Election 2012: Voters and Foreign Policy

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It’s become something close to accepted wisdom that the issues on which voters will decide the next election in 2012 will be almost exclusively domestic. But even the most cursory examination of the forces at work in this country today will tell you that what happens beyond American shores will change the way we live our lives over the next four years. Up for discussion this hour: How exactly do voters want the next president to handle affairs in Afghanistan and Iraq? What do Arab-American communities make of the US involvement in the Arab Spring? And – the billion-dollar question – which candidate holds the key to shielding American voters from economic turmoil in Europe?

Throughout the hour, Ray Suarez and a panel of experts discuss American perspectives on foreign policy, as the race for 2012 gets underway. The panel includes: Carroll Doherty, Associate Director at the Pew Research Center for the People and the Press; Susan Glasser, Editor in Chief of Foreign Policy Magazine; and Jennifer Rubin, columnist and blogger for The Washington Post.

Executive Producer: Aaron Lobel / Managing Editor: Sarah Gilbert / Producers: Monica Bushman, Mallory Durr, Josh Rogers, John Pemble, and Sarah Hulett / Additional production: Flawn Williams / Director of Broadcasting and Station Relations: Steve Martin / Web Producer: Javier Barrera / Photo credit: Christopher Dilts / Host: Ray Suarez

+ Field Report From Concord, New Hampshire

Josh Rogers reports from Concord, New Hampshire on how Republican voters see American foreign policy for 2012.

Story Transcript: Field Report from Concord.pdf

+ Field Report From Des Moines, Iowa

John Pemble reports from Des Moines, Iowa on Democratic voters and their take on President Obama’s foreign policy.

+ Field Report From Detroit, Michigan

Sarah Hulett reports from Michigan on what Arab Americans make of the US involvement in the Arab Spring and what they’re looking for in the next Commander-in-Chief.

Story Transcript: Field Report from Detroit.pdf

+ Why The Economy Is A Foreign Policy Issue

Economist Jared Bernstein explains why the economy is a foreign policy issue. He served as Chief Economic Advisor to Joe Biden from 2008 to 2011. He’s currently a Senior Fellow at the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities.

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