Sarah Palin's Leadership through a Civil War Prism

vanity | 04/24/2011 | Brice Crossroads

[Brices Crossroads]

Political campaigns bear a striking resemblance to military campaigns. Both involve strategy, an awareness of the environment (a "grasp of the ground" in military parlance) and the concentration of forces and resources at the crucial point where the enemy is weak. Armies that are well led tend to win, while those who are poorly led tend to lose.

Since we entered the sesquicentennial of the Civil War on April 12, 2011, I was reflecting on some of the peculiar abilities and gifts of the great military leaders of the American Civil War compared to those so far displayed by Governor Sarah Palin as she begins her quest for the Presidency. I focused on three generals in particular, Stonewall Jackson, Nathan Bedford Forrest and U.S. Grant.

All three share the common characteristic with Palin that they were for a long time dismissed by the political and military Establishment of their day, even after smashing successes. Like Palin, none of them had an aristocratic pedigree, and this held them back as well. All three overcame the initial skepticism and cemented their place in the annals of military and political history. The way they achieved the respect of the Establishment was by winning victories. There was no other way for them to do it. There is no other way for Palin. And she wouldn't have it any other way. Don't kid yourself. This lady relishes a fight, and she doesn't want to be handed anything, including the GOP nomination or the Presidency.

Stonewall Jackson, an eccentric professor when the war began, was initially ridiculed as "Tom Fool", because of his fervent religious faith and his unwillingness to share overall battle plans with his subordinates. Like Palin he kept his cards close to the vest. Early in his famous Shenandoah Valley Campaign in the spring of 1862 he had opened his mind about his strategy in a particular battle (Kernstown)to his staff, and he proceeded to lose the battle, the only one of twelve he lost in the campaign. From then on, Jackson kept his own counsel, telling his subordinates only what they needed to know. One of his chief lieutenants, General Richard Ewell, on being ordered to take his Division off on what he thought was a wild goose chase, opined that Jackson was "mad as a march hare." At the end of the highly successful twelve battle campaign against four federal armies totaling 80,000 men (Jackson never had more than 17,000), it was evident that Jackson was moving his men in different directions to achieve the maximum force in each battle. Deftly using his smaller force, he achieved numerical superiority in every battle against the scattered Union forces that were chasing him.

In his epic battle Chancellorsville, Jackson took his entire Corps of 28,000 men on an extraordinary 14 mile march through dense wilderness to the extreme right flank of the Union Army. In spite of his reputation for aggressiveness and mobility both in the Valley and in subsequent battles, Union General Joseph Hooker actually convinced himself that JACKSON WAS RETREATING! When Jackson struck Hooker's right flank on the afternoon of May 2, 1863 like a whirlwind from the West, the Union troops were boiling coffee and playing cards, completely unprepared. It was a rout.

Fast forward to 2012. The parallels are amazing. Palin too holds her cards close to the vest, which frustrates many who would like to know what she is up to. The Establishment is effectively "chasing her" as well and she is flummoxing them at every turn, dashing off a Facebook post here or a tweet there that sends them into apoplexy. Like Jackson, Palin is focused on a goal: victory. When and if disclosure of her plans advances that goal, she will disclose them. Until that time, she will remain silent.

Palin already has a formidable reputation and her powerful endorsements and political success in 2010 were historic. Her aggressiveness and success as a campaigner both in 2010 and in toppling the corrupt Establishment in Alaska would put any rational observer on notice that she is aiming for 2012. Yet, like Hooker, the sleepy Establishment of 2011 has convinced itself--against all evidence--that Palin will not run, that PALIN IS ACTUALLY RETREATING. When she comes storming out of the West, as Jackson did 198 years ago, the Establishment will be just as discombobulated as Hooker's army was then, and it will crumble just as rapidly.

