LEVICK | November 7th, 2020
Fate Delivered Eisenhower – And Now Biden

Photo by Gage Skidmore via Wikimedia Commons
In CommPRO, LEVICK Senior Strategist Timothy Gay, a Pulitzer-nominated WWII historian, reflects on how fate determined General Dwight Eisenhower’s rise to power at the beginning of WWII and how similar circumstance have now defined President-elect Biden’s ascent.
Officers trained at West Point and Annapolis in the early decades of the 20th century were no more gifted or devoted than the cadets and midshipmen that came before or after. Yet many of them – Generals Dwight Eisenhower, Omar Bradley, and George Patton; Admirals Chester Nimitz, William Halsey, and Raymond Spruance, to name a few – are among the most revered figures in American history.
Why? Because when Duty (and Providence) called, they answered. It fell to their generation of military commanders to lead American soldiers and sailors in the epic struggle to save the world from fascism.
Lord knows Eisenhower and his World War II brethren committed their share of mistakes. Each had foibles that made them exceedingly human. But it’s hard to argue with what they wrought: a decisive victory over enemies on two fronts and a postwar Pax Americana that made the U.S. a superpower.
Fate’s stars now appear to have fallen on another mortal American soul to rescue our democracy and fight off fascist forces that, this time, are coming from within, as strange and terrifying as that is to contemplate. Joseph Robinette Biden, Jr., has had an accomplished – if uneven – career as a bipartisan legislator, punctuated by eight years as a capable #2 to President Barack Obama. But people can be forgiven for wondering if Biden is equipped to handle the staggering clean-up-on-every-aisle challenge that awaits the successor to Donald Trump.
Much the same could have been said of Eisenhower at the outset of WWII. Ike’s rise in the peacetime Army had been, like his performance at the Point, steady but not spectacular. It took him a quarter-century of serving at obscure outposts to earn a brigadier general’s star. As America entered WWII, he had never directed anything larger than a battalion; he was far from the top of anyone’s list as a potential Allied supreme commander.
But in the pandemonium following Imperial Japan’s attack on Pearl Harbor and Nazi Germany’s declaration of war against the U.S., Eisenhower distinguished himself as a trusted aide to Army Chief of Staff George Marshall. Once the U.S. began dispatching troops overseas, Marshall sent Eisenhower to the Mediterranean and European Theaters to assume overall command.
Marshall observed in Eisenhower qualities that were desperately needed in war-torn London: patience, perseverance, affability, and an electric smile that could light up a room, ease tensions, and win over reluctant partners. Ike was ideally suited to manage the internecine politics of war-making by committee.
Barack Obama saw many of those same attributes in Joe Biden when he named him his running mate in the summer of 2008. Biden, too, has stick-to-it-iveness, a self-effacing chuckle, a natural charisma that works best in a small setting, and an infectious grin.
Amid a global conflagration, Eisenhower had to navigate disputes among such prickly adversaries-disguised-as-allies as France’s Charles de Gaulle and Britain’s Bernard Montgomery. In his 44 years (!) as Senator and Vice President, Biden mediated hundreds – maybe thousands – of negotiations between crusty committee chairmen and overweening Members, between right-wing and left-wing zealots, and between labor and management representatives who could barely exchange a civil word. Think of the scores of times Biden has championed U.S. interests in international parleys, some of them divisive, others sticky and convoluted.
Being in the thick of deliberations day after day demands the patience of Job and a capacity to appreciate the other side of an argument, traits that will serve Biden well in the national reconciliation that must occur over the next few years.
The physical resemblance between Eisenhower and Biden is striking. Even Biden’s tendency to jumble his words is reminiscent of Ike’s tongue-tied ramblings. But Eisenhower had no trouble making himself understood when it counted. “Pessimism never won any battle,” he once declared. Biden should turn Ike’s mantra into a sign on the Resolute Desk.
But the most endearing characteristic that Biden shares with Ike is grace, the resilience to confront pain and grief and somehow find a way to keep going. Both men tragically buried small children: Eisenhower’s three-year-old son died of scarlet fever; Biden’s infant daughter was killed in a nightmarish car crash, along with her mother.
The next time you see the famous photograph of Eisenhower at twilight on D-Day’s eve visiting the men of the 101st Airborne, their faces already greased for combat, remember that invasion planners believed that the casualty rate for Allied paratroopers could run as high as 75 percent. It turned out to be considerably less, thank heavens, but think how heavy the Supreme Commander’s heart must have been as he bantered with them about baseball and fishing, knowing that many would not survive the dawn…Read more
LEVICK | November 7th, 2020
Fate Delivered Eisenhower – And Now Biden

Photo by Gage Skidmore via Wikimedia Commons
In CommPRO, LEVICK Senior Strategist Timothy Gay, a Pulitzer-nominated WWII historian, reflects on how fate determined General Dwight Eisenhower’s rise to power at the beginning of WWII and how similar circumstance have now defined President-elect Biden’s ascent.
