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McCain’s Political QuagmirePosted on Feb 28, 2008By Joe Conason Within the next two weeks, the number of American troops killed in Iraq is likely to reach 4,000, assuming that the average number of fatal casualties per day remains steady. It is an arbitrary number, given meaning by the fact that the nation may briefly take notice, but a day will come in this presidential campaign when Sen. John McCain must explain what he thinks we have gained by the sacrifice of those men and women. Anticipating that prospect must make McCain uneasy. Speaking to reporters on his campaign bus the other day, he worried aloud that unless he can persuade voters that current policy is succeeding in Iraq, “then I lose. I lose.” Almost immediately he regretted his candor and asked for a quick rewrite. “If I may, I’d like to retract ‘I’ll lose.’ But I don’t think there’s any doubt that how they judge Iraq will have a direct relation to their judgment of me, my support of the surge,” he said. As the presumptive Republican nominee—representing the continuation of a presidency that has fallen from favor with as many as eight out of 10 Americans—McCain has ample reason to worry. His forthright support of President Bush, the war and the escalation of the past year is unlikely to endear him to independent voters who otherwise admire his maverick image and reform record. They still feel betrayed by the exaggerations and lies that led us into war. They don’t want to spend any more lives or money on this misadventure. Against that overwhelming public sentiment, McCain insists that he can see “a clear path to success in Iraq,” with American and civilian casualties declining and Iraqis assuming responsibility for their own security. The Arizona senator evidently realizes that his recent prediction of a century-long American occupation did not go over well. “All of us want out of Iraq,” he told the Associated Press on Feb. 25. “The question is, how do we want out of Iraq.” Yet, even while he uttered those soothing words, the Pentagon was preparing a new deployment schedule that proves the path to success is far from clear. The “surge” in U.S. combat forces has not led to stability, but to a terrible dilemma for American commanders in Iraq. The current level of combat troops is not sustainable, but reducing that level is likely to provoke increased violence. For the moment, the White House hopes to maintain enough force strength to forestall the inevitable reckoning until some time after Election Day. Certainly the troop escalation helped to revive McCain’s fortunes in the Republican primary contest, quelling any dissent among his rivals (except for the indefatigable, unelectable Rep. Ron Paul). Yet the escalation appears to have had little political impact outside the GOP, despite all the promotional hype. If McCain is truly depending on the surge to elect him in November, he won’t find the data reassuring. In national surveys, many Americans agree that sending more troops has improved conditions in Iraq. But those same surveys show that the temporary improvement has not changed their opinions about the war. A substantial majority believes that invading Iraq was a mistake, that we should bring the troops home within a year and that the Bush administration has handled the war badly, or very badly. For months we have heard little discussion of the war, as the primaries diverted us with the ephemera of push polls, plagiarism and Fred Thompson. Sooner or later, the debate over the war will intensify again, offering its leading senatorial advocate an opportunity to tell us why the invasion was justified, given the absence of weapons of mass destruction; what he expects the continuing occupation to accomplish; when those objectives will be achieved; and why the installation of a Shia regime so closely linked with the mullahs in Iran is worth the sacrifices that we all mourn. So far, McCain has preferred angry sound bites to substantive argument. He regularly accuses Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton and the Democratic leadership in Congress of wanting to “wave the white flag of surrender,” a demagogic cliché that ought to be beneath him. But it is important to remember that on the subject of military conflict, the venerable veteran is not always rational. He has said we should have pursued “victory” in Vietnam, although we lost 10 times as many Americans there as we have to date in Iraq. Perhaps someone will eventually ask him a simple question: How many dead is too many in this war? Joe Conason writes for the New York Observer. © 2008 Creators Syndicate Inc. Previous item: Shopping the Spiritual Mall Next item: A Kind Word for the Media Elsewhere: . CommentsAre you a Truthdig member yet? Login now, or register with Truthdig.
By kath cantarella, March 3 at 4:51 pm # what is gained by creating war?War is the worst case scenario. When war comes to you, you fight because you have no choice. You don’t create war in order to avoid war. There is only one way to create real change in any society and it is slow like a glacier, and may take generations, but it works if you don’t let the momentum die. You can use time to effect change for your children, or you can waste oceans of blood forever and change nothing but the names of the tyrants.
By republicanSScareme, March 3 at 12:32 am # One of the hardest diseases to hide is the notorious Arizona “Foot-In-The-Mouth Bug”. John McCain was first disgnosed with this affliction soon after he ran for political office. After repeated attempts to disguise the disease...the problem is incurable unless you are willing to have your mouth zipped shut...John finally accepted his affliction (through a 12 step counseling approach, I understand) and now just lets it all hang out. Have you ever had a crazy uncle but you liked him anyway? That explains McCain’s success. “A guy can be a total A**hole when he’s a Senator, but you don’t want him President.” --Dick Tuck
By tedeger, March 2 at 5:55 pm # One thing that has not been overly mentioned is the fact that all those aircraft were equipped to be taken over from the ground as an “Anti-hijack” method. Remember that the Arabs who allegedly took over the planes were totally incompetent as single - engine fliers, that they allegedly flew all around Robin Hood’s barn for a half hour or so, and then came in on a bee-line, If, as is apparent, the explosives were timed, then the aircraft could not arrive too soon, and seismographic records show that the explosions actually started before the first plane arrived - and STILL some people believe the Gummint’s “Official” line?
By bachu, March 1 at 6:30 pm # dems are going to lose because they don’t have the balls to say bomb bomb iraq as mccain does.
By John Thomas Ellis, February 28 at 12:01 pm # I find it alarming that we let the Republicans can continue to justify going to war for the acts of nineteen individuals on 9/11. We were buffaloed and hoodwinked. The right response was to use diplomacy and invite international police co-operation. Instead, Republicans have been allowed to use executive power to lie, cheat and steal without consequence. McCain was complicit and deserves to be tarred and feathered . . . they all do. John Thomas Ellis
By May, February 28 at 9:40 am # I wish the “experience” argument would die a natural death. McCain’s experience is certainly not, in my humble opinion, what qualifies him to lead this country. If he even is qualified. We’ve been living with what “experience” gets a politician for the last 7 years. Maybe not Bush so much, but his older and seasoned advisors all had experience and it apparently did not serve them, or us, so well. Voters need to pay attention to McCain’s hawkish demeanor. This hold over from the generation of WW2 needs to go away. We, as a country, need to move on, adopt more peaceful, diplomatic ways of dealing with our problems. The “I’m bigger, stronger, more powerful (and have more money) therefore I’m right” attitude just doesn’t cut it in this age. It may have functioned in a time of nation building, but it comes across as a little overbearing and egotistical these days. I fear a man like McCain in a position of power with his need to always be winning some war.
By George, February 28 at 8:19 am # I can answer this one. Add Your Comment |
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