Romney’s going abroad
I don’t know why Howard Portnoy, who wrote this piece at Hot Air, is so negative about Romney’s forthcoming trip to Europe. I think it sounds smart, with Romney both imitating Obama (visiting Europe and the Middle East as a mere candidate) and highlighting the contrasts between himself and Obama.
What are those contrasts? Well, just take a look at where Romney is headed:
The Associated Press reports that the GOP candidate plans on lifting a chapter out of candidate Obama’s playbook next week, when he “travels to England, Israel and Poland looking to establish credibility as a potential commander in chief.”
A chapter out of Obama’s playbook does not involve making nice to allies that Obama has dissed, insulted, ignored, and/or betrayed. Romney did not select these countries by randomly sticking a pin in a map.
It’s not that Obama has never visited them—he has. And he even traveled to two of them as a candidate: Israel and Britain. But ever since his inauguration he’s been busy upsetting all three in ways large and small (see this and this and this for just a few examples).
I look forward not only to Romney’s trip, but to the messages he delivers while there.
[ADDENDUM: Think Obama’s noticed? I certainly do.]
Why so negative? Could it be that relentless Romney bashes within Romney articles is the way right pundits signal that while they are anti-Obama they are still cool?
I think it’s really neat that Lech Walesa will meet with him after refusing to meet Obama. I think Romney might be able to repair our standing in the world.
Does Portnoy have a complaint?
All Romney has to do is go there and say:
“I will stand by our friends,
I will stand up to our enemies,
and I know the difference.”
That would reverse four years of Obama’s foreign policy.
Might be a spark of wonderment and CHANGE if Mitt would announce to Eastern Europe that the Anti-Ballistic Missile Shield which ‘W’ planned and The Boy King abandoned will be back on the Fast Track. A damned good message for Putin to receive about a New Sheriff.
A number of our presidents have traveled abroad before becoming POTUS. Truman. Ike. Kennedy. TR. Did a Mexican War general become president? Forgot to look it up before starting this.
It’s a mistake for Romney to do this because he sounds ill-informed and unintelligent when he talks about foreign policy.
The best way for us to defeat Obama is by being honest with ourselves about Romney’s flaws. The best way for us to promote conservative ideals is by being honest with ourselves about how the conservative movement is being mismanaged by Republican leaders.
Rob:
To paraphrase: “Whenever I hear someone talk about ‘conservative/liberal ideals’, I reach for my gun…”.
In a word, their credibility has just taken a gut shot.
Ta…
Rob,
In comparison to Obama, Romney is great. Besides, he will be visiting the Olympics, where he has connections; Ann will be visiting relatives in Wales; there will be another visit with Bibi, whom he has known for decades; and finally, his presence in Poland will tell the Poles that he values their frendship. He doesn’t have to give a detailed foreign policy speech. He justhas to sound like someone whohonors friendship.
Charlie: When I hear someone talk about “gut shots”, I reach for my conservative ideals. So there!
Obama’s gutless, craven abandonment of our massive victory in Iraq should be honestly addressed by Romney. But, with good-calculated timing…Say, in a foreign policy debate with His Infantile Majesty this Fall.