Graham Campaign Press Release - Union Leader Editorial: Lindsey Graham is a Happy Warrior

Lindsey Graham is a happy warrior

By Grant Bosse

Union Leader

November 10, 2015

As you're reading this, I'm vacationing at Walt Disney World, but I'm writing this column from an even happier place: Lindsey Graham's campaign for President.

The South Carolina Republican is a happy warrior as he speaks with 30 potential voters in Nashua, even as he puts the growing chaos in Syria at the top of his stump speech.

More than any other candidate, Graham has made foreign policy the centerpiece of his campaign, particularly the need for the next President to clean up Barack Obama's mess in the Middle East. But he tackles the thorny problem with an almost manic optimism, throwing off one-liners in between his analysis of Syria's three-sided civil war. He mixes anecdotes from his childhood in South Carolina with stories from his 35 trips to Iraq and Afghanistan.

...

"The reason I talk about this first is because the next commander in chief will have to deal with this problem," Graham argues. "The goal is to test Republicans who want to be our standard bearer, and we've failed to do that so far."

...

Graham says the focus on national polling ignores campaigns trying to build momentum in early primary states. Graham is going all-in on New Hampshire, while other candidates are banking on a strong showing in Iowa.

Graham says he's optimistic because he knows he can win, both as a candidate and as commander in chief.

"When I tell them that the only reason we lost 3,000 on 9/11 and not 3 million is that Al Qaeda didn't have access to a nuclear weapon, their heads nod. They get it," Graham says. "The majority of people understand that they are coming for us here if we don't stop them over there."

Graham says his hawkish stance has already forced the rest of the Republican field to spend more time addressing foreign policy, even through Americans are weary after more than a decade at war.

"ISIL beheading people has brought it back to our consciousness. The bombing of that Russian plane has brought it back to our consciousness," Graham adds.

...

"This isolationist movement in the party had some resonance. Then Obama decides to withdraw from Iraq," Graham recounts. "John McCain and I were the lone voices in the wilderness saying 'Don't do it!'"

While Paul told students at UNH last week that President Obama's decision to send 50 U.S. Special Forces into Syria would drag us into an escalating war, Graham says it's not enough. He pledges to send U.S. troops back in to stabilize Iraq, and several thousand soldiers to lead a multinational force against ISIL in Syria.

...

"Ninety percent them, and 10 percent us," Graham says.

Graham thinks support for Paul's isolationist stance has faded, and most of his fellow Republicans are now backing a greater U.S. role in Syria.

"They stumble over ground forces, but they are catching up with me a bit," Graham says with a laugh.

Graham says he's driven the debate, and forced Republican voters to acknowledge the need to degrade and destroy ISIL.

"We're in a war. You may be tired of fighting them. They aren't tired of fighting you," Graham concludes.

Having his invitation to tonight's debate rescinded freed up some time on Graham's schedule. So he'll be campaigning in New Hampshire, a happy warrior sharing a spirit of optimism about a war he thinks we can win.

Read the full article here.