Paris Attacks' Impact on Republican Presidential Race May be Minimal

The recent Paris attacks may not significantly impact the Republican presidential race, as candidates like Donald Trump and Ben Carson, who lack government experience and foreign policy expertise, receive more attention for their rhetoric than their actual policies. Establishment candidates, however, are not offering a substantial contrast, instead relying on bellicose rhetoric and vague promises of military action. A closer examination of their responses reveals a lack of understanding of the complexities of refugee resettlement and the nature of the Islamic State threat.

Key Takeaways:

• Only 2,000 Syrian refugees have been admitted to the United States since the civil war began, despite the estimated 2 million taking refuge in Turkey and hundreds of thousands flooding into Europe.
• The U.S. contribution to alleviating the refugee crisis is minimal, with a proposed increase to 10,000 refugees over the next year being a drop in the bucket.
• Candidates like Chris Christie and John Kasich have proposed unrealistic and potentially harmful policies, such as turning away Syrian refugees and creating a government agency to promote "Judeo-Christian Western values."
• Marco Rubio and Lindsey Graham have called for a dramatic escalation of social-media warfare against the Islamic State.
• Jeb Bush's proposal to lead a global coalition to combat the Islamic State may be seen as tough and sober, but also risks leading to a geopolitical blunder of historic proportions.
• Donald Trump's plan to "bomb the [expletive] out of" ISIS is deeply unserious, but his promise to rely on air power and get other countries to put troops on the ground may resonate with GOP voters.

Statistics:

• 2,000 Syrian refugees have been admitted to the United States since the civil war began.
• 2 million Syrians are taking refuge in Turkey.
• Hundreds of thousands of Syrians are flooding into Europe.
• Proposed increase to 10,000 refugees over the next year would alleviate only a small portion of the refugee crisis.
• Candidates like Trump remain far ahead of the pack in New Hampshire, with 2 new polls conducted since the Paris attacks showing little change in the standings.

Sources:

• The Post, an op-ed by Ben Carson titled "Time to Hit ISIS Where It Hurts"
• A speech by Marco Rubio, in which he called for a dramatic escalation of social-media warfare against the Islamic State
• A statement by Chris Christie, in which he proposed turning away all Syrian refugees, including orphans under the age of 5
• A proposal by John Kasich to create a government agency to promote "Judeo-Christian Western values"
• A speech by Jeb Bush, in which he proposed leading a global coalition to combat the Islamic State with "overwhelming force"