Like Jackson, Bedford Forrest--the untutored son of an illiterate blacksmith, had no pedigree, not even a West Point education. Enlisting as a private in the Confederate Army in 1861, by the end of the war he had risen further than any other soldier--to the rank of Lieutenant General. Forrest's Cavalry became a terror to the Union Army, and Grant, Sherman and Lee were all of the opinion that Forrest was the greatest general on either side of the war. Forrest was an untaught genius, who had an intuitive grasp of military strategy and troop movement even without a formal military education. He also had a natural gift for topography. He could look at a piece of ground and see how best to use it for attack and defense. And he was a born leader who led by example,fighting alongside his troops. (Forrest reputedly killed 31 man in hand to hand combat and had 30 horses shot out from under him.) Finally his tactics were WAY AHEAD of his time. In the 1860s, cavalry was used for raids and reconnaissance, but never to attack infantry whose rifled muskets could empty saddles at 200 yards. Forrest armed his troopers with rifled muskets (and at least two six shooters). Frequently outnumbered but rarely outgunned, he used them like mounted infantry and used his horse drawn artillery in similar fashion. They would ride to the enemy's weak point, dismount and fight on foot. His battles, particularly at Brices Crossroads, in which his 3000 man force completely crushed and routed a Union infantry Corps of over 9000 became a model for mechanized warfare in the 20th Century and has been studied and emulated by the likes of Rommel, Patton and Scwartzkopf.

Like Forrest, Palin has an intuitive grasp of the political lay of the land, and her many parries and thrusts against the statist agenda attest. She appears to be perpetually ahead of the curve, with the Establishment scrambling to catch up with her. Like Forrest and all great leaders, she is not using the tactics of the past. She is not fighting the LAST WAR, but is writing the blueprint for HER victory, one that many will try to copy in years to come. And like Forrest, she is personally fearless and unrattled by incoming fire, a born leader to whom people are naturally drawn.

The parallels between Palin and U.S. Grant are evident as well. Even after his great victories at Ft. Donelson and Shiloh--the only bright spots for the Union in 1862--Grant, who was never liked by the Establishment, was relieved of command because the Chief of Staff, Henry Halleck, was jealous of him. (Sound familiar? Palin, in spite of her great victories in 2010 and before, is similarly dismissed and derided by a jealous Establishment.) Rumors of his heavy drinking were leaked to the press, as well as nasty rumors about his wife. Grant was so dejected that he told his friend and fellow Ohioan William T. Sherman that he was going to resign and go back home to Ohio. Sherman, who understood Grant better than anyone, told him, "If you go home, you couldn't be still for a minute with armies marching." Palin must have considered this as well, given the horrific attacks delivered on her and her family Grant reconsidered, eventually won a new Command, saved the Army of the Cumberland after the defeat at Chickamauga and led it to smashing victories at Lookout Mountain and Missionary Ridge. Palin must have considered retreat as well, given the horrific attacks delivered on her and her family but like Grant, "She couldn't be still for a moment" if she simply retired to Alaska.

Up until the advent of Grant, the Union Army of the Potomac had the numbers and materiel to win, but lacked a Commander with the will to use them. Fading the heat of a hostile press, Grant set out in April 1864 and never looked back. His first encounter with Robert E. Lee at the Wilderness was a disaster that cost his army 17,000 men. Yet Grant knew he had the men and materiel to win. He paid no attention to the naysayers and pressed on, moving relentlessly by the left flank to Spotsylvania, Cold Harbor and Petersburg, sustaining horrific casualties along the way and harping criticism from the McClellans and the Northern press who wanted to compromise and retreat. Meanwhile, his Confederate opponent was dropping back, losing men he couldn't replace.

