The Independent, Rupert Cornwell 

 

 

A remarkable role reversal has occurred in US politics. The wimps have become the he-men. Or more precisely, the Democrats have taken over from the Republicans as the party Americans most trust to keep the country safe. Not since the days of JFK has this happened, and the transformation could just tip the outcome of November's election.

Last week was, of course, the perfect time for Barack Obama to showcase his achievements. It saw the anniversary of the killing of Osama bin Laden and a dramatic visit to Kabul, during which he delivered a prime-time speech to his compatriots, 7,000 miles away, on how he would end the unpopular Afghan war. According to every poll, the public believes, for the first time since the Vietnam War, that the Democrats are the best bet on foreign policy and national security.

The Republicans' reputation was basically made by Nixon and Kissinger, while that of the Democrats was further tarnished by the 1979 Soviet invasion of Afghanistan and the Tehran hostage crisis, both on Jimmy Carter's watch. Carter's successor, Ronald Reagan, is universally credited with strength and statesmanship in his dealings with Moscow. The end of the Cold War, and the masterfully executed war to drive Iraq from Kuwait, came under Reagan's successor, George H W Bush – to this day, the embodiment of a Republican safe pair of hands.