I actually have some admiration for Ms. Applebaum's columns. I don't understand her logic when it comes to McCain circa 2008. She states that he is a "foreign policy intellectual" and then mentions his familiarity with personalities and his travel history. I don't see how such encounters or such exposure confers intellectual capacity. An intellectual approach involves the ability to see multiple sides of complex issues and construct a mechanism for reaching practical or "practicable" solutions. His inability to even see the complexity of the Georgian situation does not bespeak a "foreign policy intellectual". How does Ms. Applebaum deal with his lack of understanding of the basis and evolution of the Sunni Shiite conflict in Iraq and its complicated connections to the insurgency, al qaeda, militias and Iran. I agree that there are qualities to admire in Mr. McCain but it is hard to elevate him as a true intellectual.

Furthermore, does Ms. Applebaum feel that G.W. Bush had been tested sufficiently before he assumed the presidency? If she does, she should certainly explain.

One could also query whether Clinton had been sufficiently tested. Her metric on this one issue seems obscure.

Although I respect you as an author and journalist, I wish your reasoning and facts in this matter were as reliable. Please refer to General Powell's explanation for his support of Obama on MTP as a useful template.