Washington could be a showman and he had a temper, but I think arguing Washington hindered rather than helped the war effort is unjustified.
As for Franklin, there is much to admire about him, particularly from a practical and academic position. He did have his foils, but I don’t think he was unprincipled. He certainly believed in American independence even when it was dangerous for him to do so, and without his diplomacy in France, the Americans may not have won the war.
