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this reminds me of a biography i read about Abraham Lincoln (my vote for our greatest president of all time). the man endured personal attacks and betrayal from men he thought were friends and his many political enemies. yet, he took their venom with humor and with good nature. i think a sober reaction to personal attacks is an important dimension of what makes a great leader that is not often recognized.
i certainly see this quality in Bush and Clinton. Time and distance from the events of the 90s have given me a new appreciation of Clinton's political savvy (though i still disagree with most of his agenda). after reading pan's post i realized that he articulated what makes me uneasy about kerry. senator kerry strikes me as a man who is well in-tune with government and international issues but does not strike me as a man who is a true leader.
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If you will not fight when your victory will be sure and not too costly, you may come to the moment when you will have to fight with all the odds against you and only a precarious chance for survival. There may even be a worse case. You may have to fight when there is no hope of victory, because it is better to perish than to live as slaves.
~ Winston Churchill
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