Harry Truman said that “there is nothing new in the world except the history that you do not know.” With that in mind, I am reluctant to suggest that the 2020 election will be different from any other. Nonetheless, at least three things will make the contest both unusual and a challenge to analyze in an unemotional, nonpartisan way.

In the wake of Covid-19, President Trump is ramping up his attacks on China. It looks like candidate Biden will not be outdone. Must China be an enemy? Or might we be displacing blame for our growing problems?

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President Trump recently ordered 3,800 troops back to Iraq. What if one of them were your child or your friend? How would you justify it? Is the mission clear? Is there an end in sight?

One thing folks in Washington always seem to agree on is that Russia is an enemy. Candidate Trump shocked both sides when he said that he would “get along with Vladimir Putin,” asking rhetorically, “Wouldn’t that be a good thing?” Well, wouldn’t it be?

The Department of Defense is likely to spend $725 billion in fiscal 2020. This represents roughly 53% of total discretionary spending. And yet, the topic has received virtually no debate during this campaign season. Is defense spending now untouchable? Let’s try to be fact-based and rational.