Who says Huckabee is weak on foreign policy?

Some of the complaints about Mike Huckabee have been aimed at his foreign policy.  Gary Bauer has specifically stated he thought Huckabee was weak on foreign policy and used the statement Huckabee made about us “breaking” Iraq for his justification for that belief.  I think Bauer and the others who want to accuse him of being weak on this issue need to go to the CSIS (Center for Strategic & International Studies) website and watch the speech Mike Huckabee gave on foreign policy.  Part of it goes as follows:

Well, let me begin by saying that to say that American foreign policy needs a change in tone or attitude, or an opening up and reaching out, is obviously saying that O.J. Simpson might’ve had a bad month. This administration’s bunker mentality has been counterproductive, both at home and abroad. They’ve done a poor job of communicating and consulting with other countries, just as they have, frankly, with the American people.

There’s a sense in which our situation with prestige in the world in a great deal like many of us experienced as a child, growing up in a neighborhood where there was one kid, one kid who was just exceptional at everything he did. He made A’s, and never anything else; he could run faster; he could jump higher; he could throw the ball further; he never struck out. You know the kid; I hope you weren’t that kid. Chances are you weren’t; you wouldn’t be at a meeting like this. But you know what I’m talking about – the kind of kid who was just good at everything.

Now, remember when that kid was braggadocios about it, and every time he did something exceptional he’d just rub your face in it? Now, when that was the case, what was your attitude toward that other kid in the neighborhood? What did you think about him? You were hoping that, just once, he’d strike out; maybe that he would miss the catch that would save the day, or that he would miss the easy slam dunk, or that he would just get a C on a spelling test. You’d just hope that, at least once, he would experience what you experience on a regular basis.

Now, imagine in that same neighborhood the kid coming up with those same exceptional qualities and skills, but this time, instead of rubbing your face in it, he encouraged you to be your best. And when you got up to bat, he’d say, hey, if you choke up on the bat you can swing better and get a better hit; or he’d say hey, I’ll come over to your house and I’ll work with you, and help you with your spelling test. Now, when his attitude, not his skills, but his attitude was different, your attitude toward him was different was significantly different as well. And instead of wishing for him to have some blundering calamity, you looked up to him and you wanted to be like him.

I know that’s an oversimplification, but I do believe that it explains, somewhat, of the situation that we face as a nation, in that our prestige in the world has been marred not so much because we’re a superpower. We are; we shouldn’t apologize for it, nor should we weaken ourselves in any capacity. But the matter in which we handle our power is critical. And the more that we can do not to weaken ourselves, but to strengthen our neighbors, and to give them encouragement, rather than simply to show them our muscle, is an important part of rebuilding America’s national prestige.

He gave this speech on September 28th, 2007, and even though it didn’t receive much media attention at the time, I believe it clearly shows Huckabee is not weak on foreign policy.  In fact, it appears to me he has a better grasp on it than any of the candidates or President Bush.  He clearly outlines where he thinks the problems are and I believe, if given the chance, he would be anything but weak on the issue.

That’s my take!

Larry