Two experts clash over US election's foreign policy puzzle

Foreign-policy experts discuss how international issues affect US voters choices. While most Americans focus on domestic matters global allies watch closely as election approaches

November 1 2024 , 11:21 AM  •  742 views

Two experts clash over US election's foreign policy puzzle

In a pre-election exchange Matt Kroenig and Emma Ashford discuss how foreign affairs shape voter decisions. Most Americans dont care much about international issues - theyre busy with day-to-day life (taking kids to school watching sports etc)

The experts note that while foreign policy isnt a top-3 priority some swing-state demographics might affect results: Jewish voters Polish-Americans and Middle-Eastern communities in key states like Michigan could influence the outcome. Its interesting that overseas observers seem more invested in US election outcomes than many Americans

  • Economy comes first
  • Immigration ranks high
  • Foreign policy stays behind
  • Local issues matter most

The discussion reveals an odd shift in political alignment: Democrats seem to embrace hawkish positions while Trump-supporters warn about war risks. Liz Cheneyʼs support of Harris and traditional Republican foreign-policy experts backing Democrats shows how things changed since 12 years ago

If you look at where the Republican Party is today‚ thereʼs been a really dangerous embrace of isolationism

Liz Cheney during campaign with Harris

European allies keep watching US elections closely - but take few steps to reduce their dependence on American security guarantees. Germany and other nations barely address this issue despite having three election cycles of uncertainty

The experts note that while some Republican figures like Nikki Haley opposed Trumps foreign policy most party leaders adapted to his “peace through strength“ approach. The conversation ends with light-hearted comments about election-night plans showing how even serious policy discussions can have a human side