Bernie Sanders is not a foreign policy lightweight.

[malletgirl02]

There has been a meme through out the media that Bernie Sanders is a foreign policy lightweight. This is completely untrue. When I watched the debate on PBS last week, I was very impressed with Mr. Sanders grasp on foreign policy. What impressed me the most was that he knew that past U.S. policy affected our current foreign policy environment. I actually have a degree in foreign affairs and can attest that his information was correct.

[Nyan]

1. Yep. I say he's an absolute heavyweight on foreign policy.

He has a clear understanding of the history of US foreign policy, and how that is still impacting us today.
I really appreciate him bringing sanity -yes, finally, SANITY- into FP discussion into this election cycle.
I also have a degree in IR, and it strikes me that his FP philosophy might be a mix of mild Liberal Interventionism and Realism, which, in policy-making process, would translate as being a dove.

I hope when he gets into WH, he would have realists on his side so he could listen to them (Realist scholars like John Mearsheimer I really admire). The neocons must be cast out of Washington. They are simply wrong about everything. And if you don't cast them out, they WILL isolate America, and destroy it from within and without.
From FP perspective, it has to be Bernie, and he must have the sane voice surrounding him as well...

[malletgirl02]

2. I agree he is a heavyweight.

Bernie Sanders in this debate was a first time I have heard any viable mainstream politician acknowledge the consequences of our foreign policy.

[TBF]

3. He had the right answer on Iraq -

and clearly understands the danger w/North Korea (Madame Secretary was rambling on about Russia while N. Korea was getting ready to launch missiles at Japan).

He has lived in Israel and supports a 2-state solution. I think he clearly understands the issues there.

And I have not once heard him say that the solution is to "obliterate" countries (unlike someone we know).

He'll be fine.

[Duckfan]

4. I hope he keeps hitting Hillary over the head with her involvement with Honduras

Removing a democratically elected leader is the same kind of action a republican president would take. Ronald Ray-Gun comes to mind.

[eridani]

5. True, but what is foreign policy rap is missing is--

--the kind of repeatable, simple summary that he has for his domestic poiicy.

[winter is coming]

6. +1. I've noticed that for someone who's allegedly naive about foreign policy,

his answers are nuanced and often show an awareness not just of current events, but the history of how we got to where we are.