A foreign policy election in 2016?

By Richard Barry

A recent National Journal article cites a new GOP poll which reinforces "Republican strategists' conviction that foreign policy will be a major issue in 2016," an issue, the piece suggests "the party believes it can wield to its advantage against Democratic congressional candidates and Hillary Clinton."

The internal survey, conducted by the GOP firm OnMessage, found that security issues ranked first on a list of top priorities for voters, ahead of economic growth, fiscal responsibility, and moral issues, among others. A 22 percent plurality of all respondents ranked it as the top issue, compared with 13 percent who listed economic growth as their top concern. (14 percent listed "fiscal responsibility" at the head of their list.)

Perhaps more interesting is the thought that Americans are feeling secure enough about the economy to begin worrying about other things. And which party rescued the country from the economic mess left by George W. Bush? Why, it was President Barack Obama and the Democrats.

Perhaps too Republicans believe they can score political points against Hillary Clinton by saying the word Benghazi at every opportunity, which, really, no one cares about unless they already mainline Fox News.

I think it might actually be fun to watch some of these Republican nitwits attempt to outshine the former Secretary of State on foreign policy issues.

But again, if Republicans think that they've lost on the economy to the point that they believe foreign policy is their trump card, they've already lost the election because "it's the economy, stupid."