During a discussion with the Wall Street Journal’s Bret Stephens at the National Press Club Monday night, New York Times columnist David Brooks said Clinton is “so out of step” today with the Democratic Party on foreign policy, adding that she has no better than a 65 percent chance of winning her party’s presidential nomination in 2016.
While the rift between factions of the Democratic Party on the economy has grabbed headlines recently, the more pronounced disagreement between the two party wings may continue to lie in the arena of foreign policy. At least, that is, when it comes to presumptive 2016 nominee Hillary Clinton.
“The establishment, I’d say, is gaining power on the Republican side, but on the Democratic side the establishment is clearly losing power. If you look at the poll research on how Democrats perceive foreign policy, they’re a lot closer to Elizabeth Warren than Hillary Clinton,” Brooks said. “And I’m giving Hillary Clinton no more than a 65 percent chance to take the nomination.”
“She’s so out of step with her party right now on foreign policy,” he continued.
Brooks also touched on President Barack Obama’s foreign policy, telling Stephens and the audience the president has a great “fear of overreach,” and “zero fear of underreach.”
“The guy never met a paradox he didn’t want to transcend,” Brooks said about Obama. “He’ll take both sides and he’ll try to meet both.”
“On foreign affairs, he has an awesome fear of overreach, and zero fear of underreach. He’s all on one side on foreign affairs, which I didn’t anticipate when he came into office.”
The discussion was put on by the Foundation for Defense of Democracies to discuss Stephens’ book “America In Retreat.”