June 07, 2008
Fighting the War With the President We'd Like To Have
Fred Kagan, via Instapundit:
For any voter trying to choose between the two candidates for commander in chief, there is no better test than this: When American strategy in a critical theater was up for grabs, John McCain proposed a highly unpopular and risky path, which he accurately predicted could lead to success. Barack Obama proposed a popular and politically safe route that would have led to an unnecessary and debilitating American defeat at the hands of al Qaeda.The two men brought different backgrounds to the test, of course. In January 2007, McCain had been a senator for 10 years and had served in the military for 23 years. Obama had been a senator for 2 years and before that was a state legislator, lawyer, and community organizer. But neither presidential candidates nor the commander in chief gets to choose the tests that history brings. Once in office, the one elected must perform.
You can have at the helm a President who have seen the worst of human nature, survived it and thrived, or a man who has never led anything as consequential as a Cub Scout troop.
There is a truism among small arms trainers that you will not rise to the occasion when the fecal matter hits the fan, but you will default to your level of training.
Precisely what is Barack Obama prepared for?
hmmm, I wonder if the Lightworker can say "Present" when the fecal matter hits the fan?
But I can imagine the advice he would get from Wright, Ayers, Khalid, Rezko, Pfleger, Dorn, and Ayers.
Posted by: iconoclast at June 7, 2008 03:12 PMSnobama will engage in a policy of pre emptive surrender but is this really worse than utilizing the military to fight a war when its rules of engagement render it effectively bound and gagged?
Does anyone trust or believe in McCain when he brays that Americans must not stoop to "torture" or else American troops will wind up tortured, beheaded and the subject of videos sold in the Middle East? Further before parading McCain as an example of American heroism someone should look into his valiant fight to recognize North Vietnam and thrash MIA families. Apparently McCain believed Kerry's magic hat stories while he threw the Swift boat veterans under a bus.
Trust McCain? To do what? Side with Snobama?
Posted by: Thomas Jackson at June 7, 2008 04:35 PMGood point, Thomas, but there is one place where McCain stands head and shoulders above Obama. McCain at least says he won't pull troops out. Of course, how far you trust his statement is up to you. He is, after all, a career politician.
Posted by: C-C-G at June 7, 2008 05:51 PMPrecisely what is Barack Obama prepared for?
Driving a UPS truck making Unicorn deliveries.
Posted by: Purple Avenger at June 7, 2008 11:54 PMC-C-G:
McCain has opposed Bush's domestic internal security measures; he has not pushed for either an increase in the size nor expenditures for the military while touting his well know positions on military interogations.
I assume in the future all such interogations will be to play hip hop music (at moderate volumes) till they break and if the terrorists happen to like it they will switch to Vic Damone records.
What I do not understand is why our politicians can see fit to put our fighting men in jeopardy while refusing to ask for a declaration of war. Nor can I understand anyone who will risk war while refraining from using all resources to achieve victory.
I doubt McCain will either wage all out war nor would seek out eliminate the sponsors of terrorism. Do you believe McCain is capable of this or is just willing to settle for some variation of a kinder, gentler way of waging war?
At least with Snobama we know who the enemy is. I'll not vote for another closet lefty, like Bush.
Posted by: Thomas Jackson at June 9, 2008 02:25 PMGood points, TJ, and I'm not saying McCain doesn't have problems. Heck, I am still considering writing in "Fred Thompson" rather than vote for McCain.
The point I was making, however, is that McCain at least doesn't wanna pull troops out of Iraq on 21 January 2009.
Posted by: C-C-G at June 9, 2008 05:44 PM
