President Wesley Clark?

[BLUEHAWK]

What our prez may lack in charisma, apparently our forces believe he makes up in having cajones.
Problem with cajones is what Boats said it is... but ya gotta have a couple, large or made of dependable substance, or both.
Ya gotta also have good advisors, which I do not believe he has got.

I try to imagine myself being in his shoes, on September 11, 2001. I would say, though I trust the Neo-Con's con jobs not one bit, George W. Bush himself, as a man, took the proper attitude, and gave the correct message, then. What happened afterward is an open question still, and I believe he has repeatedly stated that he thinks it is too.

Which is why, in wartime, I would very much prefer that the president and all his security and defense advisors be combat, not merely militarily, experienced and respected at a fairly high level, whether NCO or officer makes no difference.

[blues clues]

mike, I didn't like bushI but at least he had seen combat in ww2, NOW OH WELL. my first name is mike also.
razz

[BLUEHAWK]

Razz -

Two mike blues... nice.

When Bush Ist was around I didn't care much for him either after awhile, intended to vote for Perot, but let myself be talked into Slick Willy... I'll never forgive myself. Nowadays Bush Ist is lookin' REAL good to me, but it's too late.

All the more reason to reason all this out, like we're all tryin' to do.

[SuperScout]

Do I detect that you are at least a semi-repentant liberal? There are very few folks that I have noted who have voted for Der Schlickmeister, then recanted as best they could, and publicly acknowledged their faults. There may be hope for you yet!

In sticking with the subject matter of Clark, what is your analysis of his "the White House made me do it" comment?

[BLUEHAWK]

Scout -

I'm a stubborn gnarly American, never was a liberal, just ask my two feminist daughters and apologist sons...that vote for Slickmeister was the stupidest laziest one I have ever cast... next time he came around I went for the right guy and am STILL upset that the vet got waylaid. One of the most embarassing moments in my personal electoral experience... Good grief Scout, how we need Senator Dole now.

As for Clark's "White house made me do it..." comment, if when he was asked to cite chapter and verse and name names he had DONE so, then we all might have something to take seriously. The fact that he did not and has not suggests that he is just another one of the same opportunistic pattern, from BOTH parties, who will say whatever comes to mind as a function of their own propaganda... upon which timid cowed partisans immediately seize and will not relinquish, regardless of truth.

[SuperScout]

Quite simply, the point I was trying to make about Clark and his comment is that, absent any proof, he should have kept his mouth shut, at least until such time as proof (if it ever could have been produced) was available, then make the charge. The firing-from- the-hip process he used does not speak well of his decision-making apparatus, a scary thing to contemplate.

[BLUEHAWK]

I agree Scout, you don't make that kind of lofty accusation without having something to prove the contention, and it does not bode well for his judgement in the presence of what is likely to be facing our next president(s).

[PHO127]

Left out JFK and Carter as former military officers. I have limited experience with Flag officers. My battalion Commander of 1st 27th in Vn became an LTG. He was known as the last of the Patton type generals, I would do anything he asked of me. I have briefed Admiral McCain (cincpac) and he is one sharp tack, I have also briefed Haig when he was a 4 star at either shape or Nato I don't remember which, but I thought he was a stupid SOB and was confirmed when he was in the white house. My only impression of Clark was that he was a whiner and incapable of making a decision. I had to brief Richard Helms once and he and Admiral McCain were the two best listeners and were brief and to the point with their questions. Personally, I would vote for Colin Powell for President.

[BLUEHAWK]

Pho -
Rght you are, our list was incomplete, cannot believe I left out JFK either...if I were more of a presidential historian there are doubtless a few others along the way, probably.
Glad to hear your impression of Haig, which is similar with my own...
It'd be interesting to see what Powell would do in that job, unencumbered by having to follow orders.

[SuperScout]

Perfectly understandable how you omitted Carter, as he was rather forgetable as a President anyway. But it is heartening to see that our learned and esteemed PHO is a reader and participant, offering some pithy comments as well!

PHO - thanks for your assessments of different folks. Only read of Helms in certain publications, but got the impresssion that he was rather bright and very capable as CIA type. And thanks for confirming my impressions of Clark.