Be careful portraying Petraeus as a conservative. In foreign policy he is probably more a pragmatic realist than ideologue to one end of the spectrum. As for domestic issues, he’s a complete cipher.

But one thing’s for sure – he’s lived his whole adult life since age 18 in the bosom of the most socialist society in America – the US military. Active-duty military pay nothing for health care, for example.

Literally, the military can be cradle to grave socialism – a baby can be born in an Army hospital, grow up on military bases attending DOD schools to high school graduation, then go to West Point and live to his/her 50s enjoying a huge panoply of government-provided largesse at no out-of-pocket costs.

This is not exactly a recipe for social conservatism.

PS – I retired from the Army in 1995 and I am conservative, so there’s hope for Petraeus yet!

—>>> “I wondered if Steve was thinking of David Gergen. ” <<<—

We have a winner!!!!

I can now go to sleep tonight…

Apparently, I need it.

Thanks, Lorie…

————–

AARRGGGHH!!!! Thanks.

Who am I confusing him with? What the hell is wrong with me? I KNOW who Gerson is, for crying out loud. I need to pray taht God please re-wire my brain and fix the short circuits. Oy vey.

Someone shoot me in the head, please. I need to impose a midnight writing curfew.
[End excerpt.]
———————–

One of those moments when you want to punch yourself in the face.

That said, do keep a keen eye on the mounting insurgency. My eye was too keen by half tonight, and my brain a few cycles behind.

And do keep an equally keen eye on both Hillary and Dave Petraeus. That part stands regardless of whether my brain re-wired stored Gerson recollection. Yikes.

Last week, it was two major players firing the first shots across the bow.

Dana Milbank: Clintonite.

George Stephanopoulos: Clintonite.

And now,

George Gerson: Clintonite.

Hillary Clinton’s days as SecState are numbered. She’s about done with President “I” Obama referring to her as “MY Secretary of State” to the entire UN General Assembly of heads of state.

And I suspect there’s a bitterness, personally, regarding Health Care, Hillary’s biggest political black eye. He can’t be allowed to succeed. That’s *her* baby.

As I see it:

Clinton will step down as SecState in a matter of a few months, citing whatever she can come up with. She will pause, then engage in a battle to position herself as the proper DNC presidential nominee for 2012. The problem is that she needs some sort of title or position. Would have expected her to run for NY Gov, but may be a bit late to pick that shoe up now.

Soon after her, David Petraeus will retire and leave CENTCOM and command of the Artist Formerly Known As The War On Terror. (Folks, DP runs the show. Obama nods.) Obama asserting himself (oddly, assertive in indecision and by lacking resolve) will be the cause for Petraeus stepping down. His command will not matter in the way that it did when he (with SecDef Gates) was given complete control of war efforts (because Obama lacks depth on these issues.) And when the shallow begins to ‘take charge,’ Petraeus will light his own exit sign.

And Dave Petraeus will begin to shed the (properly) restrictive military tradition of avoiding political issues. He will, in a high profile manner, engage the full spectrum of conservative political philosophy and emerge a strong presidential candidate.

He may (should?) emerge as the widely accepted conservative outsider that Palin seems to fall just short of. Folks will like this Princeton PhD’s conservative credentials and approach. They’ve just never seen it because he honors the important military tradition of avoiding political debate lest the military be (and be seen as) loyal to a party rather than Country.

And in 2012, whoever emerges from the RNC will have strong conservative credentials with a grassroots less bashful than ever about it and less sensitive than ever to criticism of being mean (ie: Not liberal enough for media support.)

Meanwhile, the DNC will have a sight yet unseen: A high profile bloodbath of a political fight within its own party between a sitting president and a well-organized Clinton insurgency.

And the Democrats – regardless of how badly they are viewed after 4 years of Obama – will beat themselves up so badly that the Conservative Republican will have a relatively smooth go of it and win the election.

Personally, short of anyone I don’t know of yet that may well emerge, Petraeus is the sharpest tool in the shed.

Caveat: If his leaving will hurt the hot-war efforts in Iraq, Afghanistan, Pakistan, he will not step down and all of this will be moot. But I happen to think that, in an ironic twist (to him), he will conclude that it won’t matter whether he stays or goes. The Obama course will be set and it will be unacceptable to Dave Petraeus.

Just my thoughts. Needed a spot to put them down. Thanks for open comments, Melissa.

Cheers.