--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: McChrystal's defenders at the Pentagon…" description: "\"“McChrystal's defenders at the Pentagon were making the case Tuesday that the president and his men—(the McChrystal snipers spared Hillary)—must put as..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c9d/maureen-dowd-6927_2010_mcchrystal-s-defenders-at-the-pentagon-w_1080796.jpg" --- # McChrystal's defenders at the Pentagon were making the… ![“McChrystal's defenders at the Pentagon were making the case Tuesday that the president and his men—(the McChrystal snipers spared Hillary)—must put aside their hurt feelings about being painted as weak sisters. Obama should not fire the serially insubordinate general, they reasoned, because that…” quote by Maureen Dowd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c9d/maureen-dowd-6927_2010_mcchrystal-s-defenders-at-the-pentagon-w_1080796.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c9d/maureen-dowd-6927_2010_mcchrystal-s-defenders-at-the-pentagon-w_1080796.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c9d/maureen-dowd-6927_2010_mcchrystal-s-defenders-at-the-pentagon-w_1080796.jpg) > ““McChrystal's defenders at the Pentagon were making the case Tuesday that the president and his men—(the McChrystal snipers spared Hillary)—must put aside their hurt feelings about being painted as weak sisters. Obama should not fire the serially insubordinate general, they reasoned, because that would undermine the mission in Afghanistan, and if that happens, then Obama would be further weakened. So the commander in chief can be bad-mouthed as weak by the military but then he can't punish the military because that would make him weak? It's the same sort of pass-the-Advil vicious circle reasoning the military always uses.”” [Maureen Dowd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maureen-dowd/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. She critiques the paradox where military leaders are labeled weak for criticizing the president, yet the president cannot punish them without appearing weak himself. **In simple terms:** Critics of power face a double bind: being called weak for speaking up, yet leaders can’t retaliate without losing authority. Key Takeaway Recognize and break the cycle of mutual weakness. Themes politics leadership military power dynamics communication Mood critical analytical Type commentary political. When to use this quote - military briefing - presidential decision - media commentary - policy debate Key Concepts institutional paradox public perception civil-military relations Questions to Reflect On - What mechanisms can protect honest critique without political fallout? - How can leaders address dissent while maintaining authority? A Different Perspective The argument may oversimplify complex civil‑military relations. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [2010](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/zz-2010-587/) [Backstabbers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/backstabbers/) [Commander in chief](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/commander-in-chief/) [Hillary clinton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hillary-clinton/) [Hurt feelings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hurt-feelings/) [Mcchrystal Defenders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mcchrystal-defenders-2741994/) [Mcchrystal Snipers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mcchrystal-snipers-2741992/) [Military](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/military/) [Obama Weakened](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/obama-weakened-823913/) [Stanley-mcchrystal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stanley-mcchrystal-176933/) [Strength](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/strength/) [Vicious-circle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/vicious-circle-201118/) [Weak Military](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/weak-military-759735/) [Weakened Commander](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/weakened-commander-2741993/) [Weakness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/weakness/) ## Related quotes > [“McChrystal never should have been hired for this job given the outrageous cover-up he participated in after the friendly fire death of Pat Tillman.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maureen-dowd/mcchrystal-never-should-have-been-hired-for-this-job-given-the/) [Maureen Dowd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maureen-dowd/) > [“So this general with the background in intelligence who is supposed to conquer Afghanistan can't even figure out what Rolling Stone is? 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Obama should not fire the serially insubordinate general, they reasoned, because that would undermine the mission in Afghanistan, and if that happens, then Obama would be further weakened. So the commander in chief can be bad-mouthed as weak by the military but then he can't punish the military because that would make him weak? 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