Plan on Iraq Political Campaign or Platform of Government

By contrast with Richardson's, Kucinich's, and Edwards's stated views in the debates, Obama and Clinton envisioned a larger American presence. In the September 26 debate, the senator from Illinois said that the first thing he would do if elected would be "to call together the Joint Chiefs of Staff and initiate a phased redeployment.? I would immediately begin that process. We would get combat troops out of Iraq." The only troops that would remain, Obama said, would be those needed to protect U.S. bases, the U.S. embassy, and U.S. civilians, as well as "to engage in counterterrorism activities in Iraq." (Bostdorff)


As he had in the pre-primary debates, Obama continued to stress the need for diplomacy. He emphasized how he would send "a signal to the Iraqis that we are serious, and prompt the Shias, the Sunni and the Kurds to actually come together and negotiate."176 Furthermore, Obama said that he wanted to get the United States "out of Iraq so that we can refocus our attention on building the networks and alliances that are required to reduce terrorism around the world."

Like Richardson, Obama also pointed to the situation in Iraq as a reason why he wanted "to elevate diplomacy, so that it is part of our arsenal to serve the American people's interests and to keep us safe."178 Obama's pattern of emphasizing diplomacy more than the other candidates was consistent with his pre-primary debate performance, but it also served to underscore the importance of words to his leadership, an association that Clinton would attempt to use to her advantage. (Bostdorff)

Work Cited
Bostdorff, Denise M. "Judgment, Experience, and Leadership: Candidate Debates on the Iraq War in the 2008 Presidential Primaries." Rhetoric & Public Affairs12.2 (2009): 223+.

"An African Solution Solving the Crisis of Failed States" and Obama

What United States President Barack Obama said in his July 2009 speech in Accra, Ghana, while remarkably accurate, was not new. In fact, his message confirms what some of us have been saying for decades, best summarized in his words as:

"Africa's future is up to Africans ... Development depends upon good governance. That is the ingredient which has been missing ... That is the change that can unlock Africa's potential ... a responsibility that can only be met by Africans." Africa's destiny lies in her own hands and the solutions to her myriad problems lie in Africa itself--not inside the corridors of the World Bank or the inner sanctum of the Oval Office or the Kremlin. Moreover, Africa's salvation lies in returning to and building upon its own indigenous institutions and heritage. (Ayittey)


Work Cited
Ayittey, George B.N. "An African Solution Solving the Crisis of Failed States: George B.N. Ayittey Is a Distinguished Economist at American University and President of the Free Africa Foundation. He Is the Author of Africa Unchained." Harvard International Review 31.3 (2009): 24+