At the moment, there is a huge disconnect between what the military command is doing and what the public perceives. Obama, in effect, has adopted the Pentagon's "long war" view that sees substantial numbers of troops stationed in Iraq and Afghanistan for the foreseeable future.
Because troops have recently withdrawn from Iraqi cities into more discrete American encampments, there is the illusion of a war that is winding down. It is not.
Meanwhile, the war in Afghanistan is escalating, as evidenced by the daily death toll.
Modern war seems to break more presidents than it ennobles. If Obama is to avoid the fates of Johnson, Nixon, and Bush II, he must reconnect with political reality and bring the troops home.
If he doesn't, he risks McNamara-like ignominy.
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