Washington State Divided Over Obama's Open Foreign Policy

During the Presidential Debates in Charleston, S.C., Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton went head-to-head over current foreign policy. When asked if he would be willing to meet in the first year of his presidency without reservation with the leaders of Iran, Syria, Venezuela, Cuba and North Korea, Obama replied that he would.

He said this despite President Bush coincidentally hosting King Abdullah II of Jordan, a key player in mid-east conflict between Israel and Palestine, during the time of the debates. Presidential Candidate Hillary Clinton was taken aback by Barack Obama's comments during the debates. Despite an earlier statement that she also would open the doors of communication with countries historically left out of Bush's current foreign policy loop, she stuck by her debate stance with the support of former Secretary of State Madeline Albright, that Barack Obama's debate promises showed a certain "naive" approach to current foreign policy. (N. Pickler, Huffington Post, 7/24/07 and P. Healy, New York Times, 7/25/07).

Washington State would be divided in support of Barack Obama's open door ideology since this state holds two very different perspectives from liberal Seattle in the West to conservative Spokane in the Eastern part of the state. If history is any indication, our Governor Christine Gregoire would support open talks with all nations especially if it meant further open and democratic trade agreements. This is evident by her hosting such notables as Chinese President Hu Jintao and most recently her trip to visit the Mexican President regarding free trade, which apple and potato farmers and beef cattle ranchers in Eastern Washington see as necessary and vital to Washington State's future economy. Gov. Gregoire is also open to gay rights, something which Barack Obama has consistently supported in his campaign. This is shown by Washington State's recent passage on 7/21/07 of a new domestic partnership agreement affording same sex couples with at least some of the civil rights afforded to married people.

In Barack Obama's book, The Audacity of Hope, he states "the lack of wealth or significant corporate support wasn't a barrier to victory" in his race to the Illinois Senate (page 113). "Still," he tells us, "I can't assume that the money chase didn't alter me in some ways. Certainly it eliminated any sense of shame I once had in asking strangers for large sums of money." Seattle, with its financially secure dot-com millionaires, (note Washington Senator Maria Cantwell), who statistically are democratic and agree with a more liberal agenda, may be apt to support Barack Obama's campaign financially. Particularly if Barack's promise of talks with countries historically kept at arm's length within his first year of Presidency, without limitations, holds true in the minds of those who wish to develop markets in countries like Cuba and North Korea.

Unfortunately, Obama went against current foreign policy on Iraq as well by responding to reporters on Wednesday about the "naive" nature of Bush sending troops to war in the first place. This will not play well with Washington State's military personnel on base at Fort Lewis and the many veterans working security elsewhere. Senator Patty Murray, who rose to political heights with her campaign as the "mom in tennis shoes" has diligently fought for better treatement of war veterans. The Department of Defense has also consistently held influence in this state with its eye on Boeing, the Hanford Nuclear Facility, and the huge refeuling jets kept near the Air Force base in Spokane, not to mention homeland security interests at the Canadian border.

Foreign policy and other specific Pacific Northwest interests such as the environment, will need to be addressed with conviction and honest foresight by Barack Obama if he hopes to win the voters and campaign contributions of Washington State. As shown above by the strong women leaders who run our state government, Hillary Clinton may be the Democratic favorite.