Obama's conflicting policies leave voters confused
By Michael Canfield
On August 17, 2012
Several weeks ago, President Obama came out in favor of gay marriage, something I feel very strongly
about. I felt excited about the president, something I haven't felt in some time.
For the president to come out on the side of Americans who've faced scorn and ridicule over something
that is inherently who they are as a person was really incredible. It flew in the face of demagogues and
naysayers, and felt like something, even if it's just a small piece of freedom for someone else, was won. I
felt energized, similar to how I felt after Obama was elected in 2008, when anything seemed possible.
Fast forward a few weeks later, and news of a "kill list" and increased kinetic military operations in
Yemen comes out. While the official story broke, experts on Yemen and journalists who report on the
ground in Yemen have been talking about kill lists and what increased military action might mean in
Yemen. Most of it revolves around the theory of blowback.
While the U.S. increases drone and cruise missile strikes, the likelihood of civilian casualties in Yemen
increases. The number of civilian casualties is manipulated under the Obama administration's assertion
that anyone killed in a strike who is of military age can be considered a militant, whether they are a
member of a militant group or not.
Even with this manipulation, civilians are sure to be put in danger. According to the theory, each civilian
killed in a strike increases the likelihood that the individual's family members will join groups like al-
Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula, or Ansar al-Shariah, two of the militant groups operating in Yemen.
While no definitive data exists on the theory, the membership of AQAP has grown by the hundreds since
the U.S. began strikes in Yemen. The theory seems to hold some water.
Answers to the problems in Yemen are not easy to come by. No one would, or could, argue that AQAP
is not a threat to the U.S. They clearly are, and clearly want to bring harm to Americans. What can be
argued, however, is whether blowing up civilians in the hunt for suspected terrorists is worth the long-
term effects or if current policy makes for good policy.
President Obama has doubled down on some of the most controversial policies of the Bush
administration, and seems to get a pass from people who would be outraged if a Republican president
were conducting shadow wars around the globe.
This is where my confusion sets in. Do I support the charismatic leader who champions gay rights? How
do I support someone whose foreign policy record seems unconscionable to me? How do I vote in the
upcoming presidential election?
Mitt Romney isn't an option for me, so that much is certain. I want to like President Obama and support
him. He's done a lot of good things. I want to understand where he's coming from on foreign policy, but
I just can't get there. There's some time between now and the election, and I have a lot of thinking to
do. Obama's decisions from here on out could determine how I vote.
Michael Canfield can be reached by email at canfield.record@live.com.
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