Iraq Timetable: Did Bush Just Blink?

[kennetha]

Some people are thinking that the Republicans just "blinked" on Iraq. But I agree with those who think that this analysis is wrong. Here's what I'm guessing they are really up to.

They will try to distinguish between their strategy and Obama's in a way that will enable them to paint themselves as wise and tough warriors and Obama as a naive pacifist, who can't make tough decisions.

THey will trumpet this as a drawing down of forces on "our own terms." Our own terms being as a consequence of victory. A victory brought about by the surge. THey will use this to spin the surge as a successful strategy, a successful strategy which Obama, in his pacifistic liberalism, opposed and McCain in his tough as nails realism favored (indeed originated. They will say that what Obama wanted to was to cut and run and not see this thing through to victory.

It's BS. But it's just the beginning of a relentless spin war that will be really hard fought. The Republican's will not at all present themselves as adopting Obama's strategy. Their goal is not simply to "take away" the issue of the war from him. Their goal is to paint him as completely unsuited for the tough even unpopular choices that a "commander in chief" has to make.

Will it work? Depends on lots of things. How adept at Obama is at pressing the case that the war has achieved nothing. But that will also depend on the facts on the ground, how they can be spun, and who controls the spin.

If come the Fall, the media is crediting Bush and the Republican with tough-minded foresight leading to a unlikely but real "victory" in Iraq, -- even if it is only a mirage and a sham like the mission accomplished nonesense -- then Obama's argument that he has superior judgment because he was against a war "that never should have been fought" will lose force with many.

So this is a potential trap.

Of course, if Iraq goes to hell in hand basket, if Al Quaida reqains the offensive, if Afghanastan turns even more sour, Obama's hand is seriously strengthed.

Anyway, I think this is big stuff for both sides.

[YvonneCa]

1. No, Kerry just...

...won. :) http://www.johnkerry.com/pages/iraq/

[kennetha]

2. I wish

[YvonneCa]

3. Me, too...

... :7 He may not be in the White House, but he IS winning the battle to get us out of Iraq. For that, I will be forever grateful.

[wisteria]

7. Yes, he won. n/t

[YvonneCa]

10. Thanks...

...wisteria. :hi:

[Tutonic]

4. Mr. and Mrs. Jo America sitting in their barcaloungers in Wahoo

Wisconsin or Kenny Kansas heard one thing when the administration spoke of a "Horizon" timeline--and that is withdrawal. Obama's biggest victory to date. Bush can try to spin it, split it and own it--but people outside of the beltway and outside of internet do not relate to spinning rhetoric. They want simple definable terms. So when someone refers to "Horizon" they break it down to mean withdrawal. This is HUGE. I'm looking for Obama's numbers to increase.

[YvonneCa]

5. They have barcaloungers...

...in Kenny, Kansas? :7

[Eyes_wide_ open]

6. It's possible

but even so, Mr. & Mrs Joe American doesn't know what they are, much less are sitting in them.

[YvonneCa]

9. ...

... :7

[alwysdrunk]

8. No Way

war "that never should have been fought"

Fake victory or whatever. NO ONE would go back and do this over again. There was no basis.

[kennetha]

11. Well no sane person would go back and do over

But repugnant hawks are no sane persons. They are insane neo-imperialists. They won't back down from this war. They can't really. But I don't think they would if they could. And they do seem to believe in their deluded insane heart of hearts that we are on some path toward something they want to call victory.

Only question is whether they can get enough voters to buy into this. I wouldn't count on their being able to do that. But I wouldn't count on their not being able to either.