I had meant to write this a couple days ago, but as I was doing so, the motherboard on my 3-month-old laptop died. It’s fixed now, and so I’ve gotten my work back, and I think some of these points remain relevant, even as the story moves on. Jonathan Tobin has argued that Petraeus was right to resign, and I largely agree with his excellent points, but want to add one: I’m not so concerned about how unfair it is that more senior leaders like Bill Clinton not only cheated on their wives, but survived politically with even greater popularity. A military officer like Petraeus should be held to a higher standard than even the commander-in-chief.
Every officer and his or her spouse are a team. At every level of David Petraeus’s career, Holly Petraeus was his often unacknowledged partner not only in terms of personal support, but also in career. Officers’ wives are active not only in the military community, but also in the entertaining and diplomacy, which form an important part of any flag officers’ duties. Had Holly Petraeus not been so capable, her husband may not have achieved such a rapid rise. For an officer to betray his wife reflects not only a personal failing, which is more the business of the Petraeus family and few others, but also the betrayal of a long-standing, professional teammate.
Max Boot is right to highlight the contributions Petraeus made to the United States and its security. He messed up badly in Iraq when he commanded the 101st Airborne based out of Mosul, but he learned from his mistakes. Certainly, history will thank the general for his subsequent success. But it is important to remember that Petraeus did not achieve his successes alone.
While on one level, Holly Petraeus was one partner, Petraeus was also part of another team: Many of his colleagues—Ray Odierno, Peter Chiarelli, and others—are as responsible, if not more, for the successes the U.S. Army achieved. The major difference between these men and Petraeus is that his colleagues did not spend nearly as much time cultivating the press or think-tankers, or giving public speeches in Washington and New York to be seen and reported upon. That is not to diminish Petraeus; outreach has value. But the hagiography which Petraeus long cultivated necessarily diminished some of his equally talented peers and so could, perhaps, suggest a subtle betrayal of team spirit.
"Every officer and his or her spouse are a team. At every level of David Petraeus’s career, Holly Petraeus was his often unacknowledged partner not only in terms of personal support, but also in career" n nTrue. And surely this pertains to the Clintons as well? One of the more notable aspects of Lewinsky/Clinton was the extent to which Clinton's adoring female fans were prepared to ignore this.
Bill clinton's adoring female fans care mostly about abortion. This is their secular sacrament. All other issues rank a distant second in their priorities. Evil has triumphed in our nation. I may not be much of a religious man, but I still know that God's punishment will be severe.
I had heard that Petraeus never went anywhere without handlers and spinners these last years. n nHe may end up being exposed as a bigger narcissist than the Obama.
It is not hagiography that brought Petraeus down. It was his choice of hagiographer. n nWe are now told that the lady's biography of her favorite general required a ghost writer. She merely contributed the intimate research. n
Mr. Rubin has hit upon an important point. Whereas many (most?) successful couples in the civilian world can credit their success to their own efforts, in the military that is simply not true. Not only did Mrs. Petraeus have to provide social programs, events, personal dinners, etc., for husband and his fellow officers, she also had to manage their many moves. She had to sacrifice her personal goals so that he could pursue his own goals with each move to a new command. n nOne of my single navy friends told me that the military expects that you're married whether you are or not. His meaning was that the military movers come for one's belongings at their convenience (the movers tell you when they'll be there) and these movers expect someone to meet them. If you're single, well, you have to juggle your work (which you're expected to do and be at) with the movers coming mid-day. It's not easy. n nFurther, while Gen. Petraeus had a job at his next assignment, by definition, Mrs. Petraeus did not. She had to find work, if she was so inclined, no matter where the next base might be. Further, and let's not forget this either, the children suffered for their father's career as well. The children moved constantly, had to change schools, make new friends, and learn to get along with an often absent father. Again, not easy. n nWhen civilians cheat on their spouses, it can often be rationalized as a betrayal between the spouses. Not so when a military officer does likewise. n
Pious rubbish. n nEisenhower had an adulterous affair with his female driver for most of WWII. That did not make him a security risk or show his judgment to be impaired or that he was morally unqualified to lead the Allied armies. Certainly not in the eyes of General Marshall or FDR, who had a girl friend of his own. And it has not impaired Ike in the eyes of history.