Foreign policy experience - Obama vs. Trump

[Tigers!]

Getting through to Oz here is the claim that Trump does not have the foreign policy experience to be US president. That got me thinking as to what foreign policy experience did Obama before he became president?
I know that he was a state member and a senator before becoming president. How does that relate to foreign policy experience? I know that Obama spent some time in Indonesia (and Kenya?) whilst growing up.

This question is for my edification.

 

[jonatha]

Getting through to Oz here is the claim that Trump does not have the foreign policy experience to be US president. That got me thinking as to what foreign policy experience did Obama before he became president?
I know that he was a state member and a senator before becoming president. How does that relate to foreign policy experience? I know that Obama spent some time in Indonesia (and Kenya?) whilst growing up.

This question is for my edification.

Obama had little to no formal foreign policy experience. It's one of the reasons he chose Joe Biden (then chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee) as his running mate.

The only way Donald Trump could allay fears about his lack of experience would be to name his entire cabinet and hand out the phone number of his personal psychiatrist...

 

[Tom Sawyer]

Didn't Obama spend most of his life in a foreign country and even get elected to the Senate of that foreign country before his Presidential run?

 

[thebeave]

As I recall, Obama said he could see Canada from the rooftop of his Chicago house. He also claims to have seen the Canadian Prime Minister fly over the border in his private jet, but that hasn't been verified.

 

[funinspace]

Getting through to Oz here is the claim that Trump does not have the foreign policy experience to be US president. That got me thinking as to what foreign policy experience did Obama before he became president?
I know that he was a state member and a senator before becoming president. How does that relate to foreign policy experience? I know that Obama spent some time in Indonesia (and Kenya?) whilst growing up.

This question is for my edification.

Wow...that is what is getting through to Oz. What about the psycho parts?

Well, like others have said, sure he is low in that area much like Obama was or Cruz is. Clinton at this point could argue she has a far stronger background. Though she also has been part of the Libya and Syria fuster clucks. GW Bush had nearly no foreign policy experience either, so was his lacking experience part of him being a disaster? Where as Bill Clinton's lack of foreign policy experience didn't bite him in the ass...

 

[dismal]

Getting through to Oz here is the claim that Trump does not have the foreign policy experience to be US president. That got me thinking as to what foreign policy experience did Obama before he became president?
I know that he was a state member and a senator before becoming president. How does that relate to foreign policy experience? I know that Obama spent some time in Indonesia (and Kenya?) whilst growing up.

This question is for my edification.

Well, when Obama came in he had a Nobel Peace Prize. Bet Trump won't.

 

[Derec]

Didn't Obama spend most of his life in a foreign country

He did spend some time as a kid in Indonesia, but hardly "most of his life". Besides, if that is foreign policy experience then so is Miss Universe.

and even get elected to the Senate of that foreign country before his Presidential run?

People's Republic of Illinois?

 

[Terrell]

He did spend some time as a kid in Indonesia, but hardly "most of his life". Besides, if that is foreign policy experience then so is Miss Universe.

and even get elected to the Senate of that foreign country before his Presidential run?

People's Republic of Illinois?

Miss Universe? Where are the women that aren't from Earth?

Miss Pandora

Miss Nirn

 

[Jimmy Higgins]

Getting through to Oz here is the claim that Trump does not have the foreign policy experience to be US president.

Well that and he is proposing to commit atrocities by purposefully targeting families of "known" terrorists. You know, like the mob would.

That got me thinking as to what foreign policy experience did Obama before he became president?

Obama didn't boisterously propose committing war crimes while running in '08. Neither did Clinton or W for that matter. Trump doesn't just lack experience, he seems to lack the temperament.

 

[Terrell]

Well that and he is proposing to commit atrocities by purposefully targeting families of "known" terrorists. You know, like the mob would.

That got me thinking as to what foreign policy experience did Obama before he became president?

Obama didn't boisterously propose committing war crimes while running in '08. Neither did Clinton or W for that matter. Trump doesn't just lack experience, he seems to lack the temperament.

I'd have to agree, this would be my biggest worry about Trump when it comes to foreign policy. Another thing is what will he do if he thinks South Korea or Japan aren't sufficiently pulling their weight or if he thinks the same about NATO countries? What would the consequences be?

 

[Bronzeage]

Getting through to Oz here is the claim that Trump does not have the foreign policy experience to be US president. That got me thinking as to what foreign policy experience did Obama before he became president?
I know that he was a state member and a senator before becoming president. How does that relate to foreign policy experience? I know that Obama spent some time in Indonesia (and Kenya?) whilst growing up.

This question is for my edification.

Trump's foreign policy experience seems to mostly consist of marrying women born in other countries and signing deals with Chinese manufacturers.

President Obama spent sometime as a boy in Indonesia and attended school there. His early life was certainly more varied that Donald Trump's.

Since foreign policy experience is so difficult to quantify, it makes an easy campaign issue for anyone's opponent. Hillary Clinton spent four years as Secretary of State. Is that enough experience to satisfy GOP critics? Of course not. They'll say it was all the wrong experience.

Look back at all the President's of the 20th century and we'll see that all of them learned their foreign policy on the job.

 

[ZiprHead]

But he says he can be presidential when he wants to be. Then fails miserably when he tries.

