I strongly support Barack Obama for president. In the past, I have supported both Republicans and Democrats, choosing the candidate with the leadership qualities and foreign-policy principles most likely to advance the national security of the United States. Of course, we have no crystal balls, but leaders with sound judgment on core policies and courage to look beyond political winds of the moment greatly improve the odds of long-term success. Obama scores uncommonly high on the “judgment-courage” index, qualities that will be needed as our next president seeks to repair the damage from the triple train wreck of our overstretched military, underperforming economy, and floundering international reputation that is now undermining our national security.

My respect for Obama rests on three main points. First, he has consistently demonstrated clear-eyed judgment on the most important national-security issue of our time—Iraq. In October 2002, when 70 percent of the public and most Democratic politicians supported the war, Obama delivered one of the first high-profile speeches against the invasion. I had just joined 32 scholars of national-security affairs in the New York Times sounding the same warnings. But Obama did more, putting his future political career on the line for the best interests of our country.

Second, Obama has developed an important new “Over-the-Horizon” strategy for achieving America’s core national-security goals in the Persian Gulf without provoking terrorists or overstretching our Army. From my work on suicide terrorism, it is clear that America’s military presence in Muslim countries—especially heavy combat forces—is a powerful factor in the rise of anti-American suicide terrorism around the world. The Persian Gulf, however, is too important for the U.S. to cut and run. We need a new strategic approach to the region, one that moves American combat forces “off-shore,” relying primarily on air and naval forces stationed on ships or bases on the periphery of the Arabian Peninsula. Obama’s policy is heading precisely in the right direction and is crucial to our future security.

Third, Obama is committed to approaching global threats with global solutions, encouraging multilateralism and dialogue where possible. With America’s abysmal reputation in the world, this is truly a needed change. International opinion polls show that majorities or strong pluralities in most countries oppose Iranian nuclear weapons. This is not simply an American or Israeli obsession. But we need a new diplomatic approach to develop sound American policies that take advantage of this underlying international consensus, working with others in a meaningful way, precisely the new direction that Obama is calling for. 

Robert A. Pape is professor of political science at the University of Chicago and the author of Dying to Win: The Strategic Logic of Suicide Terrorism.

Peter Brimelow

Reid Buckley

John Patrick Diggins

Rod Dreher

Francis Fukuyama

Kara Hopkins

Elisabeth Lasch-Quinn

Leonard Liggio

Daniel McCarthy

Scott McConnell

Declan McCullagh

Llewellyn H. Rockwell Jr.

Gerald J. Russello

Steve Sailer

John Schwenkler

Joseph Sobran

Peter Wood

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