Mitt Romney's Foreign Trip Made More Enemies Than Friends

August 2, 2012 RSS Feed Print

(Walt Handelsman/Tribune Media Services)

Mitt Romney has just finished his world tour! And this prompts two questions from this blogger, Americans, and others throughout the world: "Why?" and "What did he accomplish?"

The "why" was answered by one of Romney's top political strategists, Stuart Stevens, who said that Mitt Romney did this tour to "get a better sense of events on the ground..."

Now getting an understanding of events on the ground in Israel is understandable. We've had a conflict in the Middle East since Adam and Eve. But Poland? Great Britain? What conflicts are we involved with there? Terrorism? Or perhaps great business deals happening on a global level? Maybe Mitt Romney needs a map. Although we do have business in most countries throughout the world—evidenced by the number of McDonald's, Pizza Huts and Kentucky Fried Chickens you can find—Poland and Great Britain aren't big on the hit parade. China and India are. And Romney knows that all too well, as his former Bain Capital sent thousands of American jobs to those two countries. Or perhaps he is confused as to who is voting for him—for it's we here in the United States, not the citizens of Poland, Great Britain, or Israel.

[See a collection of political cartoons on Mitt Romney.]

As for Israel, our biggest challenge is peace, which most people believe comes down to a two-state solution: how that is implemented, where the dividing lines are, etc. That is the challenge for Israel, the challenge for the Palestinians, and the challenge for the world.

Another "why" answer might be how Mitt Romney likes to tell potential voters what they want to hear and show them what they want to see—which is just what he was doing in Israel, appealing to the Jewish population of American voters worldwide and showing them he was "pro-Israel."

[See a collection of political cartoons on the turmoil in the Middle East.]

But when we get to what Mitt Romeny accomplished, although Stevens called this trip a "great success," it clearly wasn't. This was not a great success for Poland, Great Britain, or even Israel. This was not a great success for Romney and his presence representing our nation as a potential commander in chief, nor for America and our reputation worldwide.

After eight years of the Bush administration, after the invasion of the sovereign nation of Iraq based on a lie, after the photos of Abu Ghraib , after violating the Geneva Convention with the discovery of waterboarding and other forms of torture, the world viewed America as a big cowboy on our high horse looking down at the other nations of the world. And with his comments criticizing Great Britain's security system for the Olympics, and his comments about the "culture" of Israel being the reason Israelis are thriving economically over the Palestinians, Mitt Romney set us back with one "world tour" all the while the cameras were rolling. (And on a side note, having visited Israel and lived there briefly, the reason the Palestinians can't compete economically with the Israelis is because they're living behind walls, in a ghetto-like environment. In short, they are oppressed. Is it the "culture" of the rich white men like Mitt Romney that make them thrive economically more so than minorities in America? Or is it lack of opportunity, prejudice, etc.?)

[Read the U.S. News debate: Did Romney Help Himself on His Trip to Britain, Israel, and Poland?]

I think Romney needs an education in diplomatic etiquette to say the least. If you visit another person's home, you don't put your feet on the furniture, nor do you tell them how to arrange it. If you want to be president of the greatest nation in the world and that job isn't currently yours, you show something I don't believe Romney has ever shown in his life, is capable of showing, and perhaps a big reason he is not liked by American voters, even Republicans: humility.

If you go to Great Britain, you applaud their efforts, the great city of London, and the leaders and leadership you may work with if in fact you reach your goal and win that big prize of four years in the Oval Office. In striving to get the Jewish vote and their money for your campaign, you don't alienate the Muslim/Arab world in the process. Remember, we are striving for peace, not further conflict. And Romney knows that this 'world tour' will not have an encore, as he even refused to answer questions about his gaffes to the press.

Lastly, my mother once told me that not everyone is going to like you. Mitt Romney should take note and stop trying—for he is making more enemies than friends for himself and for America.