Jun 23 2010
Obama Finally Has To Prove His Leadership
Updates Below!
Major Update: It seems McChrystal may have succeeded in ensuring his successor is capable, and will now be free to throw is public support for more action from Team Obama. – end update
Today the mythical leader created by the liberal news media meets the tough-as-nails military leader who hunts down the most dangerous people in the world. Also today the nation will learn (again) if running a campaign and being a community organizer is anywhere near sufficient experience to deal with America’s top concerns as President. Finally, President Obama is going to have to demonstrate leadership, or else.
Gen. Stanley McChrystal can save his job as U.S. commander in Afghanistan depending on how his Wednesday morning meeting goes with President Obama, top administration officials tell POLITICO.
Either way, the officials said, there will be a shakeup in the command because of the indiscipline among McChrystal’s staff captured by Rolling Stone.
Apparently McChrystal is a bit of a loose cannon and does not suffer fools well (many of us cannot). But he is not stupid or reckless, he is  a strategist. He knew what would happen when the Rolling Stone muck hit the fan. His efforts to win in Afghanistan have been undermined by the politicians involved and Obama’s stupid retreat deadline. McChrsytal sees that the military alone cannot win Afghanistan as long as the political side is inept and feckless. Counter insurgency relies on a successful economic and political arm after the military clears and area of terrorist thugs. It ain’t happening.
I think McChrystal has become so disillusioned with political leaders  – ones he once supported so blindly – he is staging the mother of all protest exits. People think he is pushing President Obama to double his efforts. I doubt it, but if he is tenacious as his reputation indicates I guess it is possible.
But what I really think is happening is McChrystal is testing Obama and making his decision on how to end this media storm he ignited. If this blows up in President Obama’s face, that will cripple him on all fronts. There will be no subject area left where Obama has not failed. And he is up against a true leader this morning. But more importantly, Obama will have to push to win or quit. If he keeps the status quo the howls from left, right and center will explode. No one wants people dying in a half assed cause.
I predict Obama fails the test and McChrystal resigns and begins unloading his frustrations publicly. I have no clue what a community organizer does in a situation like this. Neither does the community organizer.
Update: John McCain, not surprisingly, understands what leadership is required:
“If the president fires McChrystal, we need a new ambassador and we need an entire new team over there. But most importantly, we need the president to say what Secretary Clinton and Secretary Gates have both said but what the president refuses to say: Our withdrawal in the middle of 2011 will be conditions based. It’s got to be conditions based and he’s got to say it.”
Obama should pay attention, but I am sure he is trying to figure out how to community organize a success here.
Yes, yes, yes, AJ! In my very humble opinion, you are right on the money. For all those who think this tough as nails general didn’t know EXACTLY what he was doing are fools of the first order.
And I will venture to say that this administration knows exactly what McCrystal is doing as well.
Bravo General McCrystal!
On another note, did you see Drudge: The sand berms have been halted by the Federal Government?
And the moratorium, denounced by Judge Feldman, is being RE-WRITTEN?!!
Can everyone NOT SEE what this administration is about now?!!!
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Agree with you completely, AJ – McChrystal knew what he was doing. And by giving this to a left leaning mag like the Rolling Stone, Mac made sure and aim this blast straight at the heart of Obama’s base. It’s breathtaking, really, and I gotta admire the General for the daring and planning he showed in pulling this off.
At the same time, this clearly is an act of insubordination for which he does need to be fired.
Obama has the worst catch-22 he’s faced yet – if he fires him, his entire Afghanistan policy collapses into Chaos-istan. But if he doesn’t, then he will be universally seen as spineless and indecisive by his own top people.
It is a true leadership test – and while I’m not sure exactly how he will fail it, I am absolutely confident that Obama will indeed fail this test completely, as he has failed every other.
Agree with you completely, AJ – McChrystal knew what he was doing. And by giving this to a left leaning mag like the Rolling Stone, Mac made sure and aim this blast straight at the heart of Obama’s base. It’s breathtaking, really, and I gotta admire the General for the daring and planning he showed in pulling this off.
At the same time, this clearly is an act of insubordination for which he does need to be fired.
Obama has the worst catch-22 he’s faced yet – if he fires him, his entire Afghanistan policy collapses into Chaos-istan. But if he doesn’t, then he will be universally seen as spineless and indecisive by his own top people.
It is a true leadership test – and while I’m not sure exactly how he will fail it, I am absolutely confident that Obama will indeed fail this test completely, as he has failed every other.
The Infiltrator in the Peoples House can be counted on to do that which damages America and her allies the most!
That said I hope the Good General lives up to his oath to protect the Constitution of the United States of America against all enemies foreign and DOMESTIC!
At present the greatest threat to the CONSTITUTION is the enemy DOMESTIC.
Continue the fight good soldier, your country calls and your duty demands it!
Not sure I agree this was a plan by McChystal. If it was I would think the remarks would not have been so silly !!
Anyway, got to give the Community Organizer credit, he is very efficient when dealing with these important issues. Only 60 minutes for the BP officals and now only 22 minutes for McChrystal.
