President Obama As Commander In Chief

President Obama in the early hours Thursday morning saluted the remains of a service member killed in Afghanistan. Doug Mills/The New York Times

For Obama, Steep Learning Curve As Chief In Time Of War -- New York Times

WASHINGTON — President Obama rushed to the Oval Office when word arrived one night that militants with Al Qaeda in Yemen had been located and that the military wanted to support an attack by Yemeni forces. After a quick discussion, his counterterrorism adviser, John O. Brennan, told him the window to strike was closing.

“I’ve got two minutes here,” Mr. Brennan said.

“O.K.,” the president said. “Go with this.”

While Mr. Obama took three sometimes maddening months to decide to send more forces to Afghanistan, other decisions as commander in chief have come with dizzying speed, far less study and little public attention.

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My Comment: I have always been of the opinion that President Obama's priority has always been to transform America .... and not to be too focus or distracted on the wars around the world. This New York Times article gives substance to this analysis.

Having said that .... has President Obama been a good Commander in Chief .... and has his relations with the military been adequate? Hmmmm .... my own opinion is conflicted.

President Bush was always in daily contact with senior commanders and officers during the Iraq war, President Obama keeps a more distant relationship. President Bush experiences included wearing the uniform for a few years when he was young, President Obama's experiences are completely different. President Bush (with backing from Congress) gave the Pentagon a blank check to fight the Iraq/Afghan wars, and on the war on terrorism. President Obama has to be more thoughtful on how such monies are spent.

When hard decisions had to be made, President Obama has always been there .... and he has changed his mind on numerous occasions. While he is a liberal ideologue, he does have a sensitivity to how dangerous the world is, and why America must continue to be engaged in international affairs. Hmmmm .... not an easy Commander in Chief to judge .... at least on the issue of how he uses the military to pursue America's foreign agenda.

The final analysis of President Obama as Commander in Chief will be done after he has left office, but for the moment .... if I was to give him a grade .... I would grade him a B to B+ .... a grade that (I must admit) I would have said was inconceivable when he first assumed the office of the Presidency two years ago.

Update: Here is a contrary opinion(s).