Misjudging Spain's Impact on View of Iraq War in USA (perhaps???)

[BabsSong]

Reading a lot of DU posts regarding the events in Spain. I think we are missing something. Before the bombings/election, polls in the USA showed that more people now think that the Iraq war was not worth it than those who think it was. I cannot believe that these events would change that perception. Rather, I can see those people pointing to the news reports and saying "I knew this thing was a stupid mess and it's just going to get worse". Conversely, I can see some of those who have had a knee-jerk reaction of thinking the war was worth it now taking another look and saying, "man, it looks like this Iraq thing is just making things worse". I cannot imagine anyone looking at these events and reasoning that the events prove just how right we were in invading Iraq. From replies to CNN all day long, it looks like the overwhelming response is based on the premise that our war based on lies is the culprit here.

[caledesi]

1. My view is that w/ 90% of Spaniards opposing the war

(remember the protests), they are thinking "we got punished" for aiding the US.

[BabsSong]

2. I'm talking about any change in view here in this country.........

....the media is trying to make us think that now Americans will flock to Bush and say "he's right about going to war". But I'm saying that the polls before all this show that Americans were turned off to the war and I don't see this changing their minds but rather reinforcing it.

[9215]

3. Yep, this is complex, but

the protests were in essence an indictment of Spain's stance on Iraq. IMO the Bushies misjudged the reaction to the bombing. They have stated that they thought terrorist attacks would draw those attacked closer to the US MO for dealing with terrorists. That hasn't worked anywhere for quite some time. People see that overreacting or using the wrong method (war on terror, vs a criminal investigation) only compounds the problem. The Bushies and those who support him are looking more and more incompetent.


If Bush tries another 9/11 in the US is may backfire like it did in Spain.

[K8-EEE]

4. GWB Trashes US Stature, Influence Throughout The Free World

I mean come on....now Spain is on the GOP "bad guys" list with Germany, France, Belgium, Mexico, Canada -- The "THEM" part of the planet is becoming bigger and bigger under Chimpy. We need somebody diplomatic who has a freaking CLUE and can begin to repair all the damage that he's done.

[Mayberry Machiavelli]

5. Also, about the ONE conclusion you can unequivocally draw from

the Spanish election is that the electorate was PISSED at getting lied to! That is a powerful theme that can hopefully be used to resonate in our campaign and election.

[Gloria]

6. Actually, what I'm hearing in the BBC World Service reports is that

while 90% were against the war, what really turned the election was the perceived manipulation by the government....the voters felt that the quick assertion that it was ETA, followed by the grudging admission that Al-Qaeda might be involved, proved that the gov. was willing to manipulate the public to cover their asses and win the election. That was the absolute last straw, good economy or no.

The report I heard yesterday said that it was the students who really made the difference in the election. Not only did they demonstrate....but they went to polls. Usually apathetic, the students came out in very large numbers specifically to get the PP out of office!!

Now, if we can only get our younger voters to the polls....they are already sour on Bush, but they have to vote!