"Europeans dream of a genial post-Bush world, but it won't be genial." [View All]

Luxembourg's PM, Jean-Claude Juncker, wrote an editorial (the title translates as "Elections will change the world but a little") for the Rheinische Merkur on what Europeans hope to get out of the American (and Russian) elections. It's not good. He writes that most Europeans feel that nothing more can be won, particularly in Iraq, and are looking forward to retracting their overstretched military forces. The candidates, in a effort to appear to support the troops, claim that they will push for greater European involvement (particularly in Afghanistan in order to reposition forces in Iraq). There's bound to be great disenchantment with any new administration from Europeans, who will be looking for the door, not more collaboration.

Though Juncker's observations may not seem germane to the race itself, I am disappointed that both Clinton and Obama really haven't talked about diplomacy. They talk about foreign powers as extensions of the American government. Indeed, if either of them thinks that they will charm Europe into supporting our wars, they will have to show much more FP experience that they have combined.