QandO

February 03, 2004

Wesley Clark
Posted by Jon Henke

I know McQ has little esteem for General Wesley Clark, and that seems to be a trait shared by many former military men. Dale Franks weighs in and it is - by his own account - a harsh judgement.

Wes Clark is the model of a certain type of peacetime careerist officer. He gets all the right tickets punched. He's smart and competent.

But he's not, frankly, the kind of guy you want to follow into combat.

Now, maybe some of you think that's a harsh judgement about a man who spent his adult life serving his country. But I spent 10 years of my adult life doing the same thing, and, believe me, from the inside, you form harsh judgements about officers like Clark on an entirely different basis.

Apart from anything else, your own military service liberates you from having to mouth the expected pieties about duty and service. And that accounts, I think, for a very great deal about why the Little General spent 30 years in the Army and left without a friend who thinks he's a good choice for president.

Impressing your bosses and patronizing the average joe may work when your bosses do your evaluation. Doesn't work so well in a popularity contest, though, does it?

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