Unfortunate Pick': Bush State Dept. Senior Adviser Weighs in on Paul Ryan

Paul Ryan's recognized strengths among Republicans are undeniably economics-based.  Between his budget and his 6-minute breakdown of the flaws in "Obamacare," it is no secret how the man will influence the economy-- but how does he rank in foreign policy?

Christian Whiton, a former Bush administration State Department senior adviser, appears to have a number of serious reservations.

Speaking on Fox News, the man said Paul Ryan is an "unfortunate pick" in this arena, saying he has a "very thin record on foreign affairs" and now "we don’t have from either the top or bottom of this ticket is a clear message on how these people will see the world."

Watch his full remarks, via Mediaite, below:

Whiton also said that Paul Ryan is "too young" to assume the presidency if anything should happen to the president.

He explained: "I think this is a poor choice on politics and substance. Politically, I don’t know why you’d want the number two on the ticket to outshine the top of the ticket on the key issues of the day — the deficit, the economy, jobs..."

He continued: "And then on substance, Paul Ryan is too young to be president…If he were to assume presidency...he’d be the youngest, he’d have no executive experience."

The Fox host asked, at this point, what executive experience Barack Obama had when he took office.  He also noted: "Our nation's exploding debt is a huge threat to this country...doesn't that bode well for foreign policy?"

Christian Whiton concluded: "There's just nothing in the past that indicates that either of these men will really change the way Washington has been handling threats like Islamism, Arab Spring, a growing China, etc. etc."

It should be noted, however, that George W. Bush praised Paul Ryan as a "strong pick," saying, "Governor Romney is serious about confronting the long-term challenges facing America, and Paul Ryan will help him solve the difficult issues that must be addressed for future generations."

(H/T: Mediaite)