Fox Business 2016 GOP primary debate: on Foreign Policy


Chris Christie: World has fewer democracies than before Obama

Gov. Christie asserted, "After Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama...we have fewer democracies in the world than we had when they started." Is it true? We checked with the Freedom House report "Freedom in the World," which rates countries as free, partly free, or not free. Comparing the number of countries:
Status20082015
Free9089
Partly free6055
Not free4351
In conclusion, yes, Christie's assessment is correct. But look at the four countries which switched from free to not fully free: Indonesia; Mali; Mexico; Ukraine. And in the other direction, these three countries moved up to fully free: Tunisia; Montenegro; Tonga. Perhaps Obama/Clinton may have been able to help Ukraine and maybe Mexico, but Christie's complaint implies he thinks Obama/Clinton should have helped...Indonesia? Tonga? Montenegro? We rate Christie's comment "true but irrelevant."
Source: OnTheIssues FactChecking on Fox Business 2016 GOP debate Jan 15, 2016

Carly Fiorina: Russia is an adversary, not an ally against ISIS

Q: The world shares a common enemy right now in the way of ISIS. Russia & Iran agree ISIS is a threat and it must be stopped. Would your coalition include Iran or Russia?

FIORINA: We need to be very clear-eyed now about who are our allies and who are our adversaries. In the fight against ISIS, Saudi Arabia is our ally. Iran is our adversary. And despite Donald Trump's bromance with Vladmir Putin, Vladmir Putin and Russia are our adversary. We cannot outsource leadership in the Middle East to Iran and Russia. We must stand and lead. The Kuwaitis, the Jordanians, the Saudis, Egyptians, Bahrainis, the Emirates, the Kurds--they have asked us for very specific kinds of support: bombs, material, arms, intelligence. We are not providing any of it today. I will provide all of it. And yes, we need a coalition. But only in the US can lead such a coalition. I will lead it. But we must be clear-eyed through this fight. Iran is our adversary. Russia is our adversary.

Source: Fox Business 2016 Republican Undercard debate Jan 14, 2016

Carly Fiorina: America must lead or the world becomes more dangerous

America must lead because when we do not lead, when this exceptional nation does not lead, the world is more dangerous. Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton, John Kerry, they all refuse to lead. When we refuse to respond to provocation and bad behavior, we will get more provocation and bad behavior. When we will not stand with our allies, when we will not respond to our adversaries, when we do not lead in the world the world is a dangerous and tragic place. I will be a Commander in Chief who will lead.
Source: Fox Business 2016 Republican Undercard debate Jan 14, 2016

Jeb Bush: We need Kurds & other Muslim allies, to help take out ISIS

Q [to Donald Trump]: Your comments about banning Muslims from entering the country created a firestorm. Do you want to rethink this position?

TRUMP: No. Look, we have to stop with political correctness. We have to find out what's going on. I said temporarily. I didn't say permanently.

BUSH: Donald, I hope you reconsider this, because this policy makes it impossible to build the coalition necessary to take out ISIS. The Kurds are our strongest allies. They're Muslim. You're not going to even allow them to come to our country? The other Arab countries have a role to play in this. We cannot be the world's policeman. We can't do this unilaterally. We have to do this in unison with the Arab world. And sending that signal makes it impossible for us to be serious about taking out ISIS and restoring democracy in Syria. So I hope you'll reconsider. We don't have to have refugees come to our country, but all Muslims, seriously? What kind of signal does that send to the rest of the world?

Source: Fox Business 2016 Republican 2-tier debate Jan 14, 2016

Mike Huckabee: Not our role to create desire for democracy in Afghanistan

Q: Do we need to be in Afghanistan?

HUCKABEE: Only if there is a concerted effort to destroy the advance of radical Islamists who are against us. As far as what are we going to make it look like, frankly, I don't know what we can make it look like. You can't create for other people a desire for freedom and democracy. And frankly, that is not the role of the United States. The role of the United States military is not to build schools; it is not to build bridges; it is not to go around and pass out food packets. It is to kill and destroy our enemy and make America safe and that is the purpose we should be there if we're going to be there.

Source: Fox Business 2016 Republican Undercard debate Jan 14, 2016

  • The above quotations are from Fox Business Two-Tier 2016 GOP primary debate
    First Tier: Top Seven by polls
    Second Tier: Three other Republicans
    .
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  • Click here for more quotes by Ted Cruz on Foreign Policy.
  • Click here for more quotes by Donald Trump on Foreign Policy.
2016 Presidential contenders on Foreign Policy:
  Republicans:
Gov.Jeb Bush(FL)
Dr.Ben Carson(MD)
Gov.Chris Christie(NJ)
Sen.Ted Cruz(TX)
Carly Fiorina(CA)
Gov.Jim Gilmore(VA)
Sen.Lindsey Graham(SC)
Gov.Mike Huckabee(AR)
Gov.Bobby Jindal(LA)
Gov.John Kasich(OH)
Gov.Sarah Palin(AK)
Gov.George Pataki(NY)
Sen.Rand Paul(KY)
Gov.Rick Perry(TX)
Sen.Rob Portman(OH)
Sen.Marco Rubio(FL)
Sen.Rick Santorum(PA)
Donald Trump(NY)
Gov.Scott Walker(WI)
Democrats:
Gov.Lincoln Chafee(RI)
Secy.Hillary Clinton(NY)
V.P.Joe Biden(DE)
Gov.Martin O`Malley(MD)
Sen.Bernie Sanders(VT)
Sen.Elizabeth Warren(MA)
Sen.Jim Webb(VA)

2016 Third Party Candidates:
Gov.Gary Johnson(L-NM)
Roseanne Barr(PF-HI)
Robert Steele(L-NY)
Dr.Jill Stein(G,MA)
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Page last updated: Dec 08, 2018