Correction: The following post was based on an html formatting error on Cain's webpage that showed the United Kingdom, Russia and Germany listed under "The Americas" section of his foreign policy platform. The html formatting error obscured the fact that those countries are actually listed under "Europe." We apologize for the error.
A recent foreign policy document on Republican presidential candidate Herman Cain's campaign website contains errors, contributing to the perception that the candidate knows little on the subject.
His campaign website lists Germany, Russia and the United Kingdom as countries in "the Americas." ("Europe" is in small text after the summary of Brazil, making it possibly look like a formatting error.) The document also notes that the United States and Canada "stood together during both World Wars and in Afghanistan and Iraq." Canada, in fact, did not support the 2003 invasion of Iraq.
A brochure (pdf) of the candidate's foreign policy shows a map containing the density of Facebook connections around the world with short assessments of "our key country relations." For instance, China is a "Competitor," Egypt and Pakistan are both described as a "Danger and Opportunity" and the U.K. is "Our Special Relationship."
His assessment of Libya is "Clarity Needed." Cain struggled for clarity in answering questions on Libya in a Nov. 14 editorial board interview with the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel. Beyond generalities, he was unable to articulate how his position on Libya differed with that of President Barack Obama. The video clip of the interview quickly went viral. Days later, he suggested that the Taliban was involved in Libya, which maintains a presence thousands of miles away in Afghanistan and Pakistan.
Cain has made many foreign policy gaffes in his campaign. He once warned that China was trying to develop a "nuclear capability," though the country first tested a nuclear device in 1964. When asked whether he was ready to answer "gotcha" questions in October, he said, "When they ask me who is the president of Ubeki-beki-beki-beki-stan-stan I'm going to say, you know, 'I don't know. Do you know?"
Former Secretary of State Henry Kissinger, however, said he was impressed by Cain's questions, according to Cain's campaign manager, Mark Block, in an early November meeting in New York.
