Over the next few months, I’m going to ask the presidential hopefuls the following question: What lessons do you draw from the Iraq experience about decision-making in the White House?

Brooks makes some good points here. It's true that structural problems are rampant, and that they have played a role in getting us to this point.

But I am skeptical that a shift change in the White House can really address enough of the structural issues to make a difference. Sure, the issues Brooks raises are within the White House's control, but they are only the most prominent and talked about.

Before the rest of them can be addressed, we'd be at the tail end of a two-term Presidency fully devoted to making such changes. And the likelihood that a President could allocate so much time to amending the micro-structure of Government? Slim to none.

Building a Team of Rivals