I basically come out thinking that Obama made the best of a bad situation. It’s worth remembering that though the buck stops with Obama, McChrystal is the author of this mess. Petraeus is the best possible solution to the problem. And while I agree that there are drawbacks, the one argument that doesn’t hold much water with me is the objection (I’ve heard from a few corners) that this amounts to a “demotion” for Petraeus. It might well be bad news that he’s being removed from bigger strategic considerations, and it’s certainly unfair in the sense that the man will have to leave his family once again and all, but the idea that this is “bad” for Petraeus himself is pretty unpersuasive. Petraeus is a servant to his nation and history at this point. His rank and formal title are incidental. If he succeeds in his new role, he will be remembered as an even greater man by historians.

The idea that he has been demoted strikes me as absurd in the grand sense of things. You could yank all the stars off his shoulders and if he succeeded in his new assignment, no one would care. It is not a demotion to be considered the indispensable man in the most important challenge facing the military. The fact that he stepped “down” to take the job is a promotion in every meaningful sense. Paper titles don’t matter all that much at his level.

This isn’t the best comparison because Petraues is no dictator, but I keep thinking of Deng Xiaopeng. If memory serves, after he “retired” in 1992 his only formal position inside in the government was director of the state athletic commission or some such. But he was still understood to be the “paramount leader” of China until his death. Maybe a better comparison is to the experienced sergeant who may be formally outranked by the new lieutenant, but when the bullets fly, everyone looks to the sergeant for leadership. I mean, how many generals outranked De Gaulle?

Regardless, I’m struggling to make the point. But whatever the right analogy, Petraeus’s stature by every meaningful measure has increased because of this. At least in my eyes and, I believe, most Americans’.