On International Affairs, Romney Has Not Yet Even Begun to Fight
Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney has written an op-ed piece about what’s wrong with President Barack Obama’s Middle East policy and what he would do if he is elected president. There aren’t many surprises, but it reminds us how far Romney has to go before he can be said to have articulated a clear foreign policy of his own.
Romney lists five crises in the region that he feels place U.S. security at risk and are neglected by Obama: the Syrian civil war; Muslim Brotherhood takeover in Egypt; the murder of the U.S. ambassador to Libya; violent protests at U.S. embassies; and Iran’s continued progress toward having nuclear weapons as it continues to promise to annihilate Israel.
Romney continues: “Yet amid this upheaval, our country seems to be at the mercy of events rather than shaping them. We’re not moving them in a direction that protects our people or our allies.” These crises, however, could pull America into serious conflict.
The problem, he says, is that Obama’s policy “has allowed our leadership to atrophy…by a president who thinks that weakness will win favor with our adversaries….[By] stepping away from our allies, President Obama has heightened the prospect of conflict and instability. He does not understand that an American policy that lacks resolve can provoke aggression and encourage disorder.”
He criticizes Obama for misreading the “Arab Spring,” moving away from Israel, and lacking sufficient credibility to deter Iran. He also speaks of “using the full spectrum of our soft power to encourage liberty and opportunity for those who have for too long known only corruption and oppression.”
Well, Romney better hurry up and get in freaking gear, ’cause the election is only a month away.
He’s looking more and more like a McCain.
Well, Mr. Romney better start fighting. Because right now he is losing on foreign policy as well as domestic policy. Let’s hope he can make an impression in the debates… Otherwise four more years of Obama.
Barry, I agree with you. It’s not only not too late for action, it’s time to make action the priority. At every level.
So here’s some advice for Romney and his team:
Stop quibbling, qualifying and tip-toeing. English is jam-packed with active verbs.
Find them. Use them. Mean them.
Dump the circuitous language and insider beltway terminology. Ditch the passive voice. Discover your inner, action-oriented leader. Speak simply, clearly and sincerely.
Do it now, please. Before it’s too late.
2. Brutus?
How can he be losing on foreign policy? Obama is losing on foreign policy!
I think Romney is playing his cards close to his vest. Americans ARE much more concerned about the economy than the state of the world. What is to be gained in the election by a hard right “turn”?
Not the undecideds who have no interest in global affairs and not conservatives who will vote for him anyway.
“Aside from people noticing on their own that Obama’s policy is disastrous…”*
*I think a murdered Ambassador, valiant SEALs KIA and burning embassies is sufficient for people to make up their minds. Romney could do no worse and doesn’t need to help Obama by providing a distraction.
“But I am getting the feeling that either his campaign is thin regarding expertise on the Middle East or that those people are not being listened to by those higher up…”*
*I’m sorry the Romney campaign hasn’t thanked you for all your emails.
Strangely, my recent issue of Homeland Security Today attempted to go over the security records of both candidates – the president and his challenger, Romney. What they found was that Obama’s campaign was open about its record, besides all things about it being already public knowledge, while Romney’s campaign has been completely tight lipped about his security record. They had to do their own research and found his tenure as Governor of Mass and his time running the Olympics showed that he not only understood security and emergency management issues, but that he actually makes such things a priority among his actions. They were flummoxed at his secrecy about his record, considering they’ve found only things he should be proud of, rather than hide. I have no idea what this means, but I find it odd myself. His time running Olympics should be enough to make him look good, considering all the security considerations he had to make in that job. I do not believe he has any shameful secret to hide…so why not talk about it? Does he fear he’ll be seen as too confrontational or even racist for contrasting his experience with the president’s? I’m not sure. I suspect it must be something like that, though. What Romney needs to do is stop playing defense. If this is the real reason Romney is being tight lipped about it, then it’s a foolish campaign tactic and he needs to be more forthcoming about his record. After all, he has nothing but good things to show.
Obama once said in one of his Arab Spring speeches that, “The tides of war are receeding in the Mid East.” Take that to the bank as his perception and policy.
As little that acknowledges the motion of tides, the 47% care little about international and are mostly concerned with entitlement domestic policy.
Although Obama has often traveled up Mt. Hypocracy, he does not like to contradict himself on his vision-thing. Win or lose, he is well in a position to humble the U.S. to North Africa, and create a power vacuum for the Russians and Chinese to fill. That would include voiding the American nuclear arsenal therefore becoming a “good example” to the rest of the world.
My problem is not with the current president, but the people who elected and maintain that character to the highest office of the most powerful nation on earth. Perhaps the burnoosed bolshevics on both sides of the ocean will welcome their new masters, free from the ravages of freedom and self reliance.
DHS Counterterror Centers Produce ‘a Bunch of Crap,’ Senate Finds By Spencer Ackerman October 2, 2012
http://www.wired.com/dangerroom/2012/10/fusion-centers/
I just love how all of the armchair pundits are offering up advice for Romney. As I’ve stated dozens of times, Mitt ain’t no dummy. You don’t build a Bain Capital by accident. Mitt’s campaign, to me, has been brilliantly conducted. Withstanding a full summer of inter-party contention, followed by a concerted character attack by the DNC and friends and was/is still in a neck and neck race..Or at least until Mitt mopped the floor with Obama last night… Mitt now has access to the 180 million in campaign funds from the RNC. He will play his cards close to the chest and “trump” each gambit from the opposition.
My thoughts exactly.
Yep. Agreed.
I guess, it comes down to 37049 simple choice!
“revealing and fun tips about this topic to Ethel”