The 1992 James Carville proclamation, “It’s the economy, stupid,” has been recycled and declared the dominating theme for the 2012 presidential election to the point it has almost become cliché. But New York Times columnist David Brooks says not to count out foreign policy and its impact on the economy.
On Friday’s broadcast of PBS’s “NewsHour,” Brooks advised viewers not to discount the importance of foreign policy in 2012 presidential election, particularly regarding China, the Middle East and Europe.
“Look at what’s happening in the world. President Obama did a very significant shift in Asia, getting the U.S. much more involved in becoming a rival to China. That’s not going away,” Brooks said. “Second thing, Tahrir Square in Egypt — the Middle East is not going away. The Iranians — we just had another report showing the Iranian nuclear program is still going on. The Middle East — believe me, you can’t escape it. It’s coming back.”
But beyond China and the Middle East, Brooks said that the developing situation in Europe could be the determining factor in the 2012 campaign, particularly the way German Chancellor Angela Merkel resolves the European debt crisis.
“I think the number one issue in shaping this election is now sitting in Berlin with Angela Merkel,” Brooks continued. “I think Angela Merkel at this moment has a bigger influence on whether Barack Obama will be re-elected than Barack Obama does. The European financial crisis gets scarier by the day.”
Watch:
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