In a striking role reversal, the Democratic nominee for president in 2016 is likely to be more of an internationalist, more supportive of free trade and, at least on paper, more hawkish than her Republican opponent.
George H.W. Bush was still popular because of his leadership during the Gulf War when Bill Clinton decided to challenge him in 1992. The then-Arkansas governor won by focusing on the economy, making the case that the country should turn inward and invest a post-Cold War peace dividend in domestic programs.
In 2016, Republican front-runner Donald Trump is trying to make a similar case. After 13 years of seeming quagmire in the Middle East, the billionaire businessman is promising to scale back the U.S. footprint overseas. And it is former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton who must persuade the American people on the importance of U.S. leadership in the world, to both keep us secure and ensure our prosperity.
“I don’t think we should be doing nation-building anymore,” he said. “I think it’s proven not to work. . . . I just think we have to rebuild our country.”
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