This, it should be noted, provided an indicator what the world could expect if Mitt Romney, Newt Gingrich, Michelle Bachmann, or even Herman Cain defeats Obama next year. After hearing some answers from the candidates let’s suggest that they get some genuine advice before making any real world decisions. Otherwise, we may all be doomed.

The context and setting of the debate was instructional. Part-sponsored by news network CNN and held in Washington, DC, the candidates were asked questions from a cast that included several former Bush administration officials not remembered for their foreign policy success. This included former Defense Department official Paul Wolfowitz, known as the architect of the war on Iraq. As we all know, that didn’t go very well.

Still, it would be hoped that we might have come away from the debate having a clear understanding of the candidates’ views and America’s potential future position on the world stage. The opposite was true. At times, answers were populist mumbo jumbo with little understanding of how the real world works. This is great for a beer-fueled discussion in a local bar but not when you’re pitching to lead the world.

China and East Asia were not mentioned (right after Obama had returned from a trip to that region) and neither was the Euro meltdown, or Egypt. Instead, we got chatter about supporting Israel, bombing Iran and maybe, too, even Pakistan, and, according to Mitt Romney, false claims President Obama “apologises for America”.

Romney’s themes returned America to the days of Bush chest-thumping: “President Obama says that we have people throughout the world with common interests. I just don't agree with him. I think there are people in the world that want to oppress other people that are evil. President Obama seems to think that we're going to have a global century, an Asian century. I believe we have to have an American century, where America leads the free world and the free world leads the entire world.”

An indicator of what kind of audience these candidates are playing to, however, came from the response candidate Newt Gingrich received for suggesting the country should not deport families who have been in the US illegally for 25 years, with some members born in the country and now rightly US citizens.

In some quarters, Gingrich copped flak for appearing too “humane” for his. In others, he has now risen in polls to be a credible challenger to Romney’s candidacy. Here’s former President Bill Clinton talking about Gingrich. That’s what a little bit of compassion and a few actual ideas can do.