What will the next presidency be about? Foreign policy is obviously a central focus. Terrorism and Iraq, are front and center, with Iran, China, imports, moral authority and a myriad of other issues also in the picture. At the same time, we’re talking about healthcare, the rising costs of health insurance, prescriptions, and the rolls of the uninsured. It’s probably fair to say that a presidential candidate should have a decent grasp of both of these issues.

I know a few of my friends (and FatMixx readers) consider Rudy Giuliani as a satisfactory Republican candidate. He does seem to be a decent candidate on the surface. Mayor on 9/11, showed calm leadership in the scary days right after the attacks, and has stances on hot button issues that both infuriate and excite both Democrats and Republicans. Unfortunately, any time Giuliani has made any policy statement, he’s shown how shallow his candidacy really is.

On foreign policy issues, Giuliani wrote a piece for Foreign Affairs. It is a horrible piece, completely devoid of the understanding of the world stage, terrorism, and diplomacy that one would expect from a serious presidential candidate. Read the piece and then read some of the reaction around the web. Hilzoy, at Obsidian Wings, wrote a great piece summarizing her views and the reactions from various observers. It’s the best place to start for reactions and analysis, as she links to most of the major reporters and scholars writing on this.

Matt Yglesias has the best line:

The result is a chilling vision of a world where peace can only be achieved through American military domination

Fills you with longing for the days when Bush randomly insulted enemies with no intention of following through.

On the healthcare front, we have a healthcare speech that Ezra Klein, of The American Prospect, broke down. The headline of his piece: “A Man with a Non-Plan,” which about sums it up. It’s simply not serious, but calculated to shape his political message. I think the message is “low taxes! Democrats are socialists! Socialists I tells ya!” Or something like that.

So, read those pieces and then answer one question: Why would you vote for this guy?