The occasional calls for Gen. David Petraeus to challenge President Obama in 2012 were joined by conservative British columnist Toby Harnden, who argues in The Daily Telegraph that Americans are yearning for a decisive non-politician in the White House. The U.S. Central Command chief would make "a powerful presidential candidate and a potentially accomplished President," he writes. Despite Petraeus' repeated denials, will the reportedly self-described "Rockefeller Republican" run in 2012 — and if so, could he win?
Petraeus isn't conservative enough: Petraeus is "a stand-up guy," says Clifton B. at Another Black Conservative. But Harnden's "view from the other side of the pond is a wee bit distorted." Integrity isn't enough for Americans now — "any successful 2012 candidate" must also have "impeccable fiscally conservative principles," and Petraeus has shown no strength in that department.
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