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The strategic stupidity of McCain
In the dabates McCain stated that Obama did not know the difference between tactics and strategy. But it is obvious that Obama did know the difference in that the COIN operations in Iraq are nothing than more than a tactic since they have not acheived their strategic directive which is a peaceful political solution in Iraq. McCain, on the other hand, just believed in winning for the sake of winning but was unable to describe how exactly the United States would achieve victory in Iraq. While Obama was able to state how our operations in Iraq impede the effort in Afghainistan and has ruined our stature in the world. Obama seemd to have his eye on the ball while McCain was very narrowminded and just concentrated on abouy 8-10 months of reduced violence in Iraq and believed it to be some sort of strategic victory even though there is no political solution.
Comments (2)
I was hoping that Obama would press McCain on this "winning" in Iraq. There will be no enemy signing unconditional surrender papers on the deck of a battleship. McCain needs to describe exactly what constitutes winning, beyond vague platitutes about a democratic Iraq, and what he envisions as a time table (time line, time horizon, time moon cycles, whatever the hell language he wants to use to avoid time table) to get our guys out. As importantly, I want McCain to define what he considers defeat in Iraq. I want him to explain what he thinks he must do to avoid that. At this point, I think McCain has come to equate any troop removal as defeat.
September 27, 2008 8:10 PM | Reply | Permalink
"McCain, on the other hand, just believed in winning for the sake of winning but was unable to describe how exactly the United States would achieve victory in Iraq."
Good point. I found this shocking. James Fallows and I made a similar point:
http://tpmcafe.talkingpointsmemo.com/talk/2008/09/tactics-vs-strategy-the-john-m.php
September 27, 2008 8:18 PM | Reply | Permalink
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