Clinton’s Foreign Policy Silence Signals Democrats’ Emerging Consensus

Clinton’s Foreign Policy Silence Signals Democrats’ Emerging Consensus
Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Rodham Clinton speaks at the "Hillary For America" official campaign launch event at Four Freedoms Park, New York, June 13, 2015 (Photo by Greg Allen/Invision/AP).

Sometimes what a politician says matters less than what he or she doesn’t say. Case in point: Hillary Clinton’s big presidential announcement speech this past weekend.

Clinton had a lot to say about income inequality and the need to rebalance an economy in which a privileged few accrue enormous benefits, while the many make do with meager crumbs. She had detailed policy proposals on early childhood education, infrastructure, voting rights and strengthening the social safety net. But in a more than 4,000-word speech, she spent all of 325 words on foreign policy.

While she went into full wonk mode on the domestic front, the section of her speech dealing with international affairs was completely platitudinous. In what amounts to a policy nothing-burger, she pledged to “harness all of America’s power, smarts, and values to maintain our leadership for peace, security, and prosperity.” That’s a promise that any presidential candidate could comfortably make.

Keep reading for free!

Get instant access to the rest of this article as well as three free articles per month. You'll also receive our free email newsletter to stay up to date on all our coverage:

Or, Subscribe now to get full access.

Already a subscriber? Log in here .

What you’ll get with an All-Access subscription to World Politics Review:

A WPR subscription is like no other resource — it’s like having your own personal researcher and analyst for news and events around the globe. Subscribe now, and you’ll get:

  • Immediate and instant access to the full searchable library of 15,000+ articles
  • Daily articles with original analysis, written by leading topic experts, delivered to you every weekday
  • Weekly in-depth reports on important issues and countries
  • Daily links to must-read news, analysis, and opinion from top sources around the globe, curated by our keen-eyed team of editors
  • Your choice of weekly region-specific newsletters, delivered to your inbox.
  • Smartphone- and tablet-friendly website.
  • Completely ad-free reading.

And all of this is available to you when you subscribe today.

More World Politics Review