2012 Democratic National Convention speeches: on Foreign Policy


John Kerry: Freed Libya by rejecting false choice of force vs. diplomacy

President Obama promised to work with Russia to reduce the threat of nuclear weapons and signed an historic treaty that does just that. He promised to lock down nuclear materials around the world, and he has done just that. He refused to accept the false choice between force without diplomacy or diplomacy without force. When a brutal dictator promised to kill his own people "like rats," President Obama enlisted our allies, built the coalition and shared the burden, so that today--without a single American casualty--Moammar Gadhafi is gone and the people of Libya are free. So on one side of this campaign, we have a president who has made America lead like America again. What is there on the other side? An extreme and expedient candidate, who lacks the judgment and vision so vital in the Oval Office. The most inexperienced foreign policy twosome to run for president and vice president in decades.
Source: 2012 Democratic National Convention speech Sep 6, 2012

Lincoln Chafee: End prevailing attitude of arrogant reckless war

We take seriously the decision to enter into foreign entanglements. During the last Administration, then-Senator Obama and I shared a mutual desire to end the prevailing attitude of arrogance and recklessness on matters of war and peace that characterized those years.

President Obama knows that wars are not to be entered into lightly; he knows that overseas conflicts don't only do damage in the land in which they are fought, but in the land of those who fight them, as well.

Source: 2012 Democratic National Convention speech Sep 6, 2012

  • The above quotations are from Speeches at the 2012 Democratic National Convention in Charlotte NC, Sept. 4-6, 2012.
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Gov.Mark Sanford (R-SC)
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Gov.Bill Weld(MA) 		Democrats:
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