[sefarkas]

David Petraeus

A poll recently conducted by Foreign Policy and Prospect magazines selected Petraeus as one of the world's top 100 public intellectuals.[6] And in April of this year, the Static Line Association named Petraeus as its 2008 Man of the Year.[7] In 2007, Time named Petraeus one of the 100 most influential leaders and revolutionaries of the year as well as one of its four runners up for Time Person of the Year.[8][9] He was also named the second most influential American conservative by The Daily Telegraph[10] as well as The Daily Telegraph's 2007 Man of the Year[11] and "America's most respected soldier" by Der Spiegel in 2008.[12] In 2005, Petraeus was selected as one of America's top leaders by US News and World Report.[13]

David Petraeus on the ticket in 2008 would completely defuse the negatives regarding the WOT and Iraq in particular. It will be difficult for the Democrat candidate(s) to debate/discuss the WOT with the man who has the most current intelligence and the best historical knowledge of the current situation.

David Petraeus would energize the base to get to the polls. The electoral calculus is this. Less than half the eligibles vote. It does not take much to make an election look like a landslide. K Rove knew it, and so did Haley Barbour before him. The assorted governors mentioned may throw one state over to McCain. A nationally popular VP nominee would at once bring many states into play as well as shoring up the marginal ones GW Bush carried in 2004.

[patriciaruth]

I always find talk about General Patraeus for V.P. kind of out there.

This general is not Wesley Clark, and not interested in mucking around in politics, IMO.

He still has valuable and critical contributions to make in his chosen career and is not stupid. He won’t give up his real world position for a chimera.