The National Review Online says General Petraeus is 2007's Man of the Year. I agree.
Petraeus is the architect of the surge strategy that has completely altered the course of the Iraq war. The war is not yet won, since Al Qaeda still retains the ability to inflict occasional car bomb attacks and mortar attacks. However, Al Qaeda in Iraq has been routed and Bin Laden's plans for an Al Qaeda foothold in Iraq have been destroyed. The results of Petraeus' surge are amazing: violence is down, US troop fatalities are down, the Concerned Local Citizen groups seem to be flourishing.
At home, the success of the surge has created a political tsunami. Former opponents of the surge are now advocates. The Democratic party, which has opposed the war for several years, now is confronted with a voting public that seems willing to give the surge a chance to succeed. Harry Reid and Nancy Pelosi, the leaders of the Democrats in the Senate and House, have frequently sounded non-sensical when they speak about Iraq. Harry Reid recently referred to the Iraq war as a "civil war", which is a characterization that hasn't fit the reality in Iraq for many months.
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In the campaign for President, the surge has not yet been a major issue. All the top-tier Republican candidates support the Iraq war and the surge. On the Democrat side, the candidates have ignored the success of the surge, evidently believing that Democrat primary voters don't care that the surge appears to be working. But as the primaries are decided, the voting public will turn its attention to Iraq. Americans will have to decide if we want to win in Iraq and see democracy suucees. And as the 2008 election approaches, the handiwork of the skilled architect, David Petraeus, will be there for all to see.
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NRO is right: General David Petreus is the Man of the Year.
