“There’s an awful lot of rhetoric and things, but when you get to the specifics, you just get the sense he doesn’t know exactly what tools to use. I just find him very shallow…. To those not totally into foreign policy, it sounds pretty good, but it’s really full of platitudes.”
Former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright on Mitt’s “big” foreign policy speech at VMI. She’s got that right.
The first presidential debate is this Wednesday, October 3, from 9-10:30 EDT. It will focus on domestic policy, and Jim Lehrer will moderate.
The one and only vice-presidential debate is Thursday, October 11, from 9-10:30 EDT. It will cover both domestic and foreign policy, and Martha Raddatz will moderate. I predict that Paul Ryan will not call his opponent “O’Biden.”
The second presidential debate is Tuesday, October 16, from 9-10:30 EDT. It will be a town hall covering both domestic and foreign policy, and Candy Crowley will moderate.
The third presidential debate is Monday, October 22, from 9-10:30 EDT. It will focus on foreign policy, and Bob Schieffer will moderate.
“I know Romney doesn’t believe a word he’s saying on foreign policy and that it’s all aimed at ginning up votes: there’s some China-bashing to help in the Midwest, some Arab-bashing to win over the Jews, some Russia-bashing (‘our No. 1 geopolitical foe’) to bring in the Polish vote, plus a dash of testosterone to keep the neocons off his back.”
Thomas L. Friedman, “It’s Mitt’s World,” NYT
A new Fox News poll shows that voters trust President Obama more than Mitt on terrorism by 13% and on foreign policy by 11%. These are areas where the Dem is traditionally seen as weaker.
Mitt’s recently hired foreign policy spokesman, Richard Grenell, has resigned after a “cup of coffee,” as they say in baseball, with the campaign.
Did he mess up on Iran or North Korea or Russia?
No, actually, his resignation has nothing whatsoever to do with foreign policy. Grenell is openly gay, and the gay-hating powers that be in the GOP couldn’t rest until they’d hounded him out of his job.
Strong spine there, Mitt.
Herman Cain told David Gregory this morning that he doesn’t know what “neo-conservativism” is. Some examples of ignorance are so egregious and appalling that they are automatically disqualifying, and this is one of them.
Over and over again, Cain has demonstrated that he has no basic understanding of, or interest in, foreign and defense policy issues. Some Americans aren’t interested in this stuff, and they don’t pay attention. That’s fine, just don’t run for commander in chief.
Some candidates get it wrong, Herman Cain just doesn’t get it at all. If ignorance is bliss, Cain must have achieved Nirvana a long time ago.
The Republicans are always bellyaching that Democrat plans to cut domestic spending are never real cuts, they are just cuts in the rate of growth.
Now comes Mitt “I’m Also Unemployed” Romney, in his foreign and defense policy speech in South Carolina yesterday, declaiming that “As President, on day one, … I will reverse President Obama’s massive defense cuts.”
Except that there haven’t been any defense cuts, massive or otherwise. There have been reductions in the rate of growth in defense spending, which you would expect as we wind down two wars. And any Republican will tell you that reductions in growth rates aren’t cuts.
Also, Mitt said he would put pressure on Iran by sending an aircraft carrier task force to the Persian Gulf. Great idea, Mitt, except that we already have one there.
Mitt is either ignorant or dishonest. Either way, he shouldn’t be commander in chief.
In his foreign policy speech today in South Carolina, Mitt “I’m Also Unemployed” Romney took a really cheap shot at President Obama: “If you do not want America to be the strongest nation on Earth, I am not your President. You have that President today.”
I hope Mitt stays unemployed.
Embattled Farmers 