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A pretense of sesquipedalianism will not save you.
Oh look, the President engages in a deliberate diabolical distortion meant to create an image of himself as an elitist snob who thinks he is the smartest man in any room he walks into:
The guy is arrogant. It's part of the core of who he is. He's so arrogant he's the kind of guy who can even admit to being arrogant, but think that that doesn't make him arrogant, it just makes him truthful. I mean, if writing two autobiographies before he even did anything wasn't enough, well, there you are, in his own words and in the words of his staff members (which you were upset about).
Oh look! A big elitist snob word! It begs the question of what type of person would use such a word when attempting to characterize the President as being an elitist snob. Amazing. So it appears it's more of the former, rather than the later, i. e., the flaw of distortion due to projection, although a combination of both.
It's quite possible what is going on here is that internal arrogance has blinded someone who claims to have military experience. Robert E. Lee was a brilliant general. Before Gettysburg, James Longstreet had received tremendous praise from Lee. However, at Gettysburg, Longstreet had some significant disagreements with Lee. It is said for three days Lee and Longstreet disagreed over tactics.
Before sunrise Lee rode to Longstreet's position, near the position known ever since as the Peach Orchard, where he expected to find preparations for the assault underway. When he did not find the men forming, Lee sought Longstreet and an explanation.
'General,' Longstreet said in welcome, 'I have had my scouts out all night, and I find that you still have an excellent opportunity to move around to the right of Meade's army and maneuver him into attacking us.'
Lee clearly was angry; he had heard enough. He pointed toward Cemetery Ridge and said, 'The enemy is there, and I am going to strike him.'
Clearly Longstreet's reservations caused him to delay in implementing Lee's plans. According to some, this reluctance and delay are what caused the Confederates to lose the battle. However, it is true that what Longstreet predicted did indeed come to pass. Regardless, it was Longstreet's duty as general to unhesitatingly fulfill the orders of his superior, although he may have disagreed. It is on this point that Longstreet failed. Although we will never know for sure, it may indeed be that his reluctance cost the Confederates the battle.
To the point, Secretary Hagel has every right to express misgivings to the President. However, at the end of the day, it is the President who has to provide the ultimate leadership and make the decision. Hagel, by going public with his famous memo, regardless of whether his advice is correct, has given the President good reason to question whether Hagel is the man who will be able to execute the plan of action that the President chooses to implement. HAGEL'S ASSESSMENT, ALTHOUGH ASTUTE, SHOULD NOT HAVE BEEN MADE PUBLIC AT THIS TIME. What the President does not need, with regards to such a delicate situation like Syria, is someone, like James Longstreet, who is reluctant, due to misgivings, to implement his strategy. That is not arrogance.
But projection would make someone who claims to have military experience blind to this, and only see arrogance.