Who Knows Strategy v. Tactics? McCain or Obama? And Where is McCain's Flag Lapel Pin?

Just now in the presidential debates, McCain said that Obama doesn't know strategy. I blogged on this a few weeks ago. McCain is wrong.

In Senator Obama's speech on foreign policy today in Washington D.C. called "A New Strategy for a New World", he demonstrated that he understands the role of strategy vs. tactics. But does McCain? Under fire from McCain for talking about Iraq before he visits there next week, Obama also demonstrated the he understands the role of a leader -- to lay out a strategy in broad principles and let the generals fill in the tactics to achieve that strategy.

The great Chinese General Sun Tzu knew the difference in 500 B.C. when he declared, "Strategy without tactics is the slowest route to victory. Tactics without strategy is the noise before defeat.

In addition, back when the discussion of strategy v. tactics in Iraq was highlighted in the media, I noted the following:

McCain, on the other hand, responded mainly in tactical terms -- "I know how to win a war" he said. Yes, the "how to" is important. But the "what to do" is even more important. Americans may not be too familiar with the differences between strategy and tactics, subjected as we have been for the past eight years to the "strategery" of George Bush's administration, which has been a series of actions taken without a greater strategy in mind. The Surge itself was a tactic, not a strategy, and as a tactic it appears to have reduced violence. What Obama did today was to put the Surge into the wider context of a foreign policy strategy American desperately needs to implement.

Who do you trust to know more about real strategy? McCain and (Palin)?? Or Obama, who was right on the war in the first place.

And by the way -- why isn't McCain wearing a FLAG PIN tonight? Come on, folks. This is a travesty! Obama has a flag pin. Where is McCain's?

Comments

[CARDINAL999]

One more point.

In terms of strategy and tactics, it depends alot on the type of hierarchy and the culture.

In a small team operation, the leader provides the vision , the strategy and some tactics.
The next level below, the expediters does the dirty work.

Depending on the management culture, the expediters might recommend a better set of tactics for implementation purposes..

In a large team operation with massive levels of hierarchy, the grand leader provides the vision (the grand goal) and the basic specifications for the strategy.

The next level below, the implementers manage the macro strategy to complete the grand goal.
This macro strategy is a framework of many objectives and micro schemes.
The leader of the implementers might assigned each team implementer an assignment of completing a specific objectives

Below the implementers are the expediters does the dirty work. Depending on the project culture, the implementers rarely do the wet work.

Does it make sense!?

[GDAEman]

During the Sept. 26 debate McCain accused Obama of not understanding the difference between a tactic and strategy. Then, McCain stuck his foot in his mouth by giving an example that exposed his own lack of understanding.

http://gdaeman.blogspot.com/2008/09/mccain-incorrectly-equates-military.html
~

[jusion]

McCain, unlike Obama, doesn't need to prove his patriotism to anybody. We all know where he stands. On the other hand, Obama's calling himself 'a citizen of the world' has the American people wondering.

[CARDINAL999]

Ms. Bergthold! I think you made a mistake. "Strategy without tactics is the slowest route to victory. Tactics without strategy is the noise before defeat. .." is not a quote from Sun Tzu's (Sunzi) Art of War (AoW). Before you use a quote from that book. It helps if you have read the book.

In terms of strategy and tactics, strategy requires thought and tactics is about observation. Which candidate do you think, has an original thought in their brain.

In my view, either candidate does not possesses a Tangible Vision that smart people would follow.

Professionally, I am a strategist who has used principles from Sun Zi AoW and other Chinese Chinese Strategic Classics in various ventures. Ms. Bergthold! If you want a lesson on Sunzi's Art of War, I would be more than happy to send you an article on how to use the Sunzi AoW principles as a process.

[Linda Bergthold - Huffpost Blogger]

Okay I am going to try to post this one more time...
I wanted to respond to Cardinal999 by describing my sources for haivng Sun Tzu the source of the quotes I used...

So here are the sources --
http://www.suntzu1.com/

http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Sun_Tzu

and http://www.rootbusinesstools.com/home/2008/6/23/strategy-tactics-from-sun-tzu.html

I would be happy if you would share other sources if you feel these are not accurate.

[CARDINAL999]

Did you ever get my note that your the last two sources were incorrect?

