Posted on 10/08/2012 9:53:16 AM PDT by Sub-Driver
'Hope is Not a Strategy': Mitt Romney's Foreign Policy Address
October 8, 2012
As prepared for delivery October 8, 2012, at the Virginia Military Institute in Lexington, Virginia, here is Mitt Romney's address on foreign policy, titled "The Mantle of Leadership."
I particularly appreciate the introduction from my good friend and tireless campaign companion, Gov. Bob McDonnell. He is showing what conservative leadership can do to build a stronger economy. Thank you also Congressman Goodlatte for joining us today. And particular thanks to Gen. Peay. I appreciate your invitation to be with you today at the Virginia Military Institute. It is a great privilege to be here at an Institution that has done so much for our nation, both in war and in peace.
For more than 170 years, VMI has done more than educate students. It has guided their transformation into citizens, and warriors, and leaders. VMI graduates have served with honor in our nation's defense, just as many are doing today in Afghanistan and other lands. Since the September 11th attacks, many of VMI's sons and daughters have defended America, and I mourn with you the 15 brave souls who have been lost. I join you in praying for the many VMI graduates and all Americans who are now serving in harm's way. May God bless all who serve, and all who have served.
Of all the VMI graduates, none is more distinguished than George Marshall—the Chief of Staff of the Army who became Secretary of State and Secretary of Defense, who helped to vanquish fascism and then planned Europe's rescue from despair. His commitment to peace was born of his direct knowledge of the awful costs and consequences of war.
(Excerpt) Read more at abcnews.go.com ...
Mitt, do not let up. Do not hold back. Make this man account for his mismanagement. The press has failed.
Excellent speech, Mr. President.
“Hope” is the excuse for doing nothing.
Fox has moved on to other subjects while the other MSM lapdogs are still trashing Mitt’s foreign policy speech.
Hope doesn’t create jobs either.
“Rich” people or at least people who want a better life and
perhaps aspire to be “rich” take risk and create oportunity.
Hope create 20+ failed green enterprizes and the Chevy Volt.
Hope creates massive debt with little to no return.
Hope is someone who wants to believe that even in the face
of the evidence to the contrary that 0bama has put America
on the right track.
I only HOPE we get adults in charge who actually know what
they are doing.
Romney gave an excellent speech.
I'm thinkin' we need more ground activism to drive this election home.
I don't know what is going on, but people seem to be hunkered down in their foxholes and not exhibiting their choices.
I'm floating the idea of making every debate day an empty chair day. Does this sound like a good idea to anyone?
Looks like ABC has picked it up.
For the most part, it was a good speech. What I didn’t like is his references that so many other countries want our leadership. While part of that is true, what they really want is our free money and for us to bear their defense burden.
I would feel better if he made it clear that Europe can work on defending itself as we draw down from our Cold War bases. I would also have liked him to be more firm on countries like Pakistan. They are KNOWINGLY supporting and supplying Al Queda and the Taliban in Afghanistan and YET we STILL give them aid. Take away the aid and destroy all known terrorist camps in Pakistan. If we don’t then the war in Afghanistan will not be won.
In short, there are countries that do want our support and demonstrat good government, like Israel, and with those countries we should work with, but all others, if they don’t play ball with us, stop all funding and support. We have been the World’s policeman for long enough. When these other countries crumble from our lost support, the only ones they can blame is themselves for being on the dole for so long.
Stay on the offense, and continue to strike fear in the heart of the Obama camp.
Meant to add:And, HOPE certainly doesn’t work in matters of foreign policy.
Romney at my alma mater. Makes me proud.
As discussed on Megyn Kelly. Romney NEEDS to get in front of this.
FLASHBACK:
Obama’s response to Joe Wilson’s “you lie.”
http://www.whitehouse.gov/video/President-Obama-Discusses-His-Cabinet-Meeting
http://www.whitehouse.gov/the_press_office/Remarks-by-the-President-after-Cabinet-Meeting
Well, when Reago knew ahead of time his age was going to be used as an issue, he came up with the famous line of not using his opponents youth against him....Romney has the staff and opportunity in the next debate to do the same very publicly. Wonder what the’ll come up with?
Romney might evoke Obama’s own words:
“I do think that, as I said last night, we have to get to the point where we can have a conversation about big, important issues that matter to the American people without vitriol, without name-calling, without the assumption of the worst in other people’s motives.”
Hmm ...
http://dailycaller.com/2012/10/08/obamas-staffers-changed-election-strategy-during-denver-debate/
Obama’s staffers changed election strategy during Denver debate
EXCERPTS
“On the conference call convened by aides in Denver and Chicago even as the candidates were still on stage … they reversed a longstanding strategic decision,” without the president’s involvement, according to the Oct. 8 article.
“At the start of the campaign they had decided to attack Mr. Romney as a committed conservative rather than a flip-flopper, but now they decided to use his debate statements to argue that he was reinventing himself,” the article said.
(snip)
However, the Politico account says the new anti-Romney strategy was developed by Obama and his aides the day after the debate.
“He huddled with his inner circle — David Axelrod, David Plouffe, Valerie Jarrett, Anita Dunn, Ron Klain and Jim Messina — and settled on the theme they hammered all of Thursday [Oct. 4] — a direct attack on Romney that accused him of out-and-out lying on his tax-cut claims and portrayed the former Massachusetts governor as a two-faced imposter willing to say anything to win.”
Post #19: “He huddled with his inner circle — David Axelrod, David Plouffe, Valerie Jarrett, Anita Dunn, Ron Klain and Jim Messina”
Ron Klain (wiki):
Gore campaign
During Klain’s tenure as Gore's Chief of Staff, Gore consolidated his position as the likely Democratic nominee in 2000. Still, Klain was seen as too loyal to Clinton by some longtime Gore advisors. Feuding broke out between Clinton and Gore loyalists in the White House in 1999, and Klain was ousted by Gore campaign chairman Tony Coelho in August of that year. In October 1999, he joined the Washington, D.C. office of the law firm of O’Melveny & Myers. A year later, Klain returned to the Gore campaign, once Coelho was replaced by William M. Daley. Daley hired Klain for a senior position in the Gore campaign and then named him General Counsel of Gore's Recount Committee.
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