GUESS WHO

NO MATTER HOW BAD THINGS GOT, HE OBSERVED, AS COMMANDER, HE HAD TO "PRESERVE OPTIMISM IN HIMSELF AND IN HIS COMMAND. WITHOUT CONFIDENCE, ENTHUSIASM AND OPTIMISM IN THE COMMAND, VICTORY IS SCARCELY OBTAINABLE." HE CONTINUES SAYING THAT A COMMANDER'S OPTIMISM "HAS A MOST EXTRAORDINARY EFFECT UPON ALL WITH WHOM HE COMES IN CONTACT. WITH THIS CLEAR REALIZATION, I FIRMLY DETERMINED THAT MY MANNERISMS AND SPEECH IN PUBLIC WOULD ALWAYS REFLECT THE CHEERFUL CERTAINTY OF VICTORY - THAT ANY PESSIMISM AND DISCOURAGEMENT I MIGHT EVER FEEL WOULD BE RESERVED FOR MY PILLOW."

THIS COULD HAVE BEEN SPOKEN BY GEORGE W. BUSH OR A CONSERVATIVE REPUBLICAN OF ONE WAY, SHAPE AND FORM. THIS CAN NEVER BE QUOTED FROM THE PESSIMISTIC WORLDVIEW SPEWING FORTH FROM A LIBERAL DEMOCRAT OF ANOTHER WAY, SHAPE AND FORM. ONE RECENTLY SAID THAT "...THE CURRENT COURSE IN IRAQ IS A LOSING ONE."

THE DOUBLE-EDGED SWORD OF OPTIMISM VS. PESSIMISM CLEAVES AMERICA IN HALF TODAY. WHAT DRIVES THE LESSER HALF TO HOLD DEFEATISM WORTHWHILE? WHAT INSPIRES THE GREATER HALF TO HOLD A SOLDIER'S SACRIFICE IN HIGHEST REGARD?

THE PATRIOTIC LEADER QUOTED ABOVE WAS DWIGHT D. EISENHOWER, COMMANDER OF U.S. OPERATIONS ON D-DAY, JUNE 6TH, 1944. HE, OF COURSE, LATER BECAME OUR PRESIDENT. AFTER THE INITIAL FAILURES AND SLAUGHTERS ON OMAHA BEACH - CASUALTIES THERE WERE 2,200 - AND IN NORMANDY, THAT 1ST DAY OF OPERATION 'OVERLORD', PESSIMISM COULD HAVE BEEN THE ORDER OF THE DAY. BUT EISENHOWER KNEW THAT OPTIMISM WAS THE ONLY OPTION, THE ONLY AMERICAN SOLUTION TO A PROBLEM.

ENOUGH SAID.