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The Daily OrangeEffect of war on campaign discussed by SU professor
By Sam Edelstein
Posted: 10/6/04, 2:02 AM EST Section: News
With President George W. Bush emphasizing the war on terror in his re-election campaign, his focus on wartime accomplishments may end up hurting him politically in the end.
Robert McClure, professor of political science at Syracuse University, spoke last night at the Christian Brothers Academy in DeWitt to about 100 members of the community about the history of war and the presidency and how it may affect the upcoming election.
"The 2004 presidential election is mainly about the war in Iraq and President Bush's conduct. Not much more, not much less," McClure said. "The election is a national referendum on Bush as commander-in-chief."
McClure said that some people believe it is to the incumbent president's advantage to be involved in a war in a time of re-election, but he disagreed.
Although four of the five presidents that have led the country to war have won re-election, three did not even attempt to run again and all ended up mired in political turmoil in their next term.
Presidents who led the country to war as generals and then ran for president, however, all fared extremely well. Also, almost all either won re-election, died or didn't run again.
"The evidence about how you fare as a president in wartime running for re-election is mixed," McClure said.
It seems as though both candidates, Bush and Democratic candidate John Kerry, only speak about foreign policy. Although many people would like to hear them discuss domestic issues more, McClure said foreign policy is always more important to focus on because domestic issues are too difficult to control.
"Presidential elections should be about foreign affairs," McClure said. "You don't want to cast votes on the basis of something somebody can't do."
McClure added that people want to hear about what the candidates would like to do in the future, instead of only focusing on the past. But, McClure said that the future is too unpredictable.
"Bush said he wasn't interested in nation building and then the planes ran into the towers," McClure said. "We'd like to know about the future, but we can't so we have to judge from the past."
Robert McClure, professor of political science at Syracuse University, spoke last night at the Christian Brothers Academy in DeWitt to about 100 members of the community about the history of war and the presidency and how it may affect the upcoming election.
"The 2004 presidential election is mainly about the war in Iraq and President Bush's conduct. Not much more, not much less," McClure said. "The election is a national referendum on Bush as commander-in-chief."
McClure said that some people believe it is to the incumbent president's advantage to be involved in a war in a time of re-election, but he disagreed.
Although four of the five presidents that have led the country to war have won re-election, three did not even attempt to run again and all ended up mired in political turmoil in their next term.
Presidents who led the country to war as generals and then ran for president, however, all fared extremely well. Also, almost all either won re-election, died or didn't run again.
"The evidence about how you fare as a president in wartime running for re-election is mixed," McClure said.
It seems as though both candidates, Bush and Democratic candidate John Kerry, only speak about foreign policy. Although many people would like to hear them discuss domestic issues more, McClure said foreign policy is always more important to focus on because domestic issues are too difficult to control.
"Presidential elections should be about foreign affairs," McClure said. "You don't want to cast votes on the basis of something somebody can't do."
McClure added that people want to hear about what the candidates would like to do in the future, instead of only focusing on the past. But, McClure said that the future is too unpredictable.
"Bush said he wasn't interested in nation building and then the planes ran into the towers," McClure said. "We'd like to know about the future, but we can't so we have to judge from the past."
