Candidate Position Comparisons on Iran, U.S. President & Vice President,

Any responses to Iran issue questions presented on the bottom of this page are those of Barack Obama, Ralph Nader, Chuck Baldwin, Bob Barr and John Mccain seeking U.S. President & Vice President. The links immediately below will provide pages of candidate responses to other issues, with the first link to a report of all the issues and questions available to Barack Obama, Ralph Nader, Chuck Baldwin, Bob Barr and John Mccain. Since many candidates choose not to respond to many questions, links are only provided where we have response information. Also, you may need to scroll down to compare responses if many candidates are seeking this office.

Iran Issues	* Barack Obama - D	Ralph Nader - I	Chuck Baldwin - CON
Iran, a General Statement	Obama: In Iran, there is a conventional thinking that has prized bluster over common sense. Earlier this year, while I was getting attacked for calling for direct diplomacy with Iran's leaders, others were talking tough and voting for an amendment that calls for George Bush to use our troops in Iraq to counter Iran. Then we learned in a National Intelligence Estimate that Iran suspended its nuclear weapons program in 2003. Now make no mistake - Iran continues to pose a threat through its support for terrorism, nuclear know-how, and threats toward Israel. But the answer is not George Bush's saber-rattling - it's the diplomatic approach that I put forward when it was politically risky. As President, I will personally present Iran with a choice - stop your dangerous behavior and there will be political and economic incentives; continue doing what you're doing and you will face further isolation. We do not accept Iran's support and encouragement of sectarian violence in Iraq. We do not accept their sponsorship of terrorism throughout the Middle East. And we are outraged by President Ahmadinejad's vile statements, from his denial of the Holocaust to his declaration that Israel should be "wiped off the map." We also need to match our words with policies that pressure Iran to change its behavior. It's time for tough, sustained, and direct diplomacy - backed by real pressure - from the United States, our friends and allies, and the United Nations. And the Iranian people must know that we have no quarrel with them: we seek a future in which their aspirations for peace and opportunity are enabled by their government, not obstructed. It's time to do more than condemn Iran's actions - it's time for our own actions to apply real pressure on Iran. We will never waver in the face of President Ahmadinejad's rhetoric. We should never worry that his message will defeat ours. We must unite to make it clear that the future does not belong to hate, it belongs to hope. Source: www.barackobama.com/2007/12/18/obama_discusses_new_judgment_w.php Date: 12/19/2007	Nader: No Response	Baldwin: No Response
Iran Diplomacy	Obama: I have said, unlike Senator Clinton, that I would meet directly with the leadership in Iran. I believe that we have not exhausted the diplomatic efforts that could be required to resolve some of these problems--them developing nuclear weapons, them supporting terrorist organizations like Hezbollah and Hamas. That does not mean that we take other options off the table, but it means that we move forward aggressively with a dialogue with them about not only the sticks that we're willing to apply, but also the carrots. Source: Meet the Press: 2007 "Meet the Candidates" series Date: 11/11/2007	Nader: No Response	Baldwin: No Response
Iran's Pursuit of Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD)	Obama: The Bush administration has correctly targeted Iran as a dangerous cheater in the nuclear game. According to a report released by the UN International Atomic Energy Agency last month, Iran is continuing to assemble parts and materials needed for building nuclear weapons—in violation of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, of which it is a signatory. What better illustration is there of the importance of the United States to be able to lead and work with other nations than in Iran, where the United States can work together with Russia and European nations who supply the expertise and business connections there. Source: Candidate Website Date: 10/04/2008	Nader: No Response	Baldwin: No Response
President Ahmadinejad	Obama: I would not have extended an invitation to give President Ahmadinejad another platform for his hateful rhetoric. Adolph Hitler was the worst mass murderer in the history of the world, and Ahmadinejad's denial of his crimes is offensive to Jews, to Americans, and to all people of goodwill. But this is America, and we should never be afraid to confront the ranting lies of dictators like Ahmadinejad with the power of truth and the strength of our own values. What Ahmadinejad will learn while he's here is that America is united in rejection of his hateful views, and in opposition to the Iranian government's support of terrorism and pursuit of nuclear weapons. Source: www.barackobama.com/2007/09/24/obama_statement_on_ahmadinejad.php Date: 09/24/2007	Nader: No Response	Baldwin: No Response
