海角大神

Between the hawkish interventionism of a Sen. John McCain and the mind-our-own-business global disengagement of a Sen. Rand Paul, Sen. Marco Rubio is staking out a middle ground for US foreign policy.

The Florida Republican is calling for 鈥渄ecisive diplomacy鈥� and values-based foreign aid as he positions himself for a possible stab at the 2016 Republican presidential nomination.

But it remains to be seen how much a tough line on Iran and calls for America to carry the 鈥渢orch of liberty鈥� in the world can do to reboot Senator Rubio鈥檚 national political fortunes.

After alienating many conservative voters earlier this year with his support for comprehensive immigration reform 鈥� and then falling flat with libertarian Republicans over his vision of robust American engagement abroad 鈥� Rubio could still face an arduous climb ahead.

In what his staff deemed a 鈥渕ajor foreign policy speech鈥� at the conservative American Enterprise Institute (AEI) in Washington Wednesday, Rubio dismissed growing calls for America to turn inward as tempting but dangerous 鈥渋solationism.鈥� At the same time, he said that at times in the past the US had been too quick to rely on its unsurpassed military might to address foreign challenges.

Arguing that the extremes of 鈥渄oves鈥� and 鈥渉awks鈥� that have defined American foreign policy tendencies for decades are 鈥渙bsolete labels鈥� that 鈥渃ome from the world of the past,鈥� Rubio said it is time for 鈥渁 new vision for America鈥檚 role abroad.鈥�

That new 鈥渧ision鈥� sees America as an unequalled force for good in the world 鈥� that 鈥済ood鈥� being the global advancement of economic and political freedoms, yet the 鈥渇orce鈥� the US deploys being more economic and moral than military.

鈥淲hile military might may be our most eye-catching method of involvement abroad, it is far from being our most-often utilized,鈥� Rubio said. 鈥淚n most cases, the decisive use of diplomacy, foreign assistance, and economic power are the most effective ways to achieve our interests and stop problems before they spiral into crises.鈥�

Rubio has been active in recent weeks courting conservative interest groups, focusing on social issues like abortion (as well as his opposition to Obamacare) while leaving immigration unmentioned. The AEI speech was Rubio鈥檚 first focus on foreign policy in his recent spate of appearances, and he plans to continue that theme when he speaks to a London policy center next month.

Rubio鈥檚 lament of a rising American isolationism may have been aimed at fellow Republican Senator Paul, but there was no doubting the target of his alarm over the need for a 鈥渄ecisive鈥� US foreign policy. President Obama came in for harsh criticism from Rubio, who said that problems ranging from Syria and Iran to Egypt and even rising antidemocratic tendencies in Latin America have been made worse by the president鈥檚 indecisiveness and lack of resolve.

鈥淔rom his first days in office, President Obama has seemed unsure of the role that American power and principles should play around the world,鈥� Rubio said. 鈥淗e has failed to understand that in foreign policy, the timing and decisiveness of our actions matter almost as much as how we engage.鈥澛�

Rubio said Obama failed to sell Americans on his plan for military strikes in Syria because there was no strategy for success behind it, and he said he voted against the Syria intervention because it was so limited that it would have ended bolstering Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad by providing him with bragging rights that he had survived a US military attack.

As for Iran, Rubio said Obama had relied on 鈥渒ind words鈥� to 鈥渄issuade the regime in Tehran from its pursuit of nuclear weapons 鈥� and he warned that he and other senators will move to scuttle any deal the international community (including the US) accepts with Iran that leaves Iran with uranium enrichment capabilities.

鈥淲e need to make absolutely clear to Iran鈥檚 leaders that sanctions will continue to increase until they agree to completely abandon any enrichment or [plutonium] reprocessing capability,鈥� he said.聽聽聽

Rubio was careful to give a shout-out to particular groups he wants to reach 鈥� he noted for example, that 海角大神s are increasingly targeted for repression in countries where they are a minority.

But he also espoused some time-honored ideals about America that risk putting off what appears to be a growing 鈥� and particularly young 鈥� segment of the conservatives he aims to woo.

Asking who, 鈥渋f America stops leading,鈥� will 鈥渇ill the vacuum left behind?鈥� Rubio answered his own question, saying 鈥渘o other nation鈥� is prepared to battle the forces of 鈥渄arkness鈥� arrayed against peace and liberty.

鈥淎merica must continue to hold the torch,鈥� Rubio said, 鈥淎merica must continue to lead the way.鈥