Campaign 2012 Romney Foreign Policy

Romney  - foreign policy

Recall that: What I hope will be characteristic of our foreign policy goes something like this:

1. Be strong where US security is involved.

2. Be reluctant to interfere inside other countries even “for their benefit.” Use all other available means first.

3. If you must go into another country, then go in carefully and get a lot of other countries to go with you so that it is (and appears to be) a world action.

4. Lay the groundwork for reducing the military budget (I would hope to about 3 % of GDP) AND reducing the military mission by a concomitant amount.

5. Agree with Walter Lippman’s belief that: "Foreign Policy is bringing into balance the nation’s commitments and the nation’s power, with a comfortable margin of power in reserve."

So what would I expect Romney to do vis a vis this program?

1.  Very good.

2.  I think he would be more willing to interfere than I would like.

3.  Probably more unilateral than I would like.

4.  It sounds like a no here.  Romney does not sound like someone who is willing to reduce our role in the world, or the role of our military and (concomitantly) their budget.

5.  I do believe that Romney indicates that he is more alarmed by our fiscal situation than Obama indicates that he is (the difference of roles – incumbent v challenger – may account for that) and that is very positive.  A strong economy and rational limitation on what it can provide to support our foreign policy are essential to meeting Lippman’s description.

The Afghanistan war is going to be very difficult for any president.

In summary I expect that Romney would offer a very traditional foreign policy which I would not like as much as what I think Obama’s policy is.

Probably give him a C.