Officers trained at West Point and Annapolis in the early decades of the 20th century were no more gifted or devoted than the cadets and midshipmen that came before or after. Yet many of them – Generals Dwight Eisenhower, Omar Bradley, and George Patton; Admirals Chester Nimitz, William Halsey, and Raymond Spruance, to name a few – are among the most revered figures in American history.
Why? Because when Duty (and Providence) called, they answered. It fell to their generation of military commanders to lead American soldiers and sailors in the epic struggle to save the world from fascism.
Lord knows Eisenhower and his World War II brethren committed their share of mistakes. Each had foibles that made them exceedingly human. But it’s hard to argue with what they wrought: a decisive victory over enemies on two fronts and a postwar Pax Americana that made the U.S. a superpower.
Fate’s stars now appear to have fallen on another mortal American soul to rescue our democracy and fight off fascist forces that, this time, are coming from within, as strange and terrifying as that is to contemplate. Joseph Robinette Biden, Jr., has had an accomplished – if uneven – career as a bipartisan legislator, punctuated by eight years as a capable #2 to President Barack Obama. But people can be forgiven for wondering if Biden is equipped to handle the staggering clean-up-on-every-aisle challenge that awaits the successor to Donald Trump.
Much the same could have been said of Eisenhower at the outset of WWII. Ike’s rise in the peacetime Army had been, like his performance at the Point, steady but not spectacular. It took him a quarter-century of serving at obscure outposts to earn a brigadier general’s star. As America entered WWII, he had never directed anything larger than a battalion; he was far from the top of anyone’s list as a potential Allied supreme commander.
But in the pandemonium following Imperial Japan’s attack on Pearl Harbor and Nazi Germany’s declaration of war against the U.S., Eisenhower distinguished himself as a trusted aide to Army Chief of Staff George Marshall. Once the U.S. began dispatching troops overseas, Marshall sent Eisenhower to the Mediterranean and European Theaters to assume overall command.
Marshall observed in Eisenhower qualities that were desperately needed in war-torn London: patience, perseverance, affability, and an electric smile that could light up a room, ease tensions, and win over reluctant partners. Ike was ideally suited to manage the internecine politics of war-making by committee.
Barack Obama saw many of those same attributes in Joe Biden when he named him his running mate in the summer of 2008. Biden, too, has stick-to-it-iveness, a self-effacing chuckle, a natural charisma that works best in a small setting, and an infectious grin.
Amid a global conflagration, Eisenhower had to navigate disputes among such prickly adversaries-disguised-as-allies as France’s Charles de Gaulle and Britain’s Bernard Montgomery. In his 44 years (!) as Senator and Vice President, Biden mediated hundreds – maybe thousands – of negotiations between crusty committee chairmen and overweening Members, between right-wing and left-wing zealots, and between labor and management representatives who could barely exchange a civil word. Think of the scores of times Biden has championed U.S. interests in international parleys, some of them divisive, others sticky and convoluted.
Being in the thick of deliberations day after day demands the patience of Job and a capacity to appreciate the other side of an argument, traits that will serve Biden well in the national reconciliation that must occur over the next few years.
The physical resemblance between Eisenhower and Biden is striking. Even Biden’s tendency to jumble his words is reminiscent of Ike’s tongue-tied ramblings. But Eisenhower had no trouble making himself understood when it counted. “Pessimism never won any battle,” he once declared. Biden should turn Ike’s mantra into a sign on the Resolute Desk.
But the most endearing characteristic that Biden shares with Ike is grace, the resilience to confront pain and grief and somehow find a way to keep going. Both men tragically buried small children: Eisenhower’s three-year-old son died of scarlet fever; Biden’s infant daughter was killed in a nightmarish car crash, along with her mother.
The next time you see the famous photograph of Eisenhower at twilight on D-Day’s eve visiting the men of the 101st Airborne, their faces already greased for combat, remember that invasion planners believed that the casualty rate for Allied paratroopers could run as high as 75 percent. It turned out to be considerably less, thank heavens, but think how heavy the Supreme Commander’s heart must have been as he bantered with them about baseball and fishing, knowing that many would not survive the dawn…Read more
- Brand
- The Fifth Estate: A Business Guide for Surviving “The Troubles”
- Here We Come
- Corporate Revolt Over Campaign Donations Shakes Political World
- What Happens Next?
