Romney defends his own lack of expertise in foreign affairs
I'm sure it was an oversight that Mitt Romney didn't offer his condolences when he learned of the assassination of Pakastani opposition leader Benazir Bhutto (he did that later).
But I'm a little puzzled by his response to being challenged over his lack of foreign policy experience: “The president is not an expert. The president is a leader who guides America in making the important decisions which must be made to keep us safe.”
Now, it's certainly true that any president relies on the advice of others who are specialists in their various areas of expertise; the Chief Executive himself is best served by being a generalist. And it's also true that many times presidents with little foreign policy experience have grown into the job. Perhaps one or more of those things, or both, were what he meant to say.
But the words he chose might be interpreted to mean that Mitt doesn't think that a lack of foreign policy credentials is something that needs to be addressed. It's frankly a weakness of Mike Huckabee's candidacy, and- despite attempts by Romney's supporters to suggest otherwise- it's just as great a weakness of his own.
Perhaps he should expand on the point further sometime before January 3.
But I'm a little puzzled by his response to being challenged over his lack of foreign policy experience: “The president is not an expert. The president is a leader who guides America in making the important decisions which must be made to keep us safe.”
Now, it's certainly true that any president relies on the advice of others who are specialists in their various areas of expertise; the Chief Executive himself is best served by being a generalist. And it's also true that many times presidents with little foreign policy experience have grown into the job. Perhaps one or more of those things, or both, were what he meant to say.
But the words he chose might be interpreted to mean that Mitt doesn't think that a lack of foreign policy credentials is something that needs to be addressed. It's frankly a weakness of Mike Huckabee's candidacy, and- despite attempts by Romney's supporters to suggest otherwise- it's just as great a weakness of his own.
Perhaps he should expand on the point further sometime before January 3.
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