[ManHunter]

While I agree with your overall premise, I have to take some exception to it. Trump is admittedly older and more experienced, but he has no more knowledge of defense matters than Cruz and probably less. Witness his obviously complete lack of knowledge about the nuclear triad.

I have complete confidence that both Trump and Cruz would, as Trump has said “...bomb the S**t out of ISIS” or as Ted Cruz has said, destroy ISIS “utterly and completely”.

Let’s hope one of them wins and we’re both right - about ISIS and any number of other issues.

[mkjessup]

Witness his obviously complete lack of knowledge about the nuclear triad.

That is a nothing burger at the early stages of the campaign trail. Trump is certainly aware (as most Americans) of the fact that we have nukes in submarines, in missile silos and on manned bombers. The term "triad" is merely a descriptive term assigned to our defense posture by mostly intellectual eggheads. If Trump was or was not familiar with it, is not a deal breaker. That's why Presidents have national security advisers.

[Deo volente]

The problem with destroying ISIS “utterly and completely” is you’ll need several hundred thousand ground troops to do it. Bombing alone won’t accomplish it. And what will the American people think when some of our soldiers are captured and then beheaded on live TV?

I hate ISIS as much as anyone, but when will we stop it with the Middle East and the endless wars? Unless our men get some rules of engagement designed to actually kill the enemy, this struggle will continue indefinitely.