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Senator Obama's "Army Captain" from the Texas Debates.

By The Armorer on February 25, 2008 | | Comments (3)

Over at Armchair Generalist, J. continues the discussion of Senator Obama's Army Captain. We've discussed that here, and here. Clearly, the battle of cherry-picked examples continues, and the only solution will be for someone to interview each and every platoon leader of an infantry unit who was deployed during that time frame. Someone break out the Excel. That said - J does get very close to the real point in this comment:

UPDATE: In Abu Muqawama's coverage of this issue, he accurately notes in the comments section that the real point is Obama's need for better familiarity of military issues. While Obama may want to do the right thing in Iraq/Afghanistan, McCain will outmaneuver him on defense topics in the debates unless the young senator from Illinois gets schooled quickly.

In structure, J. emphasizes this point: "...McCain will outmaneuver him on defense topics in the debates unless the young senator from Illinois gets schooled quickly..."

I prefer this take: "...the real point is Obama's need for better familiarity of military issues..." if he wants to be Commander-in-Chief.

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3 Comments

By kat-missouri on February 25, 2008 9:38 AM
Same post twice?
   
By J. on February 25, 2008 11:02 AM
Not that I'm trying to get the last word (unlikely), but if I were to extend and revise my remarks, I'd say: "the real point is Obama's need for better familiarity of military issues for when he becomes Commander-in-Chief." After all, a failure to understand military strategy certainly didn't stop Bill Clinton or George W. Bush from being elected. I'm reading "Masters of War", and it's just amazing how this book, published in 2000, reads like a rebuke to the pre-Iraq war planning. Maybe I'm reading into it (and that's where the Clausewitz comments came from), but I will highly recommend it for insightful readings on "things people sitting in the White House ought to be thinking about" before engaging in military warfare. I'm quite looking forward to the first Obama-McCain debate. It will run like a repeat of the Kennedy-Nixon televised debate, with the same outcome.
 
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