Iran's involvement in Iraq	Obama: We have to realize that the entire Middle East has a huge stake in the outcome of Iraq, and that we have to engage neighboring countries in finding a solution. Now, I believe that includes opening dialogue both Syria and Iran. We know these countries want us to fail. I'm under no illusions there, but I also know that neither Syria nor Iran want to see a security vacuum in Iraq filled with chaos, and terrorism, and refugees and violence, since those could have a destabilizing effect on the entire region, including within their own countries. So, even as we remain steadfast in our opposition to their support of terrorism, even as we continue to put pressure on Iran to stand down on its nuclear ambitions, it's absolutely critical that we talk to the Syrians and the Iranians about playing a more constructive role in Iraq. Source: Virtual Town Hall on Iraq, sponsored by MoveOn.org Date: 04/10/2007	Nader: No Response	Baldwin: No Response
A US Limited Strike on Iran	Obama: I don't think the President of the United States takes military options off the table, but I think that we obviously have to measure costs and benefits in all the decisions that we make. Iran is one problem. Pakistan is another problem. Afghanistan is another. Iraq is yet another. My decision making, with respect to military options versus diplomatic options, a containment strategy versus a strike strategy, is going to be informed by how is that going to impact not just Iran, but how is that going to impact the stability of the region and how's that going to impact our long-term security interests. Source: "Interview With Barack Obama," New York Times Date: 11/01/2007	Nader: No Response	Baldwin: No Response
Economic Sanctions Against Iran	Obama: One critical tool in applying pressure on the Iranian government is divestment. Our friends in Florida and in my home state of Illinois have joined a grassroots movement and passed laws to divest their pension plans of businesses that invest in Iran's energy sector. Florida's actions alone will stop $1.3 billion from going into the Iranian budget. But these efforts could be stopped if the bipartisan Iran Sanctions Enabling Act is not passed by the Congress. This strong, bipartisan bill would authorize these divestment efforts and shine a light on companies who do business with Iran. Its only obstacle is a single Senator who placed an anonymous "hold" on the bill. Source: www.barackobama.com/2007/09/2/obama_statement_to_rally_oppos.php Date: 09/24/2007	Nader: No Response	Baldwin: No Response
Iran Issues	Bob Barr - L	John Mccain - R
Iran, a General Statement	Barr: No Response	Mccain: John McCain believes Syria and Iran have aided and abetted the violence in Iraq for too long. Syria has refused to crack down on Iraqi insurgents and foreign terrorists operating from within its territory. Iran has aided the most extreme and violent Shia militias, providing them with training, weapons, and technology that they have used to kill American troops. The answer is not to enter into unconditional dialogues with these two dictatorships from a position of weakness. The answer is for the international community to apply real pressure to Syria and Iran to change their behavior. The United States must also bolster its regional military posture to make clear to Iran our determination to protect our forces in Iraq and to deter Iranian intervention in that country. Source: www.johnmccain.com Date: 12/05/2007
Iran Diplomacy	Barr: No Response	Mccain: No Response
Iran's Pursuit of Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD)	Barr: No Response	Mccain: It is clear that Iran’s reckless pursuit of nuclear weapons, coupled with its support for terrorism, threatens the Middle East and beyond. That is why I was one of the earliest cosponsors of S. 333, the Iran Freedom and Support Act of 2006. Today, Senator Santorum offered a modified version of this bill as an amendment to the Defense Department Authorization Act. I opposed this move because I believe that the bill should move through committee according to the normal legislative process, and because I do not believe that we should cut funding from ongoing U.S. Army operations in Iraq and Afghanistan. At the same time, I urge the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and the Senate Banking Committees, each of which have pending a version of the legislation, to move ahead with markups. In the meantime, I will continue my calls for a U.S.-led effort to sanction Iran unless it reverses its pursuit of nuclear weapons and support for terrorism. Iran presents very real threats to the United States and our friends and interests, and the international community must react accordingly.” Source: www.johnmccain.com Date: 12/05/2007
President Ahmadinejad	Barr: No Response	Mccain: No Response
Iran's involvement in Iraq	Barr: No Response	Mccain: No Response
A US Limited Strike on Iran	Barr: No Response	Mccain: And every option must remain on the table. Military action isn't our preference. It remains, as it always must, the last option. We have some way to go diplomatically before we need to contemplate other measures. But it is a simple observation of reality that there is only one thing worse than a military solution, and that, my friends, is a nuclear armed Iran. The regime must understand that it cannot win a showdown with the world. Source: Republican Presidential Debate, St. Petersburg, Florida, hosted by CNN Date: 07/18/2007
Economic Sanctions Against Iran	Barr: No Response	Mccain: No Response

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