BLACKFIVE: Petraeus for President?

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Petraeus for President?

Posted By Mr Wolf

Is America ready for a REAL leader in the WH? Can we bring back Ike? Since we are on weekend ruminations, I thought about what we are going thru so early in this election cycle, and considered what we could face over the next 18 months or so. Its going to be a LOOOONG ride, and a bumpy one, for certain. But what if we had some 'unique' choices to select from? Could we see a successful, 'true' leader back in a leadership position?

I remember the buzz back after GW I when we were pushing hard for then-General Powell to run for president. He had the charisma, leadership, backing, and experience, but was unwilling to put his family thru the torture chamber known as the Great American Political Race. Not that I blamed him- why tarnish a great reputation?
But, given what I've seen so far in THIS cycle, I started considering what would likely happen if Gen. P continued to be successful, got the Iraq situation righted, and then looked for his next opportunity? Would America embrace another 'Ike'? Is that even a fair comparison?
It's true that we look for strong leadership for those that should occupy the Pennsylvania Avenue address, but its also true we have not been entirely successful in identifying who really HAS this trait. While we tend to lean toward those with a military background, not all have had that experience (Clinton). And not all that HAVE had it have been considered truly successful in the office (Carter). But, not since Ike has anyone who has been in the military held a high-ranking position. Most recent presidents have been in the Navy, and reached Lt. or Lt Cdr rank (See a listing HERE and HERE ). But are we ready for someone with combat experience, senior-ranked, and DEMONSTRABLE leadership experience? or even more important, would someone with that experience even run?
I've all but given up on this latest batch of candidates (so far). I've not seen true leadership and integrity shown, which is my personal barometer for someone that should be elected to that position. But I'm not entirely certain we could even get someone with those qualities even into the race, let alone elected after all is said and done.
Given the amount of soldiers who have served in Afghanistan and Iraq, its a near-certainty that those with this experience will end up as elected officials in various capacities. Most probably will never attain field-grade rank; my hope is that someone with experience above O-6 gets into the mix, successfully. And I'm not counting on the Wes Clark's of the world, either. While he has the combat background (see some of his Silver Star citation HERE ) his background has been more overtly political than military, in my mind. I prefer those a little more 'colorful' (See Gen Barry McCaffrey HERE ). Keeps things interesting.

Anyway, its going to be an interesting election cycle, and I'm hoping that we can soon elect someone that truly understand LEADERSHIP, from the front...