So then, if the vast majority of the people in the military also don't want a black man to lead them or a woman, you think they have to respect their wishes?
Well, we've had black leadership before (Powell) and it wasn't a problem. So the point is moot.
But when military people don't have any respect for the leadership I do believe it is a problem, whether black, white, or whatever.
There is nothing new about this.
Consider the case of Gen. Horatio Gates in the Revolutionary War. He totally lost the respect of his soldiers and only Gates' underling, (Col) Benedict Arnold could get the soldiers to follow him. Because they respected Arnold, and not Gates (which we now know, of course, was misplaced respect, but at the time Benedict Arnold was a war hero).
So, it isn't so much about gay/straight, black/white, but it is a question of whether soldiers will respect a gay's leadership authority. Maybe they will; 16 years ago they wouldn't have, we know that.
Given the experience Clinton had early on, it would be pretty foolish for Obama to make a similar mistake. I don't think he will. |
