Campaign 2000: Selecting the next Innocent Abroad   The amazing thing about this year's presidential campaign is how similar the major parties' platforms are on almost everything.  Nowhere is this more clear than in international affairs, because the two parties' foreign policies are virtually identical in a broad sense.  While George W.  Bush and Albert Gore do disagree on some issues, neither is advocating a major deviation from the status quo.  Even Bush, whose rhetoric portrays his policies as nearly a complete reversal of Clinton's, embraces free trade, permanent foreign alliances, and American intervention abroad.  One reason why the two candidates offer similar platforms is that the American electorate simply doesn't care about foreign affairs.  With few votes at stake, Bush and Gore have discussed social and economic issues instead of debating each other's China policy at length.  But even if voters completely ignore international relations in this year's campaign, the election will have an impact on foreign policy, especially if Bush were to defeat Gore in the fall. The only intellectual stimulation in the race comes from Green Party nominee Ralph Nader and Reform Party candidate-apparent Patrick J.  Buchanan.  Since these candidates reject the status quo merely by running, they can afford to offer policies that would dramatically change the course of American history.  Granted, these candidates have almost no chance of winning the White House.  Still, their challenges to American foreign policy orthodoxy are interesting and potentially fertile grounds for policies for future administrations. Analyzing the foreign policies of presidential candidates, voter apathy notwithstanding, is important.  The Economist of London reminds its readers that "foreign policy is one of the few things where being president matters."  After all, Alan Greenspan and the Federal Reserve Board now handle the economy, while the states are now mainly in charge of social programs.  Bush, Gore, Nader or Buchanan will find it difficult to affect domestic issues as president.  But the eventual winner will be more or less free to conduct foreign policy as he sees fit.   Campaign2000     Introduction      Bush      Gore      Nader      Buchanan      Citations

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