National Security at the Conventions -- A Seismic Shift Posted by Heather Hurlburt

Much less interesting than reporting on who does or doesn't edit President Clinton's speeches, Joe biden's train-riding habits, or John McCain's vice-presidential deliberations, but considerably more important, is the enormous cultural shift in the role national security plays at BOTH conventions that has taken place over the last two election cycles.

It's easier to speak to the Dems, as I'm sitting in Denver:  what used to be one set of foreign policy panels run by the National Democratic Institute has morphed into a giant policy jamboree.  Veterans' groups, human rights groups, think tanks (and of course DA's sponsor and my employer, the National Security Network) are here holding panels, luncheons and receptions.  I think the only national security threshold left to cross is the Giant Nighttime Party With Five Bands -- but if you count the ONE Campaign, and you should, we've crossed that one too.

So what's going on here:

• national security is a political issue now, for better and worse;
• the nationl security community is taking quantum steps in political savvy and plugged-in-ness;
• the gap between how domestic policy is conducted and how foreign policy is conducted is slowly, but really, narrowing; and
• nonetheless, the national security wonks are bringing our own wonkish folkways into the convention environment.  You can take the wonk out of the 10-point plan, but you can't take the 10-point plan out of the wonk.

What's really interesting is to look ahead to Minneapolis next week and see how much this is a bipartisan development:  Human Rights First will have its band of generals there to denounce torture as well.  New America will have its "Can We Make the Middle East Boring?" event there too. The Council on Foreign Relations will have its panels.

National security concepts are being marketed to politicians on all sides, in other words.  And, in terms of empowering political figures in Washington and the states to move away from the failed constructs of the last eight years, and be ready to think about real fundamental change after election silly season is over, this is a very good thing.

Now off to my next Denver shuttle bus...   

Comments

[Peace]

Did anyone with the nsnetwork went to the New America panel dsicussion on the Middle East?

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