I think McCrystal is history. Get ready for another Vietnam defeat in Afghanistan. Only could happen under a Democrat Administration.
God Bless and Protect our troops.
[…] or try new approaches, or let go of ideas he sees the nation rejecting. He just doubles down, like a community organizer who never learned how to think beyond his own agenda, and says “Yes, you will; yes, I […]
I hope your son is OK AJ. This must be tough. Mine is trying to earn his commission and it is tough for me to watch the current political class, the 60’s holdovers actively destroying our country.
It is upon us and our sons to restore honor where honor has been defiled!
Remember in Nov.
If we make it there!
It’s that very silliness that makes me think it was intentional – this wasn’t simple disagreements, this is outrageous, indefensible stuff. McChrystal may have decided that either he wants out or he wants everyone to know he can do whatever he wants with impunity from here on out. Because that’s the two positions Obama has to choose from.
How can the National Security Advisor ever work with McChrystal again, now that he has been called a “clown” in a national publication? How can Ambassador Eikenberry work with him, now that Mac has let everyone know that he thinks Eikenberry is an idiot and that he hates wasting the time it takes to read his stupid e-mails? If Obama doesn’t fire Mac, all of these people wil be furious and more importantly will start working to undermine Obama as well as the General. That’s why Obama has to fire him.
And yet – Karzai and all of the Afghans back McChrystal completely, and there is not a single staff officer who could come in and command that type of respect from them. If Mac goes, we lose all cooperation from the Afghan government and the entire war plan collapses into chaos.
That’s the barrel McChrystal has put Obama over- no matter what he does, it will be wrong.
Couldn’t have happened to a more deserving guy.
Sounds like Obama will fail either way…fire or keep McChrystal.
And he seems to know it.
Just to think that McChrystal did not do this to Bush but he had to do it twice to Obama that he voted for says a few things about him.
From what I read this morning…McChrystal agreed with the new ROE.
IMHO, he shouldn’t have agreed to the new ROEs.
I also read that many Democrats in Congress want him gone.
lurker – If Obama wants to maintain any kind of coherent, workable command structure between the civilians and the miltary, Mac has to go. That’s why even McCain gave Obama a green light and refused to support the General here.
But if Obama wants to maintain any kind of coherent, workable, Afghanistan strategy Mac has to stay.
In chess, that’s what ya call a Fork. Either choice has very bad consequences.
And you don’t get to vote “Present”.
Oh dear. I am about to emote.
I think your analysis is very astute. But right now I hate you and I hate Gen. McChrystal. I am afraid. This event has snapped me back to reality in a very harsh way. Is is smart or safe to knowingly play chess with a completely unworthy opponent… one who we know in advance does not possess the character of a lizard? When lives are at stake… like all our ours?
I do not see the war in Afghanistan as a political football. That is what Democrats do with wars. I think O’Bumbles was failing spectacularly well, without adding this pressure to his tiny little brain. He is not up to the challenge and I fear we are piling on to our own detriment.
Help me out here. Make me understand the wisdom of this power play.
SallyVee,
I too am struggling with how this plays out well. I agree with McCain here: either retreat and save lives being wasted on a broken approach (due to political, not military, strategy) or get behind this all the way and win it.
If McChrystal went quietly, we would still be going down this abysmal black hole. I think he realized that was the worst of the three options.
AJStrata
I don’t have enough testosterone for this game. I understand there comes a point when something’s gotta give and brave men have to bust a move. But it makes me very, very nervous. And it reminds me why, as much of a farce as politics always is, it is serious business with serious consequences.
I despise over half of my own fellow citizens… one out of every two I pass on the street. Which is why I try to stay home and watch the Military Channel as much as possible.
SallyVee,
Agreed. I have been immersed in the World At War series which I vividly recall from my youth. Some great history in those episodes.
McChrystal is out, Petraus is in. Fascinating. Wonder if the libs will run “General Betray-us” ads now, like they did when Bush appointed him? Oh, I know the answer to that question.
Petraus’ future Presidential prospects are going to depend on how he performs here. And no question – this is a hard job, we are poised on the brink of total mission failure. Can he save the situation? We can just wait and see.
Meanwhile, I think you’re completely correct about McChrystal, AJ – as soon as he’s retired, he’s gonna be on every talk show in the country, and it ain’t gonna be pretty.
A move sure to take Patreus out of any future Presidential bid, if he gets no support and we lose.
Hang in there Sallyvee… This story is just starting to play out. My oldest son now appoligizes to everyone for voting for BO. There is hope. May turn out that the new definition of Conservative is someone who voted for BO and with hindsight felt terribly betrayed. So do not despise, just remain steadfast in what you believe. If it is right then others will see it.
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Sorry, but O does not give a rat’s azz about any of it except he has to stay at least another year. You do not give a deadline to your enemy in a war. He ran on this being the real war, he’s stuck.
I keep thinking OK City. O just asked if we couldn’t all come together.
God bless our military and their families.