Bill Kristol is amusing:

Mitt Romney’s virtual silence on foreign policy is the opposite of politically astute. He most likely can’t win the presidency without engaging in, and prevailing in, a serious and sustained national security debate over the next seven weeks. It’s irresponsible to duck that debate. When will he begin to ignore his timid advisers, overrule his calculating functionaries, and make the case against Obama​—​and for America?

All the world wonders.

If Romney can’t win the election without prevailing in a “serious and sustained” debate on foreign policy and national security, then he can’t win and likely never could have won. Should Romney heed this advice and engage in such a debate, he is going to lose. Not only is he likely to lose on substance, since he doesn’t have a very good grasp of it, but he will be judged the loser because his previous statements on this subject have inspired dread or confusion rather than confidence.

Romney won’t be able to “duck” the debate entirely. According to the schedule, half of the time in the presidential debates next month will be spent on foreign policy issues, and the last debate will be dedicated entirely to this subject. Romney cannot avoid this final presidential debate, but but there is almost no way that he will be able to win it. Even though Romney appears to be a fairly capable debater, he has never had a good command of facts when it comes to foreign policy issues, and he has made a number of unfounded and absurd claims over the years that he will not be able to defend. Above all, he has repeatedly shown poor judgment in the statements and criticisms he makes, and it is good judgment more than anything else that voters are relying on in a president. Romney showed last week that he doesn’t have it, and it is doubtful that there is anything he could say or do in the next six weeks to make most voters believe differently.