Written by Dr. Brian Clardy
In this age of uncertainty and crisis, American voters have been given the critical task of choosing their leaders through the democratic process. The growing number of COVID-19 cases, and the economic ramifications of the pandemic, have taken center stage. In our own commonwealth, we have entered the dreaded “red zone” as cases have spiked, and the outcome of how this will impact the citizens of our state is fluid and uncertain.
Through this unprecedented period, we are asked to choose our leaders at the national and state level. In Kentucky, we have been given a clear choice of who will represent us in the United States Senate for the next six years; the stakes could not be higher for our state, our country, and the larger world order.
In recent years, Senator Mitch McConnell has failed the test of leadership time again.
He has spoken up when discretion was needed, and he has been silent when his influential voice was called for.
Without question, the current administration’s foreign policy has been a series of poor decisions, equally disastrous policy assumptions, and dangerous miscalculations. Senator McConnell, who has served under every American president from Ronald Reagan to Barack Obama, had been an influential voice in crafting American diplomacy. But now, he has somehow lost his voice as our country’s alliances have become frayed and our standing in the world diminished.
Thus, Senator McConnell has forfeited his right to serve Kentucky, and our country, in the United States Senate.
By contrast, retired Lieutenant Colonel Amy McGrath clearly understands the world and the issues facing our country in the 21st century.
As a United States Marine fighter pilot, and an astute student of American foreign policy, she brings the skills necessary to be an influential voice in the Senate. She would be an excellent addition to either the Foreign Relations Committee, as well as the Select Committee on Intelligence or Armed Services. Her keen understanding of the existential threat that Russia poses to the national security of the United States would be a valuable contribution to the legislative body as she brings practical common-sense solutions to this current problem.
McGrath’s take on the status of Sino-U.S. relations is as equally creative, as she sees China as overly ambitious in Pacific Rim politics, but also recognizes the critical avenues that Washington and Beijing could and should work together on to curtail North Korea’s nuclear program, bring about sensible solutions on trade, and work cooperatively to curb the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction.
McGrath understands that Beijing is a competitor in geopolitics, but also that Washington must take a pragmatic approach to dealing with the Chinese government because miscalculation, poorly managed conflict resolution, and blustering from the White House can lead to disastrous consequences.
Whether it is in reconfiguring the valuable Transatlantic Alliance, or helping to forge a realistic Middle East peace, McGrath brings the necessary skills to the proverbial table that will enable the United States to resume its rightful place as the world’s indispensable nation.
If I may, allow me to add a personal comment to Lieutenant Colonel McGrath’s qualifications. Over the last thirty years, I have been an educator at the college and university level and have taught thousands of students in American politics, United States diplomatic history, and international relations. Moreover, I have advised Congressional candidates on the intricacies of pressing foreign policy crises that the United States faces. And I have been blessed to travel extensively throughout Europe, Asia, and the Caribbean.
I can clearly say, having read McGrath’s foreign policy positions, that I have never encountered a candidate for the United States Senate as qualified, intellectually curious, and practically prepared for the job. I strongly urge Kentuckians, even in the midst of this current health and economic crisis, to consider America’s vital place in the world. To examine the recent poor record of our current majority leader, and the current downward trajectory of American global influence. This November, let us send a clear visionary leader to Washington who can right the ship and restore our beloved country to its rightful place in the global order.
I urge you to elect retired Lieutenant Colonel Amy McGrath to the United States Senate. Sincerely,
Brian K. Clardy, Ph.D.
Associate Professor of History, Murray State University