In Afghanistan, the Democrats now have an opportunity, which is also a problem, which the problem may let blow away. The opportunity is to reclaim their old role as a party of power, established in the last century by a cadre of center-left hawks.

Franklin Roosevelt was a ferocious hot warrior. Harry Truman bombed Japan, negotiated the transition into the Cold War with Russia in a stunning burst of will and creative diplomacy. He was backed from the start by then-Rep. John Kennedy, D-Mass., who ran on the missile gap, threatened pre-emptive war over missiles in Cuba, and never met an arms program he thought was enough.