Palin is the one candidate in the GOP who has the resolve and political skill to take similar political and rhetorical hits, because she understands one thing: We have the numbers. The other side knows what she is doing and they know the threat she poses for them. Her strategy is not complicated. Our side has the numbers, but has heretofore lacked the will to mobilize them. The left and its Establishment allies are going to try to destroy her and to demoralize her supporters. This was exactly the strategy employed by Lee in 1864. But Grant was a bulldog who simply would not be deterred. I think Grant and Palin share a characteristic that is sadly absent in politicians today: Sherman referred to it as "four o'clock in the morning courage" meaning that you could wake Grant up at four o'clock in the morning with the news that the enemy had turned his right flank and he would be cool as a cucumber. The fearless Palin too "doesn't scare worth a damn."

No. Sarah Palin is not Grant. Nor Forrest. Nor Jackson. But she does shares many of the qualities and gifts (originality, intuitive genius, coolness under fire, and perseverance) of these men of the 19th Century who made such an impact on the history of their day. She is a leader of the first magnitude. Among political figures of our era, she is an clearly an order apart.

[fantail 1952]

Sarah is the kind of person as well as candidate that inspires and uplifts! In my lifetime, I have only seen one other that would outshine her message and her method, and I voted for him, Ronald Reagan, seven times.

Hopefully I will be able to vote for Sarah at least four.

[Sea Parrot]

“He paid no attention to the naysayers and pressed on, moving relentlessly by the left flank to Spotsylvania, Cold Harbor and Petersburg, sustaining horrific casualties along the way and harping criticism from the McClellans and the Northern press who wanted to compromise and retreat. Meanwhile, his Confederate opponent was dropping back, losing men he couldn’t replace. “
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

True, Grants Overland Campaign was fought in a series of battles through May and into June of 1864, starting at the Battle of The Wilderness and cumulating in the siege of St. Petersburg, (June 1864—March 1865) was the death knell of the Confederacy. I have read that during those two months Lee destroyed more Union troops than his entire army consisted of. But it mattered not, the war of attrition favored the Union, for with the South’s very limited resources and manpower, Confederate losses during the campaign were much greater when juxtaposed with the Union’s.

[DoughtyOne]

It seems folks get a bit testy when you document the people Sarah has been compared to. For the life of me, I can’t imagine why.

[Sea Parrot]

Taking an oath of office, is not a mutual financial suicide pact for your entire family.

Name one, just one, serving elected official who would submit to the law and rules Sarah Pain had to abide by?

Whereas anyone could anonymously file a complaint, (and did so many times) no matter how frivolous, and by state law it could go forward. To answer the complainant’s charges, all legal fees had to be personally paid by the elected official. Name one?

When Sarah Palin and her family were going bankrupt (they even had to take out a second mortgage on their home) from personal legal fees fighting the idiot left and RINOs in AK. What said you then?

She set up a legal defense fund (to which wife and I gladly contributed) for donations to help pay those legal bills. What said you then?

The LSM and all the usual suspects went berserker, tied up the money and shut it down. What said you then?

Just a few months ago, we got the money back we had given, we immediately endorsed the check and sent it to her new legal defense fund.

[Sea Parrot]

On election night 1980, I was sitting in hunting camp up on Ishawooa Creek in Wyoming, listening to results on a static plagued transistor radio. When they announced he had won, I let out a loud war whoop, scared the pony herd and almost broke up the poker game. After the disastrous Carter years, the immediate relief I felt was immeasurable.

Wife and I voted for Reagan both elections, and of his eight years at the helm, I consider the best ever for any president.

With Reagan I knew where things stood, there was no second guessing of him as to intent. He was the same man, with the same sense of optimism, purpose and steadfastness, when I woke in the morning, as when I had went to sleep the night before.

Could I have a selfish motive for waxing so about Reagan? Perhaps, for under the his administration, I prospered more during those eight years than all the others combined.

[FreedomGuru]

Run Forrest Run......

[The Wizard]

what a refreshing piece.....having just read it again, I must say this is one of the first written pieces that clearly lays out the real situation as it stands.....may it come to be....

[Virginia Ridgerunner]

You have to take Polybius' mutterings from what they are worth---not much. He has a "woman problem" just like pissant.

"Barack Obama was adored because his skin is black and Sarah Palin is adored because she is female and cute."

