James M. Lindsay

The Water's Edge

Lindsay analyzes the politics shaping U.S. foreign policy and the sustainability of American power.

Posts by Category

Showing posts for "Campaign 2012"

The World Next Week: Congress Goes Lame Duck, Greece’s Parliament Votes on a Budget, and California Auctions Carbon Pollution Allowances

by James M. Lindsay
President Barack Obama waves to the crowd of supporters in Chicago after winning the 2012 U.S. presidential election (Jim Bourg/Courtesy Reuters). President Barack Obama waves to the crowd of supporters in Chicago after winning the 2012 U.S. presidential election (Jim Bourg/Courtesy Reuters).

The World Next Week podcast is up. Bob McMahon and I discussed what the lame duck Congress will do now that President Barack Obama has won a second term; Greece’s vote on a yet another austerity package; and California’s upcoming auction of carbon pollution allowances. Read more »

What Foreign Policy Challenges Will the Next President Face?

by James M. Lindsay
A U.S. Army soldier high-fives with an Afghan boy during a patrol in eastern Afghanistan (Umit Bektas/ Courtesy Reuters). A U.S. Army soldier high-fives with an Afghan boy during a patrol in eastern Afghanistan (Umit Bektas/ Courtesy Reuters).

Former New York Times correspondent and current CFR.org consulting editor Bernard Gwertzman interviewed me the other day about the foreign policy challenges awaiting whoever wins next Tuesday’s election. The interview is now up on CFR.org. Read more »

The World Next Week: Hurricane Sandy Revives Climate Change Talk, Americans Vote for President, and China Appoints New Leaders

by James M. Lindsay
An American flag stands on top of the devastated Rockaway beach boardwalk in Queens after Hurricane Sandy (Shannon Stapleton/ Courtesy Reuters). An American flag stands on top of the devastated Rockaway beach boardwalk in Queens after Hurricane Sandy (Shannon Stapleton/ Courtesy Reuters).

The World Next Week podcast is up. Bob McMahon and I discussed the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy; next week’s presidential election; and China’s change in leadership. Read more »

Obama and Romney Set to Focus on the Middle East

by James M. Lindsay
Mitt Romney and Barack Obama point fingers during the second presidential debate. (Mike Segar/ courtesy Reuters) Mitt Romney and Barack Obama point fingers during the second presidential debate. (Mike Segar/ courtesy Reuters)

Barack Obama and Mitt Romney meet tonight in Boca Raton, Florida to debate foreign policy. Both campaigns see the third and final debate as their best opportunity to reach the public before Election Day. The two candidates will be speaking to voters who expect to hear affirmations of U.S. leadership but who are also skeptical of foreign entanglements in the midst of tough economic times and after more than a decade of war. Read more »

TWE Remembers: Five Memorable Foreign Policy Moments in Presidential Debates

by James M. Lindsay
John McCain and Barack Obama debate foreign policy at the University of Mississippi in 2008. (Jim Bourg/ courtesy Reuters) John McCain and Barack Obama debate foreign policy at the University of Mississippi in 2008. (Jim Bourg/ courtesy Reuters)

President Barack Obama and Governor Mitt Romney meet tonight in Boca Raton, Florida to debate foreign policy. Both men hope that what they say will move voters in their direction. But that’s not always how debates go. Here are five memorable moments from past debates when presidents took on foreign policy. Read more »

The World Next Week: Obama and Romney Debate Foreign Policy, Turkey and Syria Spar, Brahimi Negotiates, and the World Health Summit Convenes

by James M. Lindsay
CBS anchorman and debate moderator Bob Schieffer talks to the audience during the final 2008 presidential debate. (Jim Young/ courtesy Reuters) CBS anchorman and debate moderator Bob Schieffer talks to the audience during the final 2008 presidential debate. (Jim Young/ courtesy Reuters)

The World Next Week podcast is up. Bob McMahon and I discussed the final presidential debate; increasing tensions between Turkey and Syria; Lakhdar Brahimi’s effort to negotiate a cease-fire in Syria in advance of the celebration of Eid al-Adha; and the World Health Summit in Berlin. Read more »

New Pew Poll Finds the Public Split on the Candidates and Skeptical About the Middle East

by James M. Lindsay
Sailors stand during a commissioning ceremony for the USS Michael Murphy in New York on October 6, 2012. (Keith Bedford/ courtesy Reuters) Sailors stand during a commissioning ceremony for the USS Michael Murphy in New York on October 6, 2012. (Keith Bedford/ courtesy Reuters)

In advance of next week’s third and final presidential debate, the Pew Research Center is out with the results of a new foreign policy poll. Pew finds Americans split on whether President Obama or Governor Romney would fare better in foreign affairs, skeptical of where things are headed in the Middle East and Afghanistan, and open (at least in theory) to talking tough to China on trade. Read more »

The Topics for Next Week’s Presidential Debate on Foreign Policy Are Debatable

by James M. Lindsay
Mitt Romney and Barack Obama debate in Denver on October 3, 2012. (Kevin Lamarque/ courtesy Reuters) Mitt Romney and Barack Obama debate in Denver on October 3, 2012. (Kevin Lamarque/ courtesy Reuters)

Bob Schieffer, the moderator of the third and final presidential debate of 2012, informed the Obama and Romney campaigns last week that he had selected debate topics. The debate, which is scheduled for next Monday, October 22, at Lynn University in Boca Raton, Florida, will focus on foreign policy. The ninety-minute debate will be divided into six, fifteen minute segments. Read more »

The World Next Week: Obama and Romney Debate Again, Libya One Year After Qaddafi, and the Fiftieth Anniversary of the Cuban Missile Crisis

by James M. Lindsay
Romney and Obama debate in Denver on October 3, 2012. (Jim Bourg/ courtesy Reuters) Romney and Obama debate in Denver on October 3, 2012. (Jim Bourg/ courtesy Reuters)

The World Next Week podcast is up. Bob McMahon and I discussed the second presidential debate; where Libya stands one year after the death of Muammar Qaddafi; and the fiftieth anniversary of the Cuban missile crisis. Read more »

How Different Would a Romney Foreign Policy Be?

by James M. Lindsay
Mitt Romney speaks during the first presidential debate in Denver on October 3. (Michael Reynolds/courtesy Reuters) Mitt Romney speaks during the first presidential debate in Denver on October 3. (Michael Reynolds/courtesy Reuters)

Mitt Romney’s “win” over President Obama in Wednesday’s presidential debate has lifted GOP hopes of victory on Election Day. A critical part of Governor Romney’s strategy to make that happen looks to be hammering Obama on foreign policy—he had a Wall Street Journal op-ed this week lambasting Obama’s Middle East policy, and he plans to give a major foreign policy address on Monday. So now is a good time to ask a question: How different would Romney’s foreign policy likely be from Obama’s? Read more »