The litmus test to identify a Neoconservative is this: Is he unhinged on the subject of Putin?

Our favorite neocon paper The Wall Street Journal, in its September 18, 2015 editorial, presents the type at its extreme.  The writer was sort of impressed by Ms. Fiorina in the second Republican debate. It approvingly contrasted her fierce condemnation of Putin, with Trump’s willingness to concede a role for Russia in the Middle East.

Trump’s position:  “‘Syria’s a mess. You look at what’s going on with ISIS in there, now think of this: We’re fighting ISIS. ISIS wants to fight Syria. Why are we fighting ISIS in Syria? Let them fight each other and pick up the remnants.’ He meant that as a criticism of President Obama’s strategy, but letting them fight each other is Mr.  Obama’s strategy. Mr. Trump also said ‘I Would talk to him. I would get along with him [Vladimir Putin] . . .’ ”

Ms. Fiorina’s position: “Then came Ms. Fiorina, who said she wouldn’t talk to Mr. Putin at all because ‘we’ve talked to him way too much.’ That is unrealistic, but she then ripped off an informed list of policy choices that the Obama Administration has resisted: ‘We could rebuild the Sixth Fleet. I will. We haven’t. We could rebuild the missile defense program. We haven’t.  I will.'”

Now, why is this debate, Trump vs. Fiorina, on a blog that holds that nuclear weapons are IQ tests?

The debate is here because Mr. Fiorina’s second assertion, that she would advance the missile defense program, drives to the heart of the matter.   Everyone recognizes that Putin has the same ability to destroy the US that the US has to destroy Russia. If her “get tough with Putin” policy does not frighten him, what will she do?  She will defeat Russia in a war while defending us with a beefed up missile defense program.

The notion would occasion giggles in a debate between 4th graders.

There is no alternative to working something out with Putin.  He controls  hundreds of nuclear weapons.

Which is to say he controls what 25 years olds, who can write a 785 on the math SAT, can engineer.

R Peppe