Candidates React to Embassy Murders; Sparks Foreign Policy Debate - The Road to the White House - Election 2012 - Week 37

President Obama and Republican Presidential Nominee Mitt Romney reacted strongly to the Libyan riots that left four Americans murdered, embassies across the Middle East burned and American Flags destroyed.

Hillary Clinton, Secretary of State, has strongly condemned these brutal attacks, stating "This is an attack that should shock the conscience of people of all faiths around the world. We condemn in the strongest terms this senseless act of violence and we send our prayers to the families, friends and colleagues of those we have lost," she said. "This was an attack by a small and savage group, not the people or government of Libya.”

President Obama and Republican Presidential Nominee Romney have both issued similar statements of condemnation, condolances and prayers, as well as using the riots to expose weaknesses in each candidate’s foreign policy platform.

President Obama’s current overall ratings, after the seven percentage point bounce following the Democratic convention dropped this week to his pre-convention numbers.  According to Gallup, President Obama’s Job Approval fell below the fifty percent approval mark, dropping three percentage points over the past week to 49% of those polled who approve of his effectiveness as President and those who disapprove of his effectiveness gained three percentage points to 42%.

As of September 15, 2012, among registered voters President Obama’s national popularity stayed steady at 49% and Mitt Romney’s national popularity also remained steady at 45%.

Following the four days of deadly Libyan Riots, instigated by a video depicting the prophet Muhammad in lewd and lascivious acts, that left the US Consulate in Benghazi in ruins, a continued surge of violent clashes moved across an unsettled Middle East region and included escalated conflicts in Lebanon, Egypt, Sudan and Tunisia. Afghanistan also condemned the film and called for the filmmaker to be brought to trial. Al Qaeda issued harsher statements and demanded an increase of violence against America, falling short of issuing a jihad.  

Foreign Policy Finger Pointing

As Middle East erupts again and those we’ve extended our hand to in friendship turn against us President Obama and Republican Presidential candidate Romney each pointed out deep flaws in the foreign policy handling. 

GOP nominee Romney issued this statement, “I’m outraged by the attacks on American diplomatic missions in Libya and Egypt and by the death of an American consulate worker in Benghazi. It’s disgraceful that the Obama Administration’s first response was not to condemn attacks on our diplomatic missions, but to sympathize with those who waged the attacks.”

President Obama retaliated in a Wednesday taping for 60 Minutes by stating, "Governor Romney seems to have a tendency to shoot first and aim later," he said. "And as president, one of the things I've learned is you can't do that. That, you know, it's important for you to make sure that the statements that you make are backed up by the facts. And that you've thought through the ramifications before you make 'em."

From all reports early statements issued by the White House prior to a full Presidential Briefing did not condemn the violence against American citizens in the strongest language. The statements issued enforced a belief of ineffective government.

With fifty-one days until the general election, the recent Middle East conflicts have usurped the economic recession and staggering unemployment numbers from the forefront and given the sitting president ample opporutnity to advance his Foreign Policy agenda. Vice-President Biden, a former Chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee, along with Secretary of State Clinton, clearly present Foreign Policy strength.

While Romney has made his agenda clear on the Libyan murders and Middle East escalations, outside of his trip to Poland and Israel his foreign policy agenda has not been reveled nor has his potential Foreign Policy advisors.

The next major televised opportunity for the American public to judge the effectiveness of both men and their VP choices will be in a series of three debates beginning October 3rd in Denver. The second debate, a town hall, is scheduled for October 16 and the final debate, on foreign policy, is slated for October 22. Republican running mate Paul Ryan and Vice President Joe Biden have one debate scheduled for October 11.

For more information on both candidates:

Obama/Biden Official web site: http://www.barackobama.com/

Romney/Ryan official web site: http://www.mittromney.com/

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