Whispers are swirling around the political opportunities ahead for Gen. David Petraeus, who oversees the U.S. military in the Middle East and Central Asia, writes Max Fisher in The Atlantic. Will the popular commander, a registered Republican, run for president some day? The general's recent determination that "the time has come" to reconsider the "don't ask, don't tell" policy on gays in the military is just one indication of his "surprisingly liberal politics." Here's an excerpt:
"General David Petraeus can't even travel to his home state of New Hampshire anymore without raising another round of 'Will he run for president in 2012?' talk. It's not hard to see why. As chief of U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM), Petraeus oversees all U.S. military operations in the Middle East and Central Asia, giving him the executive experience governors only dream of and the gravitas of five senators. Military officials generally join up with the GOP if they enter politics, and Petraeus is indeed registered as a Republican....
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
-
The Nutcracker: English National Ballet's reboot restores 'festive sparkle'The Week Recommends Long-overdue revamp of Tchaikovsky's ballet is 'fun, cohesive and astoundingly pretty'
-
Congress reaches spending deal to avert shutdownSpeed Read The bill would fund the government through March 14, 2025
-
Today's political cartoons - December 18, 2024Cartoons Wednesday's cartoons - thoughts and prayers, pound of flesh, and more
