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Well said. It is a pleasure to read a thoughtful and well-defined position.

I might add that at Gettysburg, Lee could not accept the fact that his troops could not win. I think it is called "Victory Disease", and don't get me wrong, I have profound respect for Robert E. Lee, the soldier and the man!

Gettysburg day 3 is a perfect example of making assumptions about your enemy. To paraphrase Longstreet no 15,000 men ever born could take that hill if the enemy kept their nerve. The entire plan counted on the Union troops being demoralized and running if pressed hard. Yet all the Union had to do was remain calm and fire three aimed rounds a minute. There was plenty of evidence from day 1 and 2 that the Union troops had good moral and would give ground only a great cost.

Obama continually worries about intentions rather that capabilities. In other words he looks at what an opponent is likely to do rather than what they are able to do. You can get away with that for a while, but it will eventually bit you. Look at what Gov. Palin just did. They had a plan to keep her out of play for 2012 by bombarding her with frivolous lawsuits. Their plan counted in her staying in Alaska and on the defensive until her term was up in 2011. They never counted on her doing something radical like resigning and then going on a PR offensive in 2009. Regardless of if you like Gov. Palin as a GOP standard bearer or not she has thrown a monkey wrench into the Democrats plans.