Martin O'Malley Condemns U.S. Foreign Policy

Former Maryland Gov. Martin O'Malley came out strong against America's less-than-favorable foreign policy strategy during Saturday night's Democratic debate, condemning past administrations for "toppling" foreign governments in order to replace them with our own. O'Malley, who's trailing challengers Hillary Clinton and Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont in the polls, flexed his foreign policy muscles in an effort to show that he indeed could handle being the leader of the free world without having much, well, foreign policy experience. And you know what? O'Malley appeared secure and assured as he delivered passionate remarks demanding a change in American foreign policy.

"Our role in this world is to be a beacon of hope," O'Malley said. According to the former Maryland governor, that does not mean America should be invading foreign countries to topple regimes without thinking of what O'Malley called the dangerous "cascading effects."

O'Malley seemed to eviscerate the Bush administration and all those Congressmembers — including Clinton — who voted in favor of the war in Iraq more than a decade ago. America cannot continue sending its military into "country after country, without making the investments...to understand who the new leaders [of these new regimes] are," he said.

When discussing the current state of the U.S. military, the former Maryland governor made a compassionate emotional appeal that brought tears to the eyes of some audience members. A mother of a U.S. servicemember recently told O'Malley to not use the term "boots on the ground" on the Democratic debate stage, because it dehumanizes her son. "She said, 'my son is not a pair of boots on the ground,'" O'Malley said.

O'Malley, who has struggled to stand out among Clinton and Sanders, appeared mighty presidential Saturday night. "The world is not too dangerous for the United States provided we act according to our principles," O'Malley said.

Dare I say I can imagine President Obama delivering that same exact sentiment at a White House press conference? Glad to have you hear, presidential O'Malley — keep it going.