- CSR & Sustainability
- Public Perception & the Biden Transition
- WATCH: Reputation Management with PRSA
- Over the River and Through The Woods
- Why Non-Profits are so Vulnerable to Crisis Risk
- The Threat to Free Markets
- What Happens When Nonprofits Get Caught In The Klieg Lights?
- You Took a PPP Loan. Now Get Ready to Talk About It.
- Communications
- The Fifth Estate: A Business Guide for Surviving “The Troubles”
- Here We Come
- The Ministry of Common Sense
- Why Should I Apologize? Lawyers vs. Communicators
- What Happens Next?
- CSR & Sustainability
- A Conversation with Abbe Lowell
- A New Year’s Resolution
- Public Perception & the Biden Transition
- WATCH: Reputation Management with PRSA
- Leveraging Legal Expertise in Communications
- Over the River and Through The Woods
- Company News
- Here We Come
- Recent Awards & Recognition
- Won’t You Be My Neighbor?
- What’s a Director to Do?
- LEVICK Announces Partnership with BCG
- A New Look
- Albert Krieger, 1923-2020
- LEVICK Announces Partnership with Jipyong
- Speaking to In-House Counsel
- Childhood Lessons
- LEVICK Announces New Webinar Series with Turbine Labs
- LEVICK Launches New Website
- Crisis
- The Fifth Estate: A Business Guide for Surviving “The Troubles”
- What to expect as the clock approaches midnight
- How to Stop the Madness
- Corporate Revolt Over Campaign Donations Shakes Political World
- A Remembrance of Tommy Raskin
- No ‘justice’ in rep’s vote
- A Call for Orderly & Peaceful Transition of Power
- Recovering from the Greatest Sacrifice
- The Cost of Government Regulation and the Threat to Free Enterprise
- What Happens Next?
- A Conversation with Abbe Lowell
- Covid-19: The Pandemic that Never Should Have Happened
- Finance
- Here We Come
- The Threat to Free Markets
- Advisory & Insurance Services
- WATCH: Revolutionizing Litigation Finance
- Litigation Finance: Revolutionizing Litigation
- Consumer-Focused Solutions for Financial Health
- Event: Consumer-Focused Solutions for Financial Health
- Sports: Power and Money in a New Age of Social Justice
- The Balancing Act: The Role of Whistleblowers in American Commerce and Government
- The Evolving and More Powerful FARA
- FCPA & Compliance in a Time of Uncertainty
- Shareholders vs. Stakeholders: Is the Paradigm Shifting?
- Guest Column
- Guest Blog: The Mainstream Media Gets an A for Intellectual Arrogance, an F for Journalism
- Buckle up Directors: Cybersecurity Risk and Bankruptcy Risk Are Not Mutually Exclusive
- Buckle up Directors: Cybersecurity Risk and Bankruptcy Risk Are Not Mutually Exclusive
- South Africa: The Slow Decline of the ANC
- Why CSR Fails and How to Fix It
- What to Expect Following the European Elections?
- Buhari Inaugurated. What Now for Nigeria?
- Marketing- It’s Up To You…
- Crisis Management lessons from the air-crash investigation model
- The Future of War
- Health
- Food Issues & the Biden Administration
- Covid-19: The Pandemic that Never Should Have Happened
- Pharma’s Post-Pandemic Policy Outlook
- Keeping Hope Alive
- Real Herd Immunity
- The Fiction of College Sports Amateurism
- Mac Summit: Crisis Communications in a Post-Covid, Post-Election World
- Travel Industry Communications in the Age of Covid-19
- Track of Time
- Is C-19 Taking Women Lawyers’ Careers Back to the 1950s?
- Post-Pandemic PR Strategy
- Bankruptcy: A Culture of Transparency
- In Memoriam
- Snider’s Super Foods: Locally World Famous
- Speak Truth With Love, Not Anger
- In Memoriam: Stephen Susman
- Letter to the Movement
- John Lewis’ Life Bridged the Best of America
- Albert Krieger, 1923-2020
- In Memoriam of Marcia Horowitz
- Jim Lehrer Passes Away
- Martin Luther King, Jr.
