The Possibilities of Gen. David Petraeus Becoming President Someday

Now that Gen. David Petraeus is leaving Iraq after close to two years commanding our military forces there, it's looking likely now that he'll be venerated as a war hero in most circles. Naturally, those opposed to the Iraq War won't even entertain the idea of him being anywhere close to a war hero who may have made the world a better place. But no matter what you think of Petraeus and whether he was a sycophant to the Bush Administration in leading a war that looked unwinnable, he still comes out of Iraq looking better than most of us would admit. In fact, even Petraeus likely thought for a time that he was painted into a corner and would ultimately take him into a quagmire that could taint all sanity in his military career.

Through an historical perspective on Petraeus, we're a far different country from where we were in the early 1950's--even though do have similar situations now that were occurring then. The Korean War had just started, the economy was starting to slip and the confidence of the American people was at a major low compared to the unity during WWII just ten years earlier. America needed a leader to take them out of the doldrums, and both Democrats and Republicans wanted Dwight D. Eisenhower to run for President--just because there seemed to be a grandfatherly trust doing double duty with him being the great General who won WWII.

It's not that Eisenhower really wanted to be President, though. He had to be cajoled numerous times before finally realizing the people loved him to the point of fawning. Yes, when it comes to political drafting, this was the epitome of it and still has a lot of possibilities for both good and dangerous purposes. When it helps elect someone who can be fair in who they help, all the better. Once it comes to the point where it's more one-sided either way, it can be the equivalent of paying to get someone in the White House just to help a particular economic bracket.