For all his reputation as an extremist, McCain is far more cautious than Obama on using American force abroad, especially on the question of intervening in the internal affairs of other nations. In response to a question from the moderator on the so-called ‘humanitarian intervention’, Obama was gung-ho. “When genocide is happening, when ethnic cleansing is happening somewhere around the world...we have to consider it as part of our interests, our national interests, in intervening where possible. But, we’re not going to be able to be everywhere all the time.”

If Obama fuses moral concerns with national security interests, McCain’s emphasis is on making a judgment on each specific case. The Republican argued that the US should be rather careful and when and where it decides to send its troops. He argued, “we must do whatever we can to prevent genocide...But it also has to be tempered with our ability to beneficially affect the situation”.

While they both believe American power is “a force for good”, the liberals insist it is America’s duty to influence outcomes across the world and the conservatives prefer selective use of force, only when it can guarantee success and secure enduring US interests.

Pakistan’s sovereignty

In response to a specific question whether the US should respect Pakistan’s territorial sovereignty in the pursuit of al Qaeda and the Taliban, Obama was more hawkish than McCain. If Pakistan does not live up its responsibilities as a territorial state, Obama suggested the US should have no qualms about its sovereignty.

“If we have Osama bin Laden in our sights and the Pakistani government is unable or unwilling to take them out, then I think that we have to act and we will take them out. We will kill bin Laden; we will crush al Qaeda. That has to be our biggest national security priority”, Obama thundered.

McCain cautioned against Obama’s Pakistan rhetoric. “If you’re trying to gain the support of another country, then you want to do everything you can that they would act in a cooperative fashion. When you announce that you’re going to launch an attack into another country, it’s pretty obvious that you have the effect that it had in Pakistan: It turns public opinion against us.” Obama’s tough posturing on Pakistan is meant to outflank McCain in the foreign policy debates. Having opposed the war in Iraq, Obama believes a hard line on Pakistan will prevent the Republicans from questioning his national security credentials.

Confronting Russia

There was greater agreement between Obama and McCain on constraining a newly assertive Russia. McCain emphasised greater moral and political support to Georgia, a recent target of Russian military intervention, and called for strong Western measures against Moscow.

Obama promised to do much more to strengthen Georgia and other former Soviet republics, as well as the East European states. “The resurgence of Russia is one of the central issues that we’re going to have to deal with in the next presidency.... We’ve got to provide moral support to the Poles and Estonia and Latvia and all of the nations that were former Soviet satellites. But we’ve also got to provide them with financial and concrete assistance to help rebuild their economies.”

Asked if they saw Putin’s Russia as an “evil empire” much like former President Ronald Reagan’s description of the Soviet Union. Obama was compelled go along with the idea while putting in a weak caveat. “I think they’ve engaged in an evil behavior and I think that it is important that we understand they’re not the old Soviet Union but they still have nationalist impulses that I think are very dangerous.”

McCain, whose dislike of Russia is no secret, chose to be careful and gave a one-word answer — “Maybe”. Asked to expand, McCain said, “Depends on how we respond to Russia and it depends on a lot of things. If I say yes, then that means that we’re reigniting the old Cold War. If I say no, it ignores their behaviour.”

The writer is a Professor at the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore

iscrmohan@ntu.edu.sg