“Speak softly and carry a big stick; you will go far.” – Theodore Roosevelt

We have a big stick, though not so big as a few years ago. But this means little unless potential enemies believe we are willing to use the stick. Do they believe it? Are we willing to use it? Or are we stuck in a morass of Bidenesque bumbling and confabulations that potential enemies see, correctly, as weakness. And in a dangerous world, being perceived as weak can be fatal. So when we vote for president, we must consider not only how we perceive the candidates, but also how potential enemies will perceive them.