Historical (or hysterical) facts and the Great VP debate

Like all responsible Americans as well as political junkies I watched the Great Debate last night and after some time to sort through the “Yooo Betcha’s” and “Your darn right’s” and the winking and the playing for the camera, I have had a couple of thoughts.

First, I don’t think that the event changed a thing.  She probably motivated the dwindling base of the right wing.  I am concerned that the Guv from Alaska doesn’t think the Dick Cheney has gathered enough power into the Veep’s office and wants more.

There was a small aside in the banter about the wars, and in particular the Afghanistan war.  She referred to the commander as General McClellan.  Wow!!  General George B. McClellan fought in the Civil War (or the War of Northern Aggression depending on where you live) in the 1860s.

Just to set the record straight the CO is General David McKiernan.

I went for a bike ride today to try and clear my mind and had this revelation about that slip.

I imagine that somewhere, President Abraham Lincoln sat up.  Perhaps the General McClellan she was talking about is part of the McCain secret plan to win the war.  Based on the history it might go something like this:

The US Army would first have to ship at least 1 million combat troops to the Afghan plains, along with enough equipment and ordnance and logistical support staff and equipment to keep them in place for about 2 years, while the General completed his “plans” and did a lot of parading around.  So we’re looking at about 2.5 million personnel.

While this is going on the opposition would resurrect the equally long dead ghost of Robert E. Lee and he would gather the local militias into a smaller and more mobile army, which would endlessly harass the forces under McClellan winning the smaller battles and skirmishes, along with some larger battles that sound hauntingly like “Bull Run” and “Antietam”.

Finally after endless pressure from Washington, McClellan would lead his forces out of the encampments for the great showdown and have their hats handed to them by General Lee and the smaller mobile army that lives off the land that is theirs and repels the Northern Aggression.

The Guv from Alaska cannot be elected.  The Senator from Arizona cannot be elected.  This choice for his VP alone is an example of the bad judgment and impulsive temper that will get us into big trouble.

President Lincoln gave McClellan plenty of time to be in charge and finally was forced to fire him.  It took three more years to complete the task of bringing that war to a close and the cost in blood and treasure was high.  We have already spent too much and not even where the threat is based, and she who could be President cannot even get the names right.