Common for presidential candidates to visit other nations?

[CathyA]

I can't remember if this has been common in the past, but it seems strange to me. Why let a presidential candidate travel to different countries and act like he represents the nation, when he hasn't been elected yet? Its one thing to lie to his own country and/or make promises he can't keep (still not acceptable), but doing it to other nations seems like it could get us all into even more trouble than we're in.
Romney isn't even part of the government yet, so to speak..........so why is he visiting these other nations and saying things that might be inappropriate?

[peggy]

Actually i think it is common. Kind of like their 'test' if you will, on how much of a diplomat/statesman/President they would be. How do you think he's doing?

[Alan]

It seems pretty common to me. Remember how infatuated Europe was with Senator Obama when he took his show on the road in 2008?

From Wikipedia: In July 2008 Obama traveled to Kuwait, Afghanistan,^[16] Iraq,^[17] Jordan,^[18] the West Bank,^[19] Israel, Germany, France, and the United Kingdom. During the course of this trip he met with assorted international leaders, including President Hamid Karzai of Afghanistan,^[20] Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki of Iraq, King Abdullah II of Jordan, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, Prime Minister of Israel Ehud Olmert, Chancellor Angela Merkel of Germany, President Nicolas Sarkozy of France,^[21] and Prime Minister Gordon Brown of the United Kingdom, as well as former British Prime Minister Tony Blair and Conservative opposition leader David Cameron.^[22]
On July 24, 2008 he gave a speech at the Victory Column in Berlin before a crowd of estimated 200,000 to 240,000 people.^[23]

[CathyA]

Well, Romney seems to be maybe stepping on some toes, but who knows. Seems like the media picks tiny things and makes them huge......
I just think its a bit premature to make promises to other countries when you're not even elected yet. I think once you're president, you are forced to see a broader picture and the inter-connectedness of so many complex issues, and can't always carry out your good intentions.
How would we in the U.S. feel if everyone who was running for office in other countries came here and gave speeches? Just wondering. Seems curious to me.
What are their intentions for doing this? I suppose it works great, if the people who are going to vote for them think they did an excellent job of handling that.
Maybe like you said Peggy, its a trial run, and its more for the U.S. voters than to accomplish anything else by doing it.
I think Mitt's looking a little mousey.............even when he says firm things. We'll see.

[Alan]

......I think Mitt's looking a little mousey.............even when he says firm things. We'll see.

Well, there are a lot of vested interests out there trying to promote that image. Maybe you've seen Newsweek's latest cover which declares Romney a 'Wimp'. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/0....html?ir=Media



Personally, I believe this sort of "journalism", designed to give a dying magazine a dose of undeserved promotion is reprehensible. But, maybe it works.

[goldensmom]

It's common. From the first time I started paying attention to and voting in presidential elections in the 70's I remember candidates visiting other countries.

[iris lily]

It seems pretty common to me. Remember how infatuated Europe was with Senator Obama when he took his show on the road in 2008?

From Wikipedia: In July 2008 Obama traveled to Kuwait, Afghanistan,^[16] Iraq,^[17] Jordan,^[18] the West Bank,^[19] Israel, Germany, France, and the United Kingdom. During the course of this trip he met with assorted international leaders, including President Hamid Karzai of Afghanistan,^[20] Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki of Iraq, King Abdullah II of Jordan, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, Prime Minister of Israel Ehud Olmert, Chancellor Angela Merkel of Germany, President Nicolas Sarkozy of France,^[21] and Prime Minister Gordon Brown of the United Kingdom, as well as former British Prime Minister Tony Blair and Conservative opposition leader David Cameron.^[22]
On July 24, 2008 he gave a speech at the Victory Column in Berlin before a crowd of estimated 200,000 to 240,000 people.^[23]

And then they awarded him the Peace prize and he hadn't even been in office for a year. That was unbelievable. But at least he had the grace to be humble about his complete lack of achievement.

[Alan]

And then they awarded him the Peace prize and he hadn't even been in office for a year. That was unbelievable. But at least he had the grace to be humble about his complete lack of achievement.

Oh I don't think it was unbelievable for him to receive the award without any notable accomplishments, after all, he did win the White House with the same credentials.

[bae]

Oh I don't think it was unbelievable for him to receive the award without any notable accomplishments, after all, he did win the White House with the same credentials.

At least he ended all of those nasty wars the US was involved in, and helped stabilize the Middle East.

[ApatheticNoMore]

Well with precedents like Henry Kissinger what can you expect of them.