The Republican Approach Would Lose to ISIS

Bluster and gusto are effective political tactics when it comes to foreign policy, especially when dealing with terrorists. ISIS are scary people- they behead people, they crucify people, and they have a stated goal of changing Western life. It's much easier, even much more comforting, to say "let's get tough on them." What that means though strikes hollow- there are no easy, ready-for-bumpersticker answers to ISIS. That's not how you solve actual, real world problems.

Republicans have no answer to the existence of ISIS. Amongst the great ideas being floated by the GOP:

• Invade Syria, re-invade Iraq. On who's side we'd invade Syria, I don't think they've thought through. Also, that whole invading, occupying, and re-building a country is something we did recently next door in Iraq, and it didn't go well.
• Stop the Iran Nuclear Deal. I can't even begin to figure out what this would do, since Iran is fighting ISIS too.
• End the exodus of refugees from Syria. I guess we should keep them there to die or live under ISIS? Get gassed by their government? I'm not sure what they're aiming for here.

I actually heard Jeb Bush talk about working with our allies to fight ISIS. I'd love to know who he means? Join Iran and Russia to fight ISIS? Join up with our friends in Saudi Arabia, who may be funding ISIS? Join the Kurds and fight Turkey too, or join Turkey and kill the Kurds who fight along side with us in Iraq? I'm not sure this man has any idea what to do.

The Republican ideas out there to deal with ISIS would all make things worse. I can't take them seriously on fighting ISIS when they won't let DOJ stop gun sales to terrorists, but they want to talk and sound tough. I don't doubt that they want to defeat ISIS, I doubt they have any clue how to do it. What credibility does the party that gave us the Iraq War have in fighting terrorists?