[Virginia Ridgerunner]

You’re wasting your time with wtc911. He’s a charter member of the PDS loser brigade on here who’s favorite meme is that “She quit!” He’s been spouting this nonsense for over a year now despite being thoroughly educated about the facts, which don’t matter to him at all.

[Anamnesis]

Well then, I guess we're just going to have to Organize 4 Palin!

DON’T WAIT UNTIL PALIN ANNOUNCES!

Palin and her aide Rebecca Mansour have already given the green-light, without “officially” announcing. I've highlighted tweets that Rebecca Mansour has retweeted and the other hints that Palin has given over the past few months:

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2706696/posts

Most notably, her aide is pushing Organize4Palin. Check out this tweet from Rebecca Mansour:

Thanks @O4Palin for all you do! You guys are the best! Folks, this is a great grassroots group to join. Visit www.organize4palin.com

Email yourstate@organize4palin.com to directly contact your local coordinator, if it already has one. I've listed the ones that I believe already have a state coordinator, but go ahead and email yourstate@organize4palin.com in case my list isn't up to date:

alabama@organize4palin.com
alaska@organize4palin.com
arizona@organize4palin.com
california@organize4palin.com
colorado@organize4palin.com
conneticut@organize4palin.com
florida@organize4palin.com
idaho@organize4palin.com
illinois@organize4palin.com
indiana@organize4palin.com
iowa@organize4palin.com
kansas@organize4palin.com
louisiana@organize4palin.com
maryland@organize4palin.com
missouri@organize4palin.com
nebraska@organize4palin.com
nevada@organize4palin.com
newyork@organize4palin.com
northcarolina@organize4palin.com
northdakota@organize4palin.com
ohio@organize4palin.com
oregon@organize4palin.com
pennsylvania@organize4palin.com
southcarolina@organize4palin.com
texas@organize4palin.com
wisconsin@organize4palin.com

If your state DOES NOT have a coordinator email editor@organize4palin.com to volunteer, along with some information about yourself.

Link to sign up for newsletter email (You need to sign-up for the newsletter, and list your state in your profile to get on the mailing list of your state coordinator): http://tinyurl.com/33r7fg8

Newsletters:

April 17: http://conta.cc/fOdkf3
April 9: http://conta.cc/fKR3Dg
March 19: http://conta.cc/fmJ20C

To opt-in for text reminders and alerts: Text 4PALIN to 74679

On November 2, 2010; O4P helped Sarah Palin elect: 37 House Reps, 6 Senators, 7 Governors, 2 Attorney Generals, & 1 Secretary of State.O4P had a 67% success rate in November 2010!

   

Donate to O4P, General Fund

Organize4Palin is a project of American Grizzlies United, a grassroots organization dedicated to organizing, educating, and training volunteers for American political elections. Contributions or gifts to American Grizzlies United are not tax deductible. Paid for by American Grizzlies United and not authorized by any candidate or candidate's committee.

[Anamnesis]

PS, if anyone wants the html for the O4P plug for when the ABP/PDS crowd comes around, just send me a message. I’ll also send you the updated versions as I improve it.

[Brices Crossroads]

I think it was bound to be a war of attrition. Sherman, who was more prescient than most, said at the beginning of 1864 that the worst of the war had not yet begun, meaning the worst of the casualties. Sherman knew the southerners having lived in Louisiana. He knew they were tough fighters who simply wouldn’t surrender because someone outflanked them.

Grant simply had the guts to do what was necessary. The other Union generals did not. That perseverance, and Grant’s coolness under fire, separated him from al the rest. But it is those two characteristics that Grant most conspicuously shares with Governor Palin.

[stephenjohnbanker]

;-)

[stephenjohnbanker]

Thanks. I saved the update.

[DoughtyOne]

;^)

[x]

What kind of Civil War general was Fred Thompson?

And how's that strategic withdrawal thingy working out for him?