Politics: A General Lesson

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Politics A General Lesson David Petraeus was a decorated leader and strategic thinker. Why did he risk everything on an affair?  By Fred Kaplan Posted Saturday, Nov 10, 2012, at 08:52 PM ET Among those who have long known Gen. David Petraeus, those who served under his command in wartime, sat with him in the White House Situation Room, or helped him rewrite Army doctrine at Fort Leavenworth, the most gnawing question about the scandalous affair that led to his resignation and doomed his career on Friday is this: How could he—this acclaimed leader and figure of rectitude—allow such a thing to happen? Seen in context, the mystery, while shocking, is not so unfathomable. Paula Broadwell, the woman with whom he had this affair, writes in her fawning biography of Petraeus that they first met when she was in graduate school at Harvard and he came to give a talk about counterinsurgency strategy. She approached him afterward and expressed interest in the subject; they exchanged cards. Soon, she decided to write a Ph.D. dissertation on his leadership style and, when he took command in Afghanistan, asked if she could come observe him in action. He agreed. The key to this initial attraction was probably not sexual but rather biographical. Broadwell had once been a West Point cadet, like Petraeus. She'd had training as a parachutist, as Petraeus had in his youth.* She was obsessed with physical fitness, especially running, as was Petraeus. In short, regardless of gender, Broadwell was exactly the sort of aspiring officer-intellectual that Petraeus was keen to mentor. The impulse was not unique to Petraeus. It grew out of the ethos of West Point's social ... To continue reading, click here. Join the Fray: our reader discussion forum What did you think of this article? POST A MESSAGE | READ MESSAGES Also In Slate How Cheap Will Legal Marijuana Be in Colorado and Washington? Beating Back the War on Judges The Star Wars Trilogy	Advertisement
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