CNN: No Substantive Difference Between Romney, Obama on Iran

Gov. Mitt Romney received a lot of attention and praise for the words he spoke and the confidence he demonstrated while in Israel. Obama, on the other hand, has made it clear he will not visit Israel unless (and until) he gets a second term.

Yet CNN has released a report claiming Romney and Obama’s differences on Israel are in “tone and nuance more than substance.” And they even assert that Romney’s “stance [on Iran] is almost identical to Obama’s position.”

But these claims simply don’t square with the facts.

Obama has spent the better part of this year trying to persuade the Israelis to refrain from launching a strike against Iran’s nuclear facilities until after the November elections. He has even offered them advanced weaponry systems in exchange for their pledge of no acton. Yet when Romney was in Israel, he assured them the U.S. recognizes their right to defend themselves and promised the U.S. will stand by them if that defense includes an attack on Iran.

Moreover, regarding the U.S. posture toward Iran specifically, it was just earlier this year that Romney condemned Obama’s “mother, may I?” approach to dealing Iran’s nuclear ambitions and pledged a stronger, more aggressive approach toward Iran once he takes office.

Thus, it appears CNN has things backward regarding the two candidates’ stances on Israel and Iran. For in reality, their differences deal less with “tone and nuance” and more with substance.