The country is frustrated by a stalemated war. Americans are being killed and wounded in a conflict with no end in sight. Some want to win it. The President, hugely unpopular, only wants not to lose it. The economy is in the doldrums. As the war ends with a whimper, hundreds of thousands of vets will return to the private sector. Primaries have begun to select the next President. The Republican party is split between conservatives, and moderates who believe that in order to win this time the party needs to be less dogmatic. People fear the in-fighting will lead to Obama being re-elected.

The winter of which I speak was 1951-52. The President was Truman. The war was Korea. Conservatives, led by Senator Taft and moderates led by Henry Cabot Lodge were at each other's throats. A small group of Americans reached out to a man who had dedicated his entire adult life in service to his country. He resisted their advances insisting that he had no aspirations for political office. He would not even acknowledge whether he was a Republican or a Democrat. President Truman offered to share the ticket as his vice-president if he would only run.

Finally, in January, he announced that he would run for president as a Republican. He would serve if the people elected him. Buttons reading "I Like Ike" were worn by people who didn't have a clue about his position on "the issues." They voted for him because they knew he would put the good of the country ahead of his personal ambition. He served eight years as the 34^th President. He ended the war in Korea, stopped the advance of communism at the Iron Curtain that had dropped over Eastern Europe, and brought economic prosperity to America. He made sure the veterans who had saved the world's bacon were treated fairly. The man was General Dwight D. Eisenhower.

As we watch the GOP elephant blunder through the winter of 2012, squashing every fresh idea, stomping on every candidate who hasn't paid his dues, mocking integrity and demonstrated success and true leadership, trumpeting displeasure at those who haven't put Party first their entire lives, maybe we should take a lesson from 1952. Maybe we should look at another man who has spent his entire adult life in service to the country . Maybe we should look at General David Petraeus.

Keep the faith,

Bob McConnell

beawatchman@aol.com