If you think having a fidgeting hyper-competitive teenager for your president is a good idea, you may want to think again. In foreign policy terms, it can be a real disaster.

MOSCOW — Russian President Vladimir Putin said today that Mitt Romney’s characterization of Moscow as the United States’ “number one geopolitical foe” has actually helped Russia.

The Russian leader said Romney’s comments strengthened his resolve to oppose NATO’s plan for a missile defense shield in Eastern Europe, a system Russia believes will degrade its nuclear deterrent. The U.S. insists the system is aimed at Iran, not Russia.

When a man is so bent on dinging his perceived international lessers that he can’t compliment the British for heaven’s sake during their Olympics, this is what you get. In Mitten’s unsure and undeveloped mind everybody stinks, but it’s still the Soviet-Russians who are really evil. What brilliant foreign policy. He couldn’t wait to tell everybody on the campaign trail, so this is what you get.

And of course Putin will use this idiocy to his advantage. But unlike Romney, Putin has a logical base for ratcheting the mutual tension. It is not crazy for him to say that missile defense could be used against his country. After all 1.) Mitt Romney could easily become president, and 2.) Russia then would be America’s greatest geo-political foe. What would Iran be in comparison? An annoyance?

“I’m grateful to him (Romney) for formulating his stance so clearly because he has once again proven the correctness of our approach to missile defense problems,” Putin told reporters, according to the Russian news agency RIA Novosti.

This is why ambassadors should be silver-tongued devils. The president is our ambassador to the whole planet. Choose one wisely.