I think this position will get her some votes. I don’t know if I agree.
On the other hand, I don’t believe in capriciously changing decades of foreign policy directives and ideas.
I think this gives HRC something to work with, especially coming from a GOP’er.
Without mentioning Donald Trump by name, Clad dismissed the GOP nominee as “an incoherent amateur” who cannot win in November.
“Our adversaries must never hear flippancy or ignorance in America’s voice. They should never take satisfaction from an incompetent president,” he said. “Giving an incoherent amateur the keys to the White House this November will doom us to second or third class status.”
As long as she keeps a steady hand on the rudder, she should be okay.
And some folks may just be getting tired of Donnie’s Apocalypse Now description of America.
It’s troubling that seemingly hundreds of seasoned experts in the defense and national security fields, of all political persuasions and party loyalties, would shudder in genuine fear should Trump be elected.
“Flippancy and ignorance”? That’s Trump’s central negotiating strategy.
and replacing it with 3rd grade schoolyard wargames strategy
Look how he is getting played by the Mexican President.
He is beyond embarrasment
And that incompetence is likely to be in display during his trip to Mexico. Nice!
Only Donnie could create a Mexican stand-off, with himself…
The US has always done best in the world when we are First Among Equals. It is not as if we did not get involved in conflicts, but we did so with precision and let diplomacy be a huge part of how we dealt with the world. That is what I am hoping we’ll have more of with Hilary Clinton.
What I fear is, under Trump, we’ll be invading Canada because Prime Minister Trudeau ‘insulted’ Trump or because Trump wants to take over Canada for when the US becomes a bone dry desert.
Too bad, Powell’s not the one on stage with her today. As the only Bush foreign policy adviser with any credibility (notwithstanding a certain speech he gave), he actually would carry weight with independent, low-attention voters. I know he’s in a snit over the email thing, but that’s not a reason to sit this one out.
I have to believe if Condi Rice joined her at the podium, clasped raised hands at the beginning and end of a speech and endorsed her candidacy, it would have a major impact. She might not carry the heft Powell does, but it would certainly make inroads with fence straddling GOP/conservative women.
By all means, stop and think a bit before you execute foreign and defense policy. If that’s what Hillary wants from her advisors we can all applaud.
Just don’t call the result “American Exceptionalism.” It is the only moral disease for which the United States bears a direct present responsibility. Not slavery, not racism, not environmental degradation, not the abuses of unrestrained capitalism; for all of those you can point to Americans who have protested every step of the way, willing to make pests of themselves so as to bring remedies to bear. “Exceptionalism” is different. Its opponents fear to speak. Even Obama is afraid to expose it for what it is and he is a president who has established a worthy record as a truth-teller…
There is no magic people. There never has been. No nation is positioned half way between God and the rest of the human race, with a special duty to explain the doings of each to the other.
“Exceptionalism” was evil nonsense when the Romans dreamed it up. It was evil nonsense when Imperial Spain caught the bug, and Imperial Britain after it. It is evil nonsense now.
Hillary, for whom I shall vote, is carrying quite enough baggage without adding this item to it. High-status neo-cons who might be gratified by an invocation of American Exceptionalism today (or any day) are not her friends and do not have the best interests of this country at heart.
Jesus will inflict an impacted molar upon you for this heresy. Oh, and a flat tire on the way to the dentist for treatment, for good measure. You’ve besmirched the heroes of the invasion of Grenada.
Surely it’ll be because Canada won’t give up mineral rights in the Arctic. 
Not for me. Rice was the biggest liar of them all and a pure pawn of big oil.
“For Republicans and Democrats alike, everything in national security requires clarity and steadiness, whether managing nuclear weapons or balancing great power rivalries,” Clad said in the statement. “Never losing sight of the national interest is key – a discipline which Secretary Clinton possesses in full measure.” (James Clad, former GWBush administration official)
Wow – there really are some thinking Republicans out there. I’m not really too surprised, but I wish they’d spoken up a lot sooner – like years ago. That said, thank you, Mr. Clad – From a fellow, patriotic American, concerned citizen.
This particular advisor is probably a good choice. His statement was similar to what a lot of the nationals security folks said about Trump at the convention. This is the first speech of the fall campaign and it will remind voters why Trump is a clear and present danger to US national security interests.
Oh, she isn’t a saint by any means, a marginal historical figure at best. I’m talking purely the political effect, or at least the optics. Regardless the merits of her record it’s the type of move a few million low information voters might lap up.