@wellerstein In light of the recent revelations in Bob Woodward's book (Mattis openly disobeying to POTUS when ordered to assassinate Assad) do you change the stance you've taken in "The President and the Bomb"?
No... Mattis is not at all necessary for nuclear orders. And even if one wants to go to the head of STRATCOM for one's hypothetical "stop the President" fantasy, any system where your best hope is open mutiny to keep us from something horrific is not a good system...