Obama vs. McCain, Round 1

Roger Cohen had a good article outlining the foreign policy outlook of the two major party candidates.

If I remember all the way back to American History days in high school, American engagement with the world was divided into periods of Isolationism and Engagement. Isolationism generally went hand in hand with Economic Protectionism (high tariffs); the Engagement crowd (as would be expected) bore the flag of Free Markets.

What's got me bothered about this election is the breakup of 20th century Political and Economic theory. Consider:

Obama is For foreign engagement (Cohen's Universalism), but supports, in his proposal to tax outsourcing corporations, Employment Protectionism. So we'll talk with you about your nuclear weapons, but we have reservations about doing business with you.

McCain is For a go-it-alone isolationist foreign policy (Cohen's Exceptionalism), but says he's for Free Markets. So we'll bomb you whenever we want for the sake of our freedom, but after that we'll buy anything that you sell us.

I like Obama's mix-up better--because if you're willing to talk to the rest of the world at the start, you can come around to free markets. If you've pissed off everyone at the get-go, I don't see how trade policy will bring them back around.