 

[Sarpedon]

Look back at all the President's of the 20th century and we'll see that all of them learned their foreign policy on the job.

I agree on the sentiment, but there were a few exceptions. Eisenhower being the most notable.

 

[Derec]

I agree on the sentiment, but there were a few exceptions. Eisenhower being the most notable.

Interestingly, should Trump win he'd be first president since Eisenhower without prior experience in elected office. However, he'd be the very first with no governmental experience whatsoever.
Another similarity to Eisenhower, both families anglicized their names from German.

 

[marc]

Never mind how Trump would bully and alienate our allies. This guy has a habit of getting into petty name calling on twitter with people who insult him. What would he do if Kim Jong Un decides to start up with insults and saber rattling?

 

[Derec]

Never mind how Trump would bully and alienate our allies. This guy has a habit of getting into petty name calling on twitter with people who insult him. What would he do if Kim Jong Un decides to start up with insults and saber rattling?

He'll send our best people to take care of it.

 

[marc]

Never mind how Trump would bully and alienate our allies. This guy has a habit of getting into petty name calling on twitter with people who insult him. What would he do if Kim Jong Un decides to start up with insults and saber rattling?

He'll send our best people to take care of it.

*whispers* umm.. President Trump.... that's a movie, those are not real people

Trump: You sound like a looser. Get me those people or you're fired.

 

[Jimmy Higgins]

I agree on the sentiment, but there were a few exceptions. Eisenhower being the most notable.

Interestingly, should Trump win he'd be first president since Eisenhower without prior experience in elected office. However, he'd be the very first with no governmental experience whatsoever.
Another similarity to Eisenhower, both families anglicized their names from German.

Really, that isn't interesting at all. Eisenhower led a major war campaign. Trump sells his name for money.

 

[Rhea]

Obama served on the following committees in the Senate:

United States Senate Committee on Foreign Relations. ... (CHAIR)
United States Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions. ...
United States Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs. ...
United States Senate Committee on Veterans' Affairs.

As a Senator, he served on a variety of committees and chaired the United States Senate Foreign Relations Subcommittee on European Affairs. His bill sponsorship and voting records indicates that he was a loyalist to the Democratic Party. He was considered to be among the most liberal by various analyses.

In his first session (109th Congress), he was involved in immigration reform. Legislation bearing his name was passed for armament reduction and federal transparency as well as relief aid.

In the first year of the 110th Congress, he worked on lobbying and campaign finance reform, election reform, climate control and troop reduction. In the second year, he legislated for oversight of certain military discharges, Iran divestment and nuclear terrorism reduction, but President George W. Bush vetoed his legislation for State Children's Health Insurance Program-related military family job protections.

 

[fromderinside]

and trump spouted (according to http://www.ontheissues.org/Donald_Trump.htm )

• 
  [*=left]China should make Kim Jong Un disappear. (Feb 2016)
  [*=left]China totally controls North Korea; they're just taunting us. (Jan 2016)
  [*=left]Ignore career diplomats who insist on nuance. (Nov 2015)
  [*=left]Reimbursement for US military bases in rich countries abroad. (Sep 2015)
  [*=left]Diplomacy & respect crucial to our relationship with Russia. (Sep 2015)
  [*=left]Putin has no respect for America; I will get along with him. (Sep 2015)
  [*=left]We must deal with the maniac in North Korea with nukes. (Sep 2015)
  [*=left]Cuban embargo: 50 years is enough. (Sep 2015)
  [*=left]Support NATO, but it's not us against Russia. (Aug 2015)
  [*=left]China is our enemy; they're bilking us for billions. (Dec 2011)
  [*=left]When you love America, you protect it with no apologies. (Dec 2011)
  [*=left]By 2027, tsunami as China overtakes US as largest economy. (Dec 2011)
  [*=left]Things change; empires come and go. (Apr 2010)
  [*=left]Criticized Buchanan’s view on Hitler as appeasement. (Jul 2000)
  [*=left]Post-Cold War: switch from chess player to dealmaker. (Jul 2000)
  [*=left]Support Russia, but with strings attached. (Jul 2000)
  [*=left]China: lack of human rights prevents consumer development. (Jul 2000)
  [*=left]Be tougher on China-we’re too eager to please. (Jul 2000)Mideast
  [*=left]Don't take sides with Israel, so we can lead negotiations. (Feb 2016)
  [*=left]I could negotiate a deal with Israel and Palestinians. (Feb 2016)
  [*=left]Figure out who our allies are. (Feb 2016)
  [*=left]Iran deal is one of the worst I've ever seen. (Feb 2016)
  [*=left]Let Russia bash ISIS; let Germany defend Ukraine. (Nov 2015)
  [*=left]Provide economic assistance to create a safe zone in Syria. (Oct 2015)
  [*=left]US should not train rebels it does not know or control. (Oct 2015)
  [*=left]Better to have Mideast strongmen than Mideast chaos. (Oct 2015)
  [*=left]Good that Russia is involved in Syria. (Oct 2015)
  [*=left]More sanctions on Iran; more support of Israel. (Jun 2015)

Good luck translating any of the above into policy when Republican foreign policy big guns join Hillary because Trump said the above.

For republican social conservatives it is end of times when republican foreign policy base goes to Clinton.

Can you say Republican collapse?