These seven extraordinary properties were fully present in actions by George Washington and Abraham Lincoln, for instance. In most parts they were adapted at a time of war by FDR (1934-1945), Harry Truman (1945-1953), embodied in the presidencies of Dwight Eisenhower (1953-1961) and Ronald Reagan (1981-1989). All these four great American Presidents formed U.S. policies that allowed the United States to become a winner in the World War II and the following Cold War.
In contrast, Woodrow Wilson’s stubborn “neutrality” (1914-1917) in the World War I became instrumental in Bolshevik’s uprising in Russia (1917) and his vague Principles of “crusade for democracy” resulted in appearance of two Empires of Evil on the Historic Stage - USSR (1923) and Nazi Germany (1933). Herbert Hoover’s blind “strove for piece” (1929 -1934) allowed further military development of Japan, that made possible the devastating attack against the U.S. Navy at Pearl Harbor (1941).
President Jimmy Carter’s deficiency of the mentioned above properties was a prime cause of American inability to protect the U.S. Embassy in Teheran (1979) and free 66 American hostages taken by Islamic terrorists in Iran for 444 days that opened a “Pandora box“ of modern terrorist warfare. The most recent and exceptionally eloquent example of lacking these “seven properties” was presidency of Bill Clinton (1993-2001) that ended up with a tragedy of terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001.
Could any of the current presidential hopefuls, regardless, be called a Statesman of Principles? Do they have an ability to comprehend a nature of modern terrorist warfare? Do they possess clear mind to come to conclusions related to the current stage of the Global War on Terror? Do they hold the character to make strategic decisions that may be unpopular among the American people? Do they have a rational capacity to grasp dynamics of battle with Terror? Are they intelligent enough to coordinate battle? And the last, but not the least, will they have the irreversible will to lead the Nation to defeat enemy?
All the above questions will be never asked on the shows by David Letterman, or Charlie Rose, or Oprah. However, these vital questions must be answered by those who care about the Future of the Nation being at total war with enemy intending to literally kill all of us and destroy our way of life. At this dangerous time the Nation does not need another Woodrow Wilson, Herbert Hoover, Jimmy Carter, or Bill Clinton in the White House. The Nation needs new Abraham Lincoln as the Commander-in-Chief! So, listen to carefully our great Commander-in-Chief of the past:
"At what point shall we expect the approach of danger? By what means shall we fortify against it? Shall we expect some transatlantic military giant, to step the Ocean, and crush us at a blow? Never! All the armies of Europe, Asia and Africa combined, with all the treasure of the earth (our own excepted) in their military chest; with a Buonaparte for a commander, could not by force, take a drink from the Ohio, or make a track on the Blue Ridge, in a trial of a thousand years. At what point, then, is the approach of danger to be expected? I answer, if it ever reach us it must spring up amongst us. It cannot come from abroad. If destruction be our lot, we must ourselves be its author and finisher. As a nation of freemen, we must live through all time, or die by suicide."
