Foreign Policy Debate: Why Hugo Chavez Wants Obama to Win the Debate and the Election

Barack Obama has tonight’s debate in the bag. America’s foreign policy has never been better — at least in the eyes of the international community.

Remember 2008? Planet Earth stood still four years ago, its collective breath held in the hopes that the United States would finally join the rest of the enlightened world on the center-left path towards European-style socialism. The American voters duly rewarded their faith.

The president still has that magic touch. Just like four years ago, Obama has near-universal support beyond America’s borders. Mind you, he’s left much to be desired, especially for those who hoped he’d close Guantanamo, rescue Europe from its fiscal free-fall, and keep Iran’s Ahmadinejad from fulfilling his own campaign promise to obliterate Israel. But surely Obama’s cosmopolitan politics — “lead from behind” chief among them — are preferable to a Mitt Romney presidency.

The world’s dictators agree. In the past year, Hugo Chavez, Raul Castro, and Vladimir Putin have thrown their lot in with Barack Obama. Their unsolicited advice speaks volumes.

They all have their reasons. Castro and Chavez both appreciate our president’s political and philosophical kinship. It turns out that universal health care, the near-nationalization of America’s banking and auto industries, and the nonstop attacks on the 1% all sit well with the world’s socialists. Bafflingly, those countries have persistent economic hardships. Good thing they're both too big to fail.

Putin has been less forthcoming with his own reasoning. It isn’t that difficult to discern, though.  Obama’s “Russia Reset” has been nothing more than a "Russian Resurgence." Naturally, Putin takes particular joy in propping up pro-terrorist, anti-American regimes like Syria and Iran. So much for the fall of the Berlin Wall.

Admittedly, Obama hasn’t swept every category — yet. Some of the world’s most sought-after endorsements have yet to come in. But he shouldn’t lose hope. After all our president has done for Iran, Ahmadinejad will surely cast his vote within the next few days. Communist China shouldn’t be far behind — the interest payments alone on the debt we owe them will fill their coffers for generations. I only hope Obama’s thank-you notes are handwritten.