In the 1980s, I was always rather contrarian, maintaining that Alexander Haig, who died today, was among the most competent and most sane of the members of Reagan’s cabinet, though that is damning with faint praise.

I think that he understood and appreciated our NATO allies more than most people in the foreign policy establishment.

One interesting note, he was a west pointer, and graduated 217 out of a class of 310, which may imply that success at the Point is orthogonal to success later in life.

I love this quote about him:

Never much of a politician, Gen. Haig in 1988 made a brief presidential run, often described by commentators at the time as “quixotic.” Borrowing a phrase from a supporter, the comedian Mort Sahl, he announced he was “throwing my helmet into the ring.” But he withdrew before the primaries.

Considering the fact that he was a Kissinger protégé, he was relatively non evil, which is again damning with faint praise.