Mitt Romney and his campaign team have struggled quite a bit when it comes to speaking coherently on U.S. policy towards Iran, but the difficulties took an interesting twist yesterday when the Republican presidential hopeful seemed to praise President Obama's existing policy.
For those who can't watch clips online, CNN's Wolf Blitzer asked Romney whether there's "any daylight" between him and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. The Republican responded:
"There's no daylight between the United States and Israel. We have coincidental interests. We share values, and we're both absolutely committed to preventing Iran from having a nuclear weapon.... But I can tell you this, that the crippling sanctions do have an impact. They're having an impact on Iran's economy right now. They will have an impact on the public there in Iran. And there's great hope and real prospects for dissuading Iran from taking a path that leads into a nuclear setting."
Is it possible Romney has struggled badly when it comes to Iran because he's secretly satisfied with the course Obama has already set?
Keep in mind, in his latest "major" speech on foreign policy, Romney argued in Virginia this week that he intends to "put the leaders of Iran on notice," sketching out a series of steps he'll pursue if elected.
It led Fred Kaplan to explain, "Obama has long been doing all of these things. He has ratcheted up sanctions and persuaded others (including Russia) to go along, to the point where Iran's currency has plummeted by 40 percent, prompting the merchant class to protest in the streets. Two aircraft carriers have been on constant patrol within range of Iran since the summer. And U.S. security assistance to Israel, as its own defense minister said, is at near-peak levels."
And it's against this backdrop that Romney, without mentioning the president specifically, praised the efficacy of the Obama administration's existing policy. What's the point, then, of Romney's frequent complaining about the president's approach to Iran?
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Meet the newer, better Mitt - just like Obama only without all that ugly melanin.
Not to worry. Mitt's campaign will 'clarify' his comments to assure voters that Obama is really f*cking it up and that is what Mittens was really saying.
Romney has a real problem. Only about 45% of the people can stomach the severe conservative Romney and the moderate Romney's positions are virtually identical with the President's. About 1/2 the country want's to know why they should change horses in the middle of the stream. All he has going for him is he is white and wears magic underpants.
By the way, did any of you see the 1936 Roosevelt clip John Stewart aired last night? It could be played as an Obama campaign anti-Romney attack ad.
FDR said the following in 1936 about his Republican opponents. "Let me warn you, and let me warn the nation, against the smooth evasion that says 'Of course we believe these things. We believe in social security. We believe in work for the unemployed. We believe in saving homes. Cross our hearts and hope to die.
'We believe in all these things. But we do not like the way that the present administration is doing them. Just turn them over to us. We will do all of them, we will do more of them, we will do them better and, most important of all, the doing of them will not cost anybody anything'"
You think Romney is something new under the sun?
Ok if you look at things on their face it looks like the right doesn't believe in sanctions or soft power and nothing could be farther from the truth. When you think about how many of these people are heavily invested in Chinese companies that are just about the only people who will do business with Iran anymore they have a road around those sanctions and a stake in those sanctions working that is very profitable for them. War, even a cold economic war is always good for business.
The GOP are already holding America hostage. Will we knuckle to their demands or fight back and realize they are a paper tiger. It is time to neuter the right and allow America to grow again for all of us.
The crippling sanctions are working and they'll still be working when I give the order to bomb-bomb-bomb, bomb-bomb Iran"
"Everybody sing it!"
Maybe he can get Senator Cranky-pants to crash the first plane! I'm really waiting to hear the experts, Joe Lieberman and Lindsey Wagn.. I mean Lindsey Graham! Please CNN, I've just got to have it or my bedtime story just won't be complete!!
"What's the point, then, of Romney's frequent complaining about the president's approach to Iran?"
Because whining, lying, and crying is the GOTP way. It's been working for them for years now, and they want power back in their hands to complete the pillaging of America for the Plutocrats!
I really hate when an American president or candidate says there's no daylight between Israel and America.
We're people. We'll have disagreements.
When there is no daylight between two people, someone is getting screwed. Why do we tolerate this rhetoric about unwavering fealty to everything Israel wants? Or are some of us under the delusion that we're good at forcing them to come our way whenever we wish?
West Bank settlements are helpful to us exactly HOW? (Unless you're solidly faithful that these are the end of times and God will personally smite all the children of Ishmael? In which case such bluster is perfectly logical.)
What is stronger than the might bullet and liter than air...answer Food
We believe in social security. We believe in work for the unemployed. We believe in saving homes. Cross our hearts and hope to die...
We believe in work for the unemployed ..Hummm that sound`s like good old Socialism to me,this word some of the people are this country is scared of
I could see them attempting to shore up the independent vote by saying,
"You know what, Obama's pretty decent on foreign policy, and we'll continue that trend. But remember, we're better at domestic policy as demonstrated in the first "debate"."
This strategy would likely trip Obama up again in the debate, and would make Mitt come across as a reasoned candidate who is willing to learn from other's success.
Mitt's probably going to end up voting for Obama.