But is that all there is to it? Douglas MacArthur was at least as great a general as Eisenhower, and he never made it off the ground as a presidential candidate. (The farthest he got was a Wisconsin primary in which he was thrashed by his opponent.) And Eisenhower padded his military glory during peacetime. He was often celebrated as the victorious general and supreme allied commander. He was also president of Columbia University, further enhancing his status in the eyes of the voters.
Today, in view of the massive security threat to America following the attacks of 9-11 and the subsequent war on terror launched by President Bush, it is quite possible that the political clout of our key generals is again surging. Certainly, America's respect for the integrity, character and moral compass of our military personnel has risen a hundredfold in the last two years.
While Gen. Wesley Clark did not serve in the Afghan or Iraq theaters, his presidential intentions nonetheless catapulted him onto the front pages. Unfortunately, despite his vacillation on key issues, he has proven to be a me-too liberal Democrat. He easily qualifies as one of the nine Mondales who would raise taxes if elected, and his positions on expanded federal spending and government-run healthcare keep him very much in the Mondale orbit.
More, he is pessimistic about the U.S. economy and the country's prospects in the war against terror. This keeps him at loggerheads with an American public that greatly prefers optimistic vision and leadership in its presidents. Even on military and foreign policy, supposedly the general's strong card, Clark is a carping cynic -- one that lacks any coherent strategy to protect America against terrorism.
On the great issues of war, peace and prosperity, Clark is hewing to the McGovern-Mondale model that has been criticized so effectively by Democratic Sen. Zell Miller of Georgia. It remains to be seen whether any of the Democratic Nine can move closer to a centrist Truman-JFK model: standing tough against our enemies (Truman and Kennedy) and cutting taxes to spur economic growth (JFK, the first postwar supply-sider). This was successfully imitated -- however loosely -- by President Bill Clinton in his two winning campaigns.
If the Democrats are serious about retaking the White House, they should borrow from the best of their political legacy -- not the worst.