Iraq, Iran and the McCain-Obama Foreign Policy Debates

Tonight in Mississippi, Barack Obama and John McCain will meet for the first of three presidential debates. Tonight's debate will focus on the issue of foreign policy. It is a key debate for both candidates because in an increasingly global society, foreign policy plays a huge role in any presidency, and thanks to eight years of the Bush administration, the United States has some serious foreign policy problems that need to be solved. There are three key issues that I'm hoping the candidates will address in tonight's debate.

1. The War in Iraq

Obviously the United States' ongoing war in Iraq will be one of the biggest issues of the night. The United States has been mired in Iraq, sending untold amounts of manpower and money to the Middle East while getting seemingly little in return. For both candidates, I think it will be critically important to state clear policies for what he would do in Iraq, rather than sticking with empty rhetoric.

This will be particularly important for Barack Obama. The McCain campaign has hammered him for his lack of experience, but Obama can counter that by providing a clear plan of action that he will enact once he gets into office in order to bring the US' troops home as soon as possible. Obama should have the advantage in this area because he's arguing for ending this war quicker, but he needs to be clear about how he is going to do it in order to show people that though he lacks experience, he is prepared for the job.

John McCain and his Republican counterparts have spent years telling the American people that the US can achieve victory in Iraq, though they have done an incredibly poor job of explaining what 'victory' actually means. If McCain plans on keeping troops in Iraq longer than Obama, he needs to explain why it is important, and what they need to do in order to end the war.

2. Dealing with Iran

Iran looks to be where the next foreign crisis for the United States will come. Iran and President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad will likely need to be dealt with in some manner, be in through diplomacy or war, so it will be important to get a good feel for which candidate has a handle on how to deal with future problems in Iran.

President Barack Obama has taken some criticism from the Right for saying that he would be open to talking with the Iranian President. Obama could still maintain this position at the debate, but if he does so, he needs to do an excellent job of explaining why he would be willing to do so. It shouldn't be a difficult sell given the problems the US had dealing with Iraq, but he will have to defend his position.

John McCain will likely also have to convince America that he has a plan for Iran that doesn't involve going to war. With the United States in another financial crisis, another costly war could be devastating to the US economy.

3. Restoring Our Place in the World

The United States' world standing has taken a huge hit over the past eight years. The actions of the Bush administration has alienated many countries around the world, and left the US somewhat isolated. Whoever wins the election, will have to try to mend relations with countries around the world, and return the United States to being the beacon of the free world.

This is an area where Barack Obama should shine. One of his greatest attributes has been his immense popularity and ability to draw large crowds, even internationally. He should also make it clear the United States intends to close down the Guantanamo Bay prison camp and starting following the Geneva Conventions.

John McCain can use this area to highlight his years of experience and say that that experience in dealing with world leaders is where he will really shine as president. While he doesn't want to criticize President Bush too much, this is also a good opportunity for him to put some distance between himself and the current president by promising to stop some of Bush's less popular programs.

Overall, it should be an interesting debate. A large majority of the country seems to feel that the United States is heading in the wrong direction under the current administration. It will be interesting to see which candidate can lay out the best plan to help us change directions, and lead us into the future.