Can Romney Convince Voters of His Foreign Policy Chops?
Stuck in the backstage shadows of a presidential campaign dominated by the economy, international issues get a rare moment in the spotlight this week.
Both President Obama and Mitt Romney will give important foreign-policy speeches before the Republican challenger leaves on a three-country trip designed to highlight his differences with the current administration’s diplomacy. The president will address the Veterans of Foreign Wars convention in Reno on Monday, with his opponent taking the same podium on Tuesday. Then on Wednesday, Romney leaves for London, the start of a trip he hopes will reassure allies overseas, who always fret about change in U.S. leadership, as well as voters back home, who always worry when a governor with no foreign-policy experience wants to be president.
The dueling speeches and the trip come against a backdrop of a presidential campaign that has given little attention to the diplomatic difficulties awaiting the next president. The dozens of GOP debates in the primaries included only a handful of questions on international issues with base-friendly rhetoric substituting for thoughtful discussion.
No one expects foreign policy to determine the winner of the election or achieve the high place on the agenda it enjoyed during the Cold War. But Romney faces the same challenge of any diplomatically inexperienced challenger taking on an incumbent: He must show that he is sure-footed enough to pass the threshold test that he can be trusted to be commander in chief. And that makes the stakes of the coming week particularly high for him. Read more
--George E. Condon Jr.
NATIONAL JOURNAL’S PRESIDENTIAL RACE REPORT
Romney’s Tea Party Test: Who Will Speak At His Convention? NEW!
[National Journal, 7/23/12] For conservatives looking for assurances about Romney’s bona fides, the message that is broadcast from the Tampa convention stage – and who delivers that message -- is a test. But signs don’t look good for the tea party getting its moment in the spotlight.
Reminders of Romney’s International Past
[Washington Post, 7/22/12] Romney’s trip to Europe this week offers him a platform to highlight his extensive travel and the way his international experience has shaped his life and business trajectory -- from the early Central American investment at Bain Capital to the 2002 Winter Olympics.
Romney’s Journey Abroad Offers Both Risks and Opportunities
[Philadelphia Inquirer, 7/22/12] In addition to the opportunities it offers, Romney’s trip abroad is loaded with political risks: He could be held to a nearly impossible standard – Obama’s triumphant visit to Berlin four years ago – or could invite comparisons with the unpopular George W. Bush administration.
The Incredible Shrinking — and Increasingly Valuable — Undecided Voter
[Washington Post, 7/23/12] Over the next three and a half months, hundreds of millions of dollars will be spent trying to persuade undecideds, but only six percent of Americans say there’s a good chance they’ll change their minds over how they’ll vote. The Fix takes a look at the most polarized electorate since 2000.
Opinion: Romney’s Trip Smacks of Cold War Nostalgia
[Daily Beast, 7/23/12] The Daily Beast’s Peter Beinart writes that Romney’s international agenda is hopelessly out of date.
Romney, Obama May Face Tough Crowd at VFW Convention
[Reno Gazette-Journal, 7/22/12] While many veterans attending the Veterans of Foreign Wars National Convention on Monday and Tuesday in Reno said they are looking forward to the dueling speeches, they expressed doubts that either candidate knows much about the issues veterans face – especially as neither Obama nor Romney has served in the military.
Nine Things We Learned From Obama’s FEC Report
[National Journal, 7/23/12] Hotline sifted through the 243,000 records contained in Team Obama’s Federal Election Commission report this month so you don’t have to. Among other things, Hotline found that the campaign is spending most of its cash on advertising, with polling as a close second.
Stop Accusing Obama of Playing Chicago-Style Politics!
[Slate, 7/23/12] Slate's Jacob Weisberg is sick and tired of people accusing Obama of playing Chicago-style politics, mainly, he argues, because that era is 25 years gone and Obama never had anything to do with it.
The Politics of Anything Goes
[New York Times, 7/23/12] Faced with a tough re-election fight, Obama has in many respects adopted a strategy he first denounced eight years ago when he called for an end to the politics of division. The Times’s Thomas Edsall writes that the president’s approach today assumes a highly polarized electorate and tries to make the best of it.
Massachusetts Republicans Brown, Romney Share Staff - And Not Much Else
[Reuters, 7/23/12] Scott Brown, currently tangled in a fierce race to keep his Senate seat, and Romney may share a party, a state and advisers, but they both illustrate contrasting ends of the political spectrum that have characterized this year's election debate.
Romney Had Mixed Record on Immigration in Mass.
[Associated Press, 7/23/12] Romney fought against in-state college tuition rates for illegal immigrants, and pushed to give state troopers expanded powers. But he also showed a more compassionate side, personally interceding on behalf of an immigrant teacher facing deportation. Romney’s mixed-bag immigration policies in Massachusetts shed light on how he’d tackle the issues as president.
Mormons on Cusp of New Powerful Era
[The Hill, 7/23/12] With 14 members already in Congress – including Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid – the number and influence of Mormons is likely to grow whether or not Romney is elected president in November.
Obama’s Burn Rate Worries Some Democrats
[Wall Street Journal, 7/22/12] Obama spent twice as much as Romney in June – the second month in a row that Obama’s campaign dipped into the red while being outraised by Team Romney. This trend has some Democrats worrying that unless fundraising picks up, the overhead built by the Obama camp will prove impossible to sustain.
In Swing States, Economic Picture a Little Brighter for Obama
[Washington Post, 7/22/12] Nationally, the economic picture is decidedly dismal. But in the 12 (or so) swing states, the economic picture is considerably sunnier – in seven of those states, the unemployment rate is below the June national average of 8.2 percent.
Tampa Beefs Up Security Ahead of GOP Convention
[Associated Press, 7/23/12] Congress has given Tampa – and Charlotte, the location of the Democratic National Convention – $50 million each in taxpayer money to try to ensure everyone is safe for the political gatherings that crown each party’s presidential candidate every four years.
