“The fact is the US can’t stop it-we are not omnipotent.”
That is true. Paul states that “we can’t invade every country that wants a bomb.” But no one is suggesting we do that. That has never been our policy, and never will be our policy.
But there is a middle ground between that and doing nothing, which is what he says we should do. There needs to be a strategy to stop or delay them, and there needs to be a strategy to contain the problem if they get the bomb. The idea that “It’s none of our business” is ridiculous.
I don’t think they can resolve the issue of what should be done in the context of a Presidential debate, or even during the campaign. Obama tried to make it an issue in 2008. He said that if we meet with the Iranians, the problem can be solved. That turned out to be wishful thinking. He’s now working on Plan B, which involves sabotage, diplomacy, and sanctions. The Russians just built a nuclear power plant for them. We need better cooperation from the Russians and Chinese in this process. I don’t think isolationism is the best policy. But I would not expect the candidates to lay out their plans. This is something that is going to require behind the scenes action, as well as adjustment on the fly. It’s nuts to rule out military action, though. That just shows Iran that you’re not serious about the problem.
There are ways to handle these issues regionally and let the nations around Iran deal with Iran by giving them support to do so.
But Paul is correct in that we have to stop thinking the US can solve every problem in the world-we can't.