General David Petraeus, Republican 2012 POTUS candidate?

[[R_H]]

General David Petraeus tipped as Republican 2012 presidential candidate (The Telegraph)

Speculation is mounting that Gen David Petraeus could run as the Republican presidential candidate in 2012.

The shrewd and articulate military commander, credited with turning around the Iraq war, will deliver a speech at Saint Anselm College in New Hampshire next week, a traditional staging post in the state where the first presidential primaries are held every four years. Each of the last eight presidents has spoken at the college on their way to victory.

It will be the latest in a series of speaking engagements where the head of the US Central Command region, which covers the Middle East and Central Asia, has veered well into foreign policy discussion and often faced questions about his political ambition.
His stock response is the same as any potential aspirant at this early stage - a flat no. But for someone who professes to have no interest in running for president he has a way of talking about it even when he hasn't been asked directly.

In a recent appearance at the World Affairs Council of Philadelphia Gen Petraeus turned a question about whether or not he planned to write a book upon retiring into an opportunity to deny he had political ambitions. On other occasions he has laughed off the notion of a White House bid in a slightly disingenuous manner.

Colleagues have begun to semi-seriously joke about the issue. At the annual Washington Alfalfa black tie dinner in late January Robert Gates, the Defence Secretary, was heard to remark that Gen Petraeus couldn't make it because "he had an engagement in Iowa", where the first caucuses are held.

"Everybody who knows him or spends time with him has always thought he would have a chance, and he does nothing much to dissuade them," said Steve Clemons, a senior fellow at the New America Foundation and publisher of the Washington Note blog.
"His closest advisers don't deny the logic or the suggestion," added Mr Clemons, who recently attended a diplomatic Washington dinner party where Gen Petraeus wore business attire rather than uniform.

John Feehery, a well-connected Republican strategist, said: "If Petraeus were to run, he would be a serious contender. "His positions on certain issues are not well known, but his leadership ability is well known and respected by the American people."
Aged 57, Gen Petraeus was catapulted to fame when then President George W Bush sent him to Baghdad in early 2007 to carry out the "surge" strategy that helped rescue Iraq from all-out civil war.

He drew up the counter-insurgency strategy that helped transform that conflict and is now being deployed with some encouraging early signs in Afghanistan.

In what is so far considered a weak field to run against President Barack Obama he would bring cast-iron national security credibility. Of the Republican front-runners, Sarah Palin is regarded as too divisive and Mitt Romney has trouble connecting with voters outside of country clubs.
Registered as a Republican, the general has told friends that like many senior military figures he hasn't voted for several elections in a bid to preserve his independence.

But he has also described himself as a "Rockefeller Republican" – a pro-business, socially liberal New Englander – who would not fit in well with a party lurching to the Right under the influence of the new Tea Party movement.

Like Gen Colin Powell or Gen Wesley Clark, who flirted with and entered the political fray respectively, he may lack the stomach for non-stop campaigning and fund-raising.

Timing is also against him for 2012. For a serious bid, he would have to leave his command late this year while the Afghan war was still blazing and then try and run against his former boss, the president.

Some associates think 2016 is a safer bet, or the chairmanship of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the pinnacle of any military career. There is also conjecture that Mr Obama, who is an admirer, may line him up for a top job if he wins a second four-year term.

Edited link.

[KlavoHunter]

Really? After they got done smearing him as "General Betray-us"?

[Darkdrium]

Really? After they got done smearing him as "General Betray-us"?

Corret me if I'm wrong, but wasn't it the democrats who did that? If I remember correctly, he got his post under Bush.

[Losonti Tokash]

Really? After they got done smearing him as "General Betray-us"?

Uh...wrong group there, buddy. That was MoveOn.org.

[KlavoHunter]

Oops.

[Pelranius]

He'll probably still be at the Pentagon come 2012. There is a lot of broken stuff in the DoD that needs fixing. I can believe 2016 though.

[Elfdart]

I doubt he'll run. He just committed the unpardonable sin of pointing out that Israel's policies against the Palestinians are a cause of much of the animosity against the US.Glennzilla has the details.

[[R_H]]

I doubt he'll run. He just committed the unpardonable sin of pointing out that Israel's policies against the Palestinians are a cause of much of the animosity against the US.Glennzilla has the details.

Not only that, but going by the article, it doesn't seem like he'd be accepted by the Tea Party faction.

PS, why do they insist on imbedding links in the text, couldn't they just footnote them?

[Sea Skimmer]

People have been dropping suggestions at Petraeus in 2012 or 2016 since before he was even prompted to commanding all of CENTCOM. I don’t think it’s very likely to happen, but it’s certainly possible. Once you reach anything like the level of military command in an active conflict your job is far more politics then military already. The question for him is, does he make the life of politics formal, or does he stay in the military and buck for chairman of the joint chiefs of staff which is a whole bucket of porkbarrel accounting fun. Or he might just retire.

[Crossroads Inc.]

As far as Im concerned, 2012 for the republicans is looking to be, on the Wacko side.

Sarah Palin
JD Hayworth (if he wins McCains senate seat)
Ron Paul

While on the more sensible side there is:
Mitt Romney
Robert McDonnell of Virginia
Scott Brown of Massachusetts.

Obviously im not a conservative, I don't exactly have my hand on the "Pulse of the party"
But as much as Obama has pissed off the Liberals and the Left wing, there still isn't a viable option Against him from the right. Most of those I can think of on the wacko side won't win for obvious reasons, and most of the more sensible choices wont wing because the Wacko's won't have them.

[Flagg]

As far as Im concerned, 2012 for the republicans is looking to be, on the Wacko side.

Sarah Palin
JD Hayworth (if he wins McCains senate seat)
Ron Paul

While on the more sensible side there is:
Mitt Romney
Robert McDonnell of Virginia
Scott Brown of Massachusetts.

Obviously im not a conservative, I don't exactly have my hand on the "Pulse of the party"
But as much as Obama has pissed off the Liberals and the Left wing, there still isn't a viable option Against him from the right. Most of those I can think of on the wacko side won't win for obvious reasons, and most of the more sensible choices wont wing because the Wacko's won't have them.

You can scratch McDonnell off the 'sensible' list. One of the first things he did after taking office was rescind existing protections against firing homosexuals and transgendered state employees based on the fact that they are LGBT.

[Crossroads Inc.]

You can scratch McDonnell off the 'sensible' list. One of the first things he did after taking office was rescind existing protections against firing homosexuals and transgendered state employees based on the fact that they are LGBT.

Oh don't get me wrong, everyone on that last is a Bastard, I just meant 'sensible' as in, might have a chance of winning. not anyone we would ever WANT as President

[Pelranius]

I wonder if the Republicans would be bold enough to run a first term senator or governor? We Democrats have done it already but there are a lot of entrenched interests in the Republicans with their own favorites. I've heard about Liz Cheney from an articel in the New Yorker but she's wacky as Sarah Palin and doesn't really have that populist appeal.

[stormthebeaches]

I doubt Petraeus would run in 2012 for two reasons.

1. He would have to retire whilst the Afghan war is still blazing. This would not be a good political move.

2. Running against his current boss would be really unclassy.

2016 on the other hand, I can believe.

[Sidewinder]

Considering the Republican Party currently seems like a mental asylum run by its INMATES, I doubt Petraeus has a chance at becoming its presidential candidate.