Telegraph: Gen David Petraeus for US President

As more than three-quarters of Americans disapprove of Congress, the Tea Party movement is growing, and President Barack Obama's favourability ratings have dropped below 50 percent, Republicans seem to have an advantage in November's mid-term elections impossible to overcome.

Telegraph contributor Toby Harnden notes that many U.S. voters are longing to an outsider to cast their vote on and as military officers are highly respected, "General David Petraeus could be a powerful presidential candidate and a potentially accomplished President."

Gen Petraeus is the Commander of United States Central Command. He previously served as Commanding General of Multi-National Force in Iraq.

The Telegraph article depicts Petraeus, 57, a real-life American hero, a G.I. Joe came to life: "He has survived the collapse of his parachute 60 feet above the ground. After he was shot in the chest during a training exercise and endured five hours surgery, the then battalion commander refused to lie in hospital recuperating. Demanding that the tubes be removed from his arm, he declared: "I am not the norm," Harnden wrote for Telegraph.

"I thought I'd said 'no' about as many ways as I could. I really do mean no," Gen Petraeus said recently during a New Hampshire appearance. "I've tried quoting a country song 'What part of 'no' don't you understand?' but I really do mean that...I will not ever run for political office, I can assure you."

Despite multiple denials by Petraeus to run for office in 2012, Harnden sees Petraeus as an ideal candidate for U.S. president.


Read more in Telegraph...