Mitt Romney’s sortie to England, Israel and Poland was supposed to be his version of Candidate Barack Obama’s Berlin visit in 2008. A foreign-policy bona fides booster. But Romney’s trip turned into an awkward, counterproductive gaffe-a-thon.
Now think back to the Republican primaries. After Jon Huntsman, Mitt Romney was the most presidential–in executive experience, stage appearance and statesman demeanor–of all the candidates. But suppose Romney hadn’t captured the nomination. Can you imagine Rick Perry, Herman Cain, Michelle Bachman or Rick Santorum on the stump overseas? That’s scary.