When a relative worked on Capitol Hill, I was shocked at her glowing comments about former Sen. Edward Kennedy. She was a staunch Republican, but she appreciated that one knew where one stood with Mr. Kennedy. He was liberal, but reliable.

Howard LaFranchi’s story today about American foreign policy makes a similar point. Yes, foreign countries would love the United States to still play global cop. But they also just want consistency. For decades, the U.S. was a rock. Today, Americans aren’t sure what role they want the U.S. to play, and that uncertainty is felt from Ukraine to Gaza.