Romney Never True to Thine Own Self Posted by Adam Blickstein

Well once again Mitt Romney has waded into, what for him, are the foreign shores of foreign policy.  While addressing a neoconservative conference this week in Washington, Romney, according to reports, discussed a whole host of national security issues he has little to no experience with. Remember, this is the same guy that barely two years ago spent his time:

"...ticking through a presidential checklist, sometimes with perilous results. Where he lacked foreign policy experience, his staff arranged one-day visits to Iraq, Afghanistan and Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. Check, check, check."

Romney's business experience probably makes him an expert at making lists and checking off accomplishments, but sadly, this is not suitable for successful leadership in the foreign policy world where nuance and policy experience actually matter. For instance, at the conference, Romney called Obama's foreign policy:

“a dramatic and revolutionary” redesign in American foreign policy unlike what we have seen over the past 50 years...[and] distance ourselves from our friends and move “closer to our foes.”

First, over the past fifty years, there has been a strong tradition in American foreign policy of American Presidents embracing our allies while also engaging with our enemies. Nixon went to China. Reagan helped end the Cold War by engaging with the Soviets and actually held a summit in Soviet Moscow with Gorbachev. All Romney and other conservatives seem to want is a new Cold War with Russia and China. Speaking of which, our foreign policy in 2009 should be far different than it was in 1959 since the Cold War is in fact over and our strategic imperatives and threats are far different today than they were then. If anything, we do need a new foreign policy direction that is "dramatic and revolutionary" when compared to the failures of the past 8 years, one that stands in stark contrast to the erratic and reactionary approach of the Bush administration.

Romney also went after the Administration's decision to revamp our missile defense system, saying he was “dumbfounded” by the president’s decision" and "derided the new and improved intelligence." Well, I'm sure the one-term Massachusetts governor has access to the latest information from our intelligence community, and knows better on this issue than the Secretary of Defense, the intelligence community, and of course the President, people who actually spend their lives reading high level intelligence and not just giving political speeches. He also seems pretty comfortable disparaging the work of all 16 agencies in the intelligence community who put together the May 2009 intelligence assessment on Iran from which the decision to bolster the missile defense system in the face of new threats was derived. But at the same time he attacked the Justice Department for investigating possible interrogation abuses at the CIA, asserting it may expose our "friends" there. So which is it, are folks in the CIA Mitt Romney's friends he wants to defend or inept government officials he wants to attack for their apparent inability to gather reliable intelligence on Iran's missile program? Here, he seems frantically confused.

Just like Hamlet I guess, whom Romney compares Obama to:

President Obama's skepticism about a troop build-up in Afghanistan came under fire on Monday from former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, a Republican who ran for president in 2008 and is actively laying the groundwork for a second run in 2012.

"This is not the time for Hamlet in the White House," said Romney. "How in the world can he be saying at this stage the things that he is saying?"

Not like Romney has never been compared to the erratic Shakespearean character before. But Romney here confuses indecisiveness with careful deliberation over an intractible issue. Romney, like most Republicans, views Afghanistan as a problem to be solved only through a purely military approach, and he doesn't understand that the role of the President is to distill different views into a coherent and comprehensive strategy, of which the military is a crucial, but not singular, part. This is something even CENTCOM Commander General David Petraeus acknowledged:

Military action is absolutely necessary but it is not sufficient…Political, economic and diplomatic activity is critical to capitalize on gains in the security arena.”

At a time when the political, economic, and diplomatic situation in Afghanistan remains uncertain, Obama is taking the smart approach and weighing all his options, not embarking on some strategy that fits into an quaint and elitist but factually baseless Republican Shakesperean allusion.

And Romney might want to be careful while quoting Hamlet. For a man John McCain said has "consistently taken both sides of any major issue [and] consistently flip-flopped on every issue," Romney should probably actually read the play and take guidance from perhaps its most famous phrase:

This above all — to thine own self be true;
And it must follow, as the night the day,
Thou canst not then be false to any man.

It's pretty clear, though, that the only thing Romney is to true to is his own selfish political ambitions.

Comments

[Jim]

I find this entire article laughable from the title to the conclusion. The title and conclusion, incidentally, are themselves in conflict. If Romney is never true to his own self, how then is he true to his "own selfless political ambitions?"

Romney has executive experience from leading highly successful businesses, the 2002 Winter Olympics, a run for the Republican presidential nomination, and a thriving PAC. His experience in foreign policy certainly is no less than that of a first-term senator from Illinois. While it isn't Shakespeare, there is a certain phrase about glass houses which applies in this situation.