- Harold Burson Passes Away
- Interviews
- CommPRO: Ruth Bader Ginsberg’s Life & Legacy
- Richard Levick on “My Wakeup Call”
- Primerus Webinar: Into the Wind
- The Future of Baseball Post-Pandemic
- Webinar: The End of Brand Neutrality
- Thought Leadership & Organic Growth
- Man & Superman
- LEVICK Announces New Webinar Series with Turbine Labs
- Navigating Coronavirus Challenges in the Insurance Industry
- VIDEO: How to Anticipate & Avoid a Crisis
- What’s Next? with Julie Chase
- What’s Next?: California Electoral Behavior
- Law Firms
- Why Should I Apologize? Lawyers vs. Communicators
- You Took a PPP Loan. Now Get Ready to Talk About It.
- Beyond Black Swan: Positioning the law firm for the new normal
- A Salute to Personal Courage and the Rule of Law
- Cyber Risk Institute Expands Its Profile
- When a client becomes a law firm’s PR nightmare
- The General Counsel’s Dilemma
- A First Look at the Google Antitrust Suit
- The Latest Top Class Actions
- Trust on Trial: How Communicators Succeed in a World No Longer Trusted
- The Latest Settlements, Class actions, Investigations & More
- Managing Legal & Communication Advice in a Crisis
- Litigation
- Why Should I Apologize? Lawyers vs. Communicators
- A Conversation with Abbe Lowell
- Leveraging Legal Expertise in Communications
- You Took a PPP Loan. Now Get Ready to Talk About It.
- Beyond Black Swan: Positioning the law firm for the new normal
- A Salute to Personal Courage and the Rule of Law
- Cyber Risk Institute Expands Its Profile
- When a client becomes a law firm’s PR nightmare
- The General Counsel’s Dilemma
- WATCH: Revolutionizing Litigation Finance
- Litigation Finance: Revolutionizing Litigation
- A First Look at the Google Antitrust Suit
- Our Work
- Recent Awards & Recognition
- The Cyber Bad Guys Are Getting Worse
- Crisis Communications & The Age of Cancel Culture
- Standing on the Shoulders of Giants
- Video: Conversations with American Legends
- Staying Ahead of the Crisis
- A New Era of Insurance Marketing
- Infographic: Judgment Free Zone
- Infographic: Barriers to Entry
- Infographic: History Meter
- Assistance for Law Firms Engaged in Pro Bono
- Webinar: The End of Brand Neutrality
- Public Affairs
- The Fifth Estate: A Business Guide for Surviving “The Troubles”
- What to expect as the clock approaches midnight
- How to Stop the Madness
- Corporate Revolt Over Campaign Donations Shakes Political World
- No ‘justice’ in rep’s vote
- A Call for Orderly & Peaceful Transition of Power
- Recovering from the Greatest Sacrifice
- Food Issues & the Biden Administration
- The Cost of Government Regulation and the Threat to Free Enterprise
- What Happens Next?
- CSR & Sustainability
- A Conversation with Abbe Lowell
- Risk
- Ingredients of Decency
- ESG Performance and Credit Markets
- The Coronavirus Saga is Just Beginning
- No. 1 Risk of the Decade
- The Risk Evolution of Corporate Risk
- Extend Risk Management Reach
- Collective Action
- Risk Identifying Software
- The New Risk of Doing Nothing
- Political Unrest In Hong Kong
- High-Profile Kidnaps in African National Parks
- Cyber Resilience
- Social
- The Ministry of Common Sense
- How to Stop the Madness
- A Remembrance of Tommy Raskin
- No ‘justice’ in rep’s vote
- A Call for Orderly & Peaceful Transition of Power
- Recovering from the Greatest Sacrifice
- CSR & Sustainability
- A New Year’s Resolution
- Dropping the Mic
- Won’t You Be My Neighbor?
- Crisis, Covid, DEI & the Election
- MLK’s Memphis Address
- Technology
- Constella Intelligence Announces Hunter for Improved Investigation Capability
- Cyber Risk Institute Expands Its Profile
- Digital Politics: The Future of Voting Technology
- Ethics in Electronics
- The Cyber Bad Guys Are Getting Worse
- A First Look at the Google Antitrust Suit
- The Pause
- Cybersecurity Incidents of the Summer
- The Changing Digital Economy and Cyber Risks
- The Future of U.S. Manufacturing
- Tech CEO Summer Superbowl hearing
- Technology & Privacy Alert
- This Week
- A Remembrance of Tommy Raskin
- A New Year’s Resolution
- Over the River and Through The Woods
- Dropping the Mic
- Won’t You Be My Neighbor?
- The Cyber Bad Guys Are Getting Worse
- What We Hear
- Track of Time
- Video: Conversations with American Legends
- Conversations with American Legends
- A New Era of Insurance Marketing
- American Legend