Still stumped? Here's some more info on their positions

Drew Ermenc

February 1, 2008

Hillary Clinton as a foreign policy expert? Not according to the critics who argue how legit her experience truly is. "Clinton made a great deal of having visited a number of countries as First Lady, but there are questions as to whether she really had a seat at the table," says Baxter. Kirk Dornbush, president of Atlanta-based Iconic Therapeutics and a Barack Obama fundraiser, adds, "In my book, being First Lady doesn't count," he says. "The experience that she tries to claim doesn't make sense to me. It would be like Melinda Gates trying to say she could run Microsoft simply because she's married to Bill Gates."

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Even though John Edwards has positioned himself as the anti-big business candidate, he does have several characteristics that would make a successful president. Just ask Dr. Charles Bullock, the University of Georgia's Richard B. Russell professor of political science, who doesn't view Edwards as pro business, but believes he could reach across the aisle if necessary. "If the president comes from a background where you have had to develop bargaining and negotiating skills, then there are much more likely to get what they want ... With Edwards, as a trial attorney, you have to sell your ideas, and be sensitive to how you're being received by the 12 members of the jury."

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Many have applauded Rudy Giuliani's famous tough attitude on crime, pornography and poverty in New York City, but critics may define this toughness as full-blown stubbornness, a characteristic that won't make many friends in Washington. According to his detractors, his tenure as mayor was filled with borderline abuses of power. Giuliani was involved in numerous courtroom battles, fighting news organizations in more than two-dozen lawsuits over public information (he lost most of them), and a very public courtroom battle with his comptroller that led to lawsuits and appeals that lasted two years (he lost the suit and all appeals). Giuliani also filed a lawsuit against the state of New York in 1999 over the State Legislature's vote to repeal the commuter tax, splitting with New York Gov. (and fellow Republican) George Pataki, and insisting his city needed the tax to pay for services. Again, Giuliani failed, as the State Supreme Court ruled the tax unconstitutional.

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Still classified as a political newcomer, Barack Obama has quickly become a Democratic rock star, and Dornbush understands why. As an Atlanta businessman, he sees a person committed to change, regardless of his stance on certain issues. "I don't look at any specific policy, I'm looking for a leader," he says. "This is a global economy. For U.S. to compete globally, we need to be respected globally. We need to regain our reputation in the world. Obama is the guy to do that. I'm very macro, and I'm looking for a guy that can lead this country and restore our standing in the world, and that, in turn, will help our businesses."

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John McCain's military service during Vietnam, his time as a prisoner-of-war and his work on various committee's, including the Senate Armed Services Committee, demonstrates a knowledge of foreign policy, something lacking with most of the current candidates. "McCain, out of all those Republicans, has the most foreign policy experience, but still not that much," says Tom Baxter, editor of Southern Political Report.