Dwight eisenhower Quote by Bret Stephens
“Yes, Obama took over two wars from Bush - just as President Richard Nixon inherited Vietnam from President Lyndon Johnson and President Dwight Eisenhower inherited Korea from President Harry Truman. But at least the war in Iraq was all but won by 2009, thanks largely to the very surge Obama had opposed as a senator.”
About This Quote
The quote compares how U.S. presidents inherit ongoing wars from their predecessors, highlighting the continuity of foreign conflicts across administrations.
In simple terms: Presidents often inherit wars from those before them.
Key Takeaway
Recognize the historical context of conflicts.
Themes
history
politics
war
leadership
continuity
Mood
analytical
critical
Type
historical
political
When to use this quote
- policy analysis
- historical study
- government briefing
- public discourse
- media commentary
Key Concepts
inheritance
strategic decision
military policy
Questions to Reflect On
- How do inherited conflicts shape a president’s legacy?
- What factors beyond inheritance affect war outcomes?
A Different Perspective
It oversimplifies complex geopolitical factors and individual agency.
![“I played with [Dwight Eisenhower] on the day after I won the Masters at his request. We became everlasting friends. I was with him the day before he died at Walter Reed.” quote by Arnold Palmer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/e2c/arnold-palmer-2127_died_i-played-with-dwight-eisenhower-on-the-d_141346.jpg)
![“I think it [presidency of Dwight Eisenhower] came too late and I think that he is not on the wavelength of this dreadful time through which we're living.” quote by Malcolm Muggeridge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/442/malcolm-muggeridge-2370_dwight_i-think-it-presidency-of-dwight-eisenhow_270940.jpg)
![“I think that President [Dwight] Eisenhower was... did the most marvelous job in the war, not really a military job: a public relations job, and it was essential that there should be a public relations job done in the post that he had.” quote by Malcolm Muggeridge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/4f8/malcolm-muggeridge-2370_done_i-think-that-president-dwight-eisenhower_288256.jpg)
![“We just became very good friends [with Dwight Eisenhower], we played golf, we played heart exhibitions. Then his doctor said he should not play golf anymore.” quote by Arnold Palmer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/4df/arnold-palmer-2127_doctors_we-just-became-very-good-friends-with-dw_500540.jpg)
![“When [my dad] was at the University of Michigan, my mom was a social-worker. As he rose, he voted for [Adlai] Stevenson initially. Then he voted for [Dwight] Eisenhower. Then he kept voting Republican until he voted for Barack Obama. So that's kind of amazing. But he was offered a cabinet post by…” quote by Bill Ayers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/f11/bill-ayers-1848_barack_when-my-dad-was-at-the-university-of-mic_501515.jpg)
![“My dad challenged every president from President [Dwight] Eisenhower and Vice President [Richard] Nixon to President [J.F] Kennedy, Vice President [Lindon] Johnson to President Johnson and Vice President [Hubert] Humphrey. It's challenging the administrations to do the right thing.” quote by Al Sharpton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/cba/al-sharpton-2091_administration_my-dad-challenged-every-president-from-p_506712.jpg)
![“[My father ] came home from World War II and he voted for [Dwight] Eisenhower. He was pretty thoughtful about those things, but never, as I said, ever campaigned for anybody. He let me put a [Barry] Goldwater sticker on his pickup truck, but he never put a bumper sticker on his car. We never had a…” quote by Jeff Sessions](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/675/jeff-sessions-2380_bumper_my-father-came-home-from-world-war-ii-an_539222.jpg)
