PulSamsara says – no one cares – and that has been one of our major problems – in Iraq, Afghanistan, now Pakistan and throughout the Long War. You should care – because without a strategy that defines an end-state you merely have a number of tactical operations to satisfy the here and now – not long-range national security goals.

Strategy: A prudent idea or set of ideas for employing the instruments of national power in a synchronized and integrated fashion to achieve theater, national, and/or multinational objectives.

Tactics: The military science that deals with securing objectives set by strategy, especially the technique of deploying and directing troops, ships, and aircraft in effective maneuvers against an enemy.

Obama was clueless concerning the difference between strategy and tactics. As a President and Commander in Chief it is critical that he understands this – otherwise you have the White House Situation Room running battalions from DC while a particular country and / or region goes to shit in a hand basket. General Tommy Franks (former commander of US Central Command) did not understand the difference. Neither did Bush, Cheney, Wolfowitz, Bremmer, Feith, Rice and Perle – though admittedly some may have but chose the wrong strategy.

Off soapbox – bottom line – to those that do "get it" – words have meaning – to those that "do not get it" – words are a parsing game. McCain understands what is critical – Obama either does not – or does not care as long as he can parse words to ensure victory in November.

This is the kind of trivia that only a self important officer training school teacher could get excited about.

Someone should tell John McCain… that no-one cares.

Really.