Petraeus To Run In 2012?

[Exilednight]

From Esquire magazine

One month before, in early January, Congressman Massa had called me and sketched out the bare bones of the tale he was now propounding. Four retired generals, he said — "three four-stars and one three-star" — had picked up disturbing reports that Petraeus, the commander of United States Central Command, whose portfolio contains the worst trouble spots on the globe, including Iraq and Afghanistan, had recently met with Cheney — twice — and Cheney was trying to recruit him to run in 2012. Were he to be the nominee, Massa said, Petraeus would be in the unprecedented position of a military man running for president against his own commander in chief.

Interesting to think about, but the article goes on with the editor saying that Massa is a complete and utter nut job. On the other hand, I wouldn't of put it past Cheney.

Read more: http://www.esquire.com/features/eric-massa-scandal-0610-3#ixzz0t2jiqD7y

[Parche]

1. fukin evil cheney

:grr::hi:

[saigon68]

4. The only one who is worth a shit is Clark

Met him in Green bay he is the man

[bigdarryl]

2. OH PLEASE!!! Generals make HORRIBLE candidates I wouldn't worry in the least

[Adenoid_Hynkel]

3. If he does, he comes off as a quitter

He'll be the guy who abandoned his job in Afghanistan in order to further his political career.
Maybe he can get Sarah as a running mate.

[Exilednight]

6. The article addresses the point that he may not step down and be a General and President. nothing

in the Constitution actually prohibits an active member of the Armed Services from running for President. On the flip side of the coin, there are military regulations that prohibit active campaigning for a specific partisan group.

[jmowreader]

8. DoD Regulation 1344.10 prohibits him from running for president as a general

http://www.dod.gov/dodgc/defense_ethics/ethics_regulation/1344-10.html

It prohibits a lot of things, including some fairly innocuous ones--he couldn't be chairman of the county Republican (or Democratic, for that matter) party, couldn't march in a partisan parade even in uniform...

I don't think he wants it. Right now he can't do anything wrong in the eyes of Joe and Jane Public. If he was president he couldn't do anything right. He'd be more powerful as a "retired general" than as president.

[Exilednight]

13. Allow me to play devil's advocate.

Let's say, for the sake of argument, that he doesn't actively campaign, doesn't make an official public policy stance, never attends a debate, never holds a rally, never does anything that could be construed as active campaigning, but still wins.

What is there to stop him? Once he's sworn in he will be the commander in chief in uniform. He then holds the power to issue an executive order to give himself a waiver over such military articles.

I know the ability for any person to do this is astronomical, but is it impossible?

[jmowreader]

23. DOD 1344.10 would stop him

It prohibits either running for, or holding, a federal elective office by active duty servicemembers and by reservists on extended active duty. General Petraeus is an active duty general, hence cannot hold an elective office while he's in such a position.

The law's pretty tight: if General Petraeus wanted to be President Petraeus, he'd have to retire from the Army before the election season. I don't see him doing it.

[Gman]

5. The civilian control of the military aside

Petraeus' reputation is one of being the biggest kiss ass in the military. And he's indebted to Cheney so Cheney gets to control another president.

But I agree with Darryl, even if he gets the GOP nomination which is no shoe-in, he won't win.

[mattvermont]

7. I have always believed that he would run, but

the extra beauty of the Obama appt, is that it will not occur until 2016.

[ProSense]

9. Yeah, the best way to position for a run in 2012

is to join the Obama administration.

Good grief.

[still_one]

10. As long as he is actively servering he can't /nt

[jenmito]

11. He's gonna run against Obama just like Hillary's gonna run against Obama...

they WON'T.

[Robb]

19. Nailed it. nt

[MissDeeds]

12. I heard that a Petraeus biography is in the works

Don't know if it's just a coincidence, but usually a bio proceeds a run for president.

:popcorn:

[Exilednight]

14. Possibly, or it could just be a way of cashing in on the conservative base. Other General's have

done it and not run for President. Schwarzkopf comes to mind.

[MissDeeds]

17. Let's hope that's the case n/t

[OHdem10]

15. Petreus can lose his lustre real quick ---if associated with Cheyney

[Arkana]

16. If Petraeus was running he wouldn't have taken the Afghanistan job.

(that's assuming there is a way to tell your CiC that no, you really don't want to do this)

[PopSixSquish]

18. Did Massa Find this Out Before or After Rahm Confronted Him in the House Shower Naked?

Something that no one else witnessed BTW.

But seriously, General Petraeus will still be active duty military and commander in Afghanistan in July 2011 which is the date for the US to start (hopefully) getting the hell out of there. That is going to take time and he's not going to leave until the mission is complete (or gives an interview to Rolling Stone)

The 2012 campaign will have started already with all candidates having announced and started campaigning (go back and check the announcement dates from '08). Petraeus will not be in a position to have gotten hired staff, raised money or done anything else.

Plus, he's already said no...

[Uzybone]

20. Massa never lies

best to believe everything he might have said.

[Exilednight]

21. I know, I just find the article fascinating.

[Ikonoklast]

22. Petraeus wants to Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

He has already stated that as his only real ambition.

[fujiyama]

24. Maybe he will run

but I'm doubtful. I've got the impression Petraeus and Obama have a pretty good working relationship, which Obama started cultivating during the campaign. Now that doesn't mean he won't still run, but if he has that sort of political ambition maybe he'd hold off until '16.

[saltpoint]

25. I don't think he'd step down to run for public office.

That's just a hunch, but he seems like he's in his rightful domain in the military and is deeply respected in that realm.

Politics would be more complicated and nasty and muddled. My sense about this guy is that he would rather remain in the realm where he is effective and comfortable and where things still make sense.

[Blue_Tires]

26. Let me guess -- he has a 'secret plan' to end the war?