by Julia Beirut

Created on: July 08, 2008

"The days of compromising our values are over." Obama made this statement about how America's legacy is now strongly tainted by the Iraq war. Foreign relations are strained and world citizens disdain America's choice to attack Iraq in a war based on false intelligence. Change is needed to restore America's reputation as a country that is honorable and that uses diplomacy, not war, as its key strategy to obtain world peace.

Barack Obama will utilize diplomacy as his first step in foreign relations: John McCain will use war as his first step in foreign relations. Obama will use a calm, logical approach to negotiating with foreign powers; McCain will use threats and slash and burn strategy to attack foreign lands. Barack Obama has the analytical personality needed to excel at diplomacy; John McCain has a hot temper and lacks the ability to calmly negotiate with problematic countries.

America is in crisis. The country needs a strong leader who will work hard to make America a land where citizens approve of the actions of the government. Obama will have many challenges when he assumes the role of president.

When elected President Obama says he will end the war in Iraq. That action alone will greatly improve America's foreign relations. Obama also states he will "finish the fight against Al Qaeda and also lead the world in fighting against nuclear weapons, terrorism, and genocide."

Obama is ready to use diplomacy to solve any world crisis that may arise. He says he will use "aggressive diplomatic effort" as needed to obtain stability in the Middle East. Obama believes talking to adversarial presidents helps build international support.

John McCain refuses to speak to adversarial presidents. He has however responded to comments by the president of Iran with threats of war against Iran. John McCain does not seem to understand that the war in Iraq has created anti-American sentiment against the USA at all time high levels. McCain ignores the reality of increased threat of terrorism due to the Iraq war building resentment against America. McCain continues to threaten more war, displaying a total lack of the knowledge of the Middle East needed to understand that it is not America's place to come in and try to bomb some sense into the region.

In contrast to McCain, Obama said in August, 2007 in Washington, DC: "Because of a war in Iraq that should never have been authorized and should never have been waged, we are now less safe than we were before 9/11." Obama understands

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