Somehow it got deleted.

[ARTIST50]

What an incredibly stupid reason to vote for someone - whether they wear a pin or not. If we Americans base our vote on something this shallow we deserve 4 more years of Bush! Our democracy won't survive without an educated public and this is the sort of thing the Republican party advertises toward since Atwater and Rove have invaded their party. How pathetic.

[rmabelis]

The surge was a tactic. The surge did not bring an end to the violence. The surge was successful only as a way of taking the public eye off of the removal of the sunnis from Baghdad. This is what has brought an end to the violence. If making the sunnis of Baghdad into refugees was a part of our strategy for Iraq then the surge was a good tactic for this end. If making the sunnis from Baghdad into refugees was not a part of our strategy for Iraq then the surge was not a good tactic.

[Linda Bergthold - Huffpost Blogger]

UPDATE: This blog, written as the debate was going on, didn't attempt to call the debate winner one way or the other. But Joe Klein in Time magazine seems to agree that Obama won on strategy and that McCain made some good tactical points. http://www.time.com/time/politics/article/0,8599,1845114,00.html
This supports my point that Obama understands that strategy is the purview of the leader; tactics are what the generals do to carry out the leader's principles and direction. The early polls suggest Obama won overall, and especially carried the part of the debate on the economy -- which happens to be what voters care most about right now.
What is interesting is that the pundits uniformly thought McCain won; the people, if the polling is accurate, appear to feel otherwise. The debate score should then be: People: 1; Pundits: 0

[Zyzzygowski]

LOL.

I suppose it was good strategy for Sen Obama to wear a flag pin, and a tactical error for Sen McCain not to.

Gosh, I love this country where we can make fun and show the silliness of this process while, at the same time, taking it all very seriously.

[CamJam]

Mac also did NOT wear a flag pin during his RNC speech.

What I noticed through last nights debate is not only did Mac NOT say "middle class" (as did Obama) but Mac obviously has a problem with Obama and never looked at him. Either he is very arrogant, or feels terribly guilty and just could not look Obama in the eye.

[MadelineK]

I asked where was his pin last week. I haven't seen him wear one for at least 2-3 weeks.

[ARTIST50]

I bet you haven't heard' because he doesn't like to bring it up, but he was a POW and he was so damaged that he can't use a computer or raise his arms above his waist and I bet Cindy was mad at him and wouldn't put his pin on him for the big debate. Yep, that's the ticket!

[Krikkit]

Saying John McCain is wrong...again is like saying John McCain is...John McCain.

Just sayin'...

[JohnMcS]

YES!!!!

Where was the flag pin???

Come on, the conservatives established this as the must have standard.....a politician must have a flag pin or they don't love our country. Forget service to the country, forget time as a POW, forget being a Senator, forget being married to MS BUD --- no pin, no love, no vote.

Who needs substance when a winner can be declared by a simple pin?

Winner - Obama.

[bachmantsk]

McCain is good with tactics but not strategy. That's why he can win a surge but not a war.

[moda31]

mccain could not be more wrong, the surge is a tactic; ie. it is a means to an end, reducing violence is a means to allow for political solutions to take root; which is the strategic goal ie. the end.

[Linda Bergthold - Huffpost Blogger]

Obama said that McCain didn't even want to meet with the Prime minister of Spain?

[BassMonk]

He was referring to McCain's interview with a Miami radio station recently. Mr. McCain apparently thought that Spain was a Latin American dictatorship.

[Speakchic]

McCain's a war hero and white, his patriotism is set in stone and will NEVER be reduced to flag pins and such...

[Linda Bergthold - Huffpost Blogger]

So explain to me why some got so upset when Obama didn't wear one? You are suggesting that being a war hero means you don't have to wear a flag pin. Are you saying that someone who has not been a war hero cannot be patriotic unless he wears one? Don't you think this is a silly argument? Who has supported more medical treatment for returning soldiers than Obama? Not McCain? He voted against more treatment for veterans. Who is more patriotic then?

[MyVoiceHere]

McCain did give so many false statements. I hope the Veterans groups will put out a quick ad of McCain's record vs his statement last night. McCain says see my record- so show the record.
I did noticed he did not have a flag pin last night.