An Effective Foreign Policy?

I really wanted to write on how President Obama and Mitt Romney differ in their foreign policies, but the more I read, listen and watch, I wonder how either policy could really change anything. The differences in their policies are clear, in simple terms, Obama's is more passive and Romney's is more aggressive. What gets mind boggling is that any action our nation makes toward the middle east, nothing seems effective. The hostility towards America is rampant. Riots are spreading throughout the middle east and other parts of the globe, and the United States has no response.

For the past twenty years, I have seen the 'Gulf War', the growth of many terrorist groups, the 'Iraq War', the 'War on Terror' and many other notable conflicts. In response, the United States has sent troops, money, and a promise to help the citizens of these nations. In counties like Egypt, Syria, Libya, Afganistan, and many others, the people still live in poverty, their governments are democratic only in name and are unstable, and terror groups are still spreading hate for America. If there is 'good' that has resulted from this time period, I can't think of it. I would say, American has failed. So the question is, how does the United States develop an effective Foreign Policy regarding the middle east?