system devoted to defending the US homeland from long-range ballistic missile attacks.” With threats from Russia, North Korea, China and Iran, what does Biden have planned to secure America? Will he trust these nations or take affirmative measures like a missile defense system to protect the citizens? This is a time sensitive issue that should be addressed not avoided. “But the idea of leaving us exposed to a devastating missile attack in just a few short years and then leaving us even more exposed for the balance of the next decade is completely insane,” writes George Landrith.
What about trade policy? Where do the candidates stand on ensuring America has a fair trade policies with other nations without undercutting American businesses? Can Biden defend is decision to rejoin the Trans Pacific Partnership (TPP)?
Sadly, these issues will be avoided to protect Biden from addressing difficult topics but the voters are the real losers here. Foreign policy is an essential part of the president’s job and the security of the homeland is a concern to all. Instead, it seems we will get a rehash of the Commission’s pet topics instead of a highly relevant foreign policy discussion.