Concerning Romney's comments on the situation in Afghanistan, his concerns are most certainly valid since President Obama's current positions represent a marked shift from his campaign promises of displaying a strong military front. An increase in troop numbers proved effective in Iraq, and current military counsel is that a similar increase in troops is necessary to stabilize a deteriorating situation. Romney has never suggested that political and economic tools should not be used, but merely implied that a strong military showing (which we currently don't have) is essential for success in Afghanistan.

I agree that he seems to have exaggerated concerning the last 50 years of foreign policy, but his concern is also warranted. It was the missile defense shield and similar defense spending in deployment and research that proved instrumental to the collapse of the Cold War.

Lastly, given some of your previous posts concerning Senator McCain, I find it ironic in no small way that you're quoting him to disparage President Obama's strongest potential opponent in 2012.

[L. Green]

Mitt is laughable. He is a candidate who lacks true courage. Increase of soldiers?...... Mitt has five, count that: one, two, three, four and five sons, who are fit for military service. Time for Mitt to put up or shut up -- Romney have your boys join up, it's time they serve their country instead of their fathers delusional grab for power. The Romney boys will joining up will increase the number of soliders.

Romney's are arm chair Generals and proud beach bunnies.

[L. Green]

Bit off topic, but worth a good hard look at:

Is this what American can expect if Romney becomes President? This is foretelling of things to come. Looks like the nationally well known sheriff in Arizona is getting the Mormon boot, the Sheriff a strong supporter of Mitt Romney in the past and currently working on Romney fundraisers, is being asked to leave, not only the fundraiser, but has raised the ire of the LDS community by arresting a well known( no doubt well known to Romney too) on criminal charges.

How dare he arrest a LDS’er!
Sadly, this is being seen in other legal and court systems, the well connected are protected. Mormons may not be ready for a Presidential office, they are still back in the 1800's and the brotherhood.

“If any name means "Mormon" in Arizona, it's Stapley.”
http://www.mormontimes.com/people_news/newsmakers/?id=2678
http://www.phoenixnewtimes.com/2009-01-01/news/before-don-stapley-s-indictment-there-was-the-land-deal/

http://blogs.phoenixnewtimes.com/valleyfever/2009/09/mitt_romneys_fundraiser_at_cha.php

Fowl!

[bill]

Mitt Romney is the best suited of all the candidates mentioned for president by virtue of his long experience in the private economy, where he was a successful businessman and turnaround artist, and as the leader of the 2002 Winter Olympics, and as governor of Massachusetts. He is also far more adept in talking about foreign policy than Obama. Romney is entirely correct about our nation's missile defense needs, and about the need to win the war in Afghanistan. Barack Obama has been weak and vacillating on Afghanistan. Remember, during the 2008 campaign, Obama and his supporters thought of Afghanistan as "the good war," and Obama called for a surge of troops to put down a resurgent Taliban. He reitirated that position earlier this year, in March, but now is inexplicably backing away. My fear is Obama's weakness will leave America vulnerable to attacks from those who are plotting against us.

[LoriA]

"Men in Snake Suits" is the best suit for the Rommey's. Romneys have no courage, only the courage of beach bunnies.

[To be a Snake, or not to be a Snake, that is the question Mitt needs to answer.]

Mitts Hamlet quote is most strange, not that Romney is not noted for saying weird things, which has make some people scratch their heads, while others have said they headed for the cash bar. Why would Romney compare Obama to Hamlet? One has to ponder that.

Is he saying Harry Reid is out to do Obama in, because Romney did not get the Presidential seat? Was Romney giving a veiled threat? Or does Romney feel that Obama is a "poison which needs to be extracted”, since Mitters have said “Romney is the medicine which this country needs?”

http://wiki.answers.com/Q/How_is_Hamlet_killed_in_the_play_Hamlet

Frankly, after seeing Romney on his political stage over the years, his changing of position, and the flourishes which Romney always presents himself, continually describing himself as did well in business, and politics is the most honest, ethical, talent, experience, and a flair for leadership. Does this sound familiar to all the Romney followers? Isn’t this what Romney says of himself in-spite of Romney flips,flops and callous remarks?

It is also found on page 191 in SNAKES IN SUITS by Babiak, and Hare.

"because of their ability to con others into believing they are honest and ethical and have talent, experience and a flair for leadership" pg. 191

Oh, my.

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