« previous | TPM CAFÉ READER POSTS HOME | next »
Word of Warning for Obama - Get your Foot in that Door First!
I have a word of warning for the Democratic Party and Senator Barack Obama. The Republican Party most likely has big plans for a large troop withdraw announcement right after the Republican Convention in early September.
What better way is there to get the Iraq war off the table politically, but to promise troops are coming home before Thanksgiving or Christmas?
What better way is there to bring Senator John McCain’s support for a troop surge in 2007, that to all appearances, seems to have worked, to the forefront of the news, ignoring of course, the fact that the real reason for the surge has ‘yet’ to be solved.
I have a suggestion for Barack Obama. He should begin immediately the day after the Republican Convention demanding to know why our ‘surge’ troops are still in Iraq.
He should point out that if the President, Senator McCain and the Republican Party are correct in their assumption that the surge worked and if the Pentagon reports are correct that violence is down by 90% and if the Iraqi government is demanding a withdraw date from our government -- why are American troops still there?
Barack Obama should get 'his' foot in that door before it's too late.
Comments (11)
Strategically, this would only be good for Obama. He could say, "Well, I'm glad they finally decided to listen to the Democrats and do the right thing."
July 8, 2008 7:31 AM | Reply | Permalink
That won't work because all the GOP has to say is, "If the Democrats had their way, they would have pulled out a year ago when violence was at it's worse. Our SURGE strategy has worked, no thanks to Dems...."
That's why I say he must DEMAND they be pulled out NOW or McCain and Bush had best give a darn good answer as to WHY they are still over there if everything is so hunky dorey as they claim.
July 8, 2008 8:47 AM | Reply | Permalink
Planning a political campaign around something as volatile as a war -- that no one is blaming you for involving the US in -- is the height of stupidity. It opens you up to strategic surprises and takes the controls out of your hands and puts them in the hands of those currently directing the war.
It's best to "keep it simple, stupid" and simply ride the negative opinion of the war without tying it to specifics. That gives you maneuvering room.
July 8, 2008 11:16 AM | Reply | Permalink
The issue is that, while American troop deaths have gone down, I've seen nothing to indicate that civilian deaths have dramatically decreased. For the most part, from the estimates I've seen, they've pretty much stayed the same. A decrease from '06, sure, but from '04 and '05? On average, not really, not from what I've seen.
I've also seen not a single shred of evidence that it was the "surge" that helped quell the violence there. As far as I know, most of it had to do with a change in strategy, in talking with "the enemy," etc. The Republicans are getting away with, once again, twisting the facts to be in a better light.
I suggest Obama hammer home the behind-the-scenes diplomacy that took place. That will resonate with his foreign policy quite well.
July 8, 2008 11:18 AM | Reply | Permalink
You may be right about showing how much behind the scenes DIPLOMACY it took to change things in Iraq. How much money we've spent BUYING the bad guys's cooperation.
July 8, 2008 12:00 PM | Reply | Permalink
McCain saying he would bring troops home in 2009 would be like Nixon's secret plan to end the war - though sadly, people fell for that too.
July 8, 2008 1:32 PM | Reply | Permalink
Agreed. Most voters have a really hazy grasp of the specifics anyway. It's in McCain's interest to drag this issue into the weeds of tactical detail. It's in ours to keep it simple: Obama was opposed to the war, and he's the one we can trust to get us out of it.
July 8, 2008 1:44 PM | Reply | Permalink
This was supposed to be a reply to clearthinker.
July 8, 2008 1:45 PM | Reply | Permalink
The whole war in Iraq was for political reasons. It's been about politics since day one. We've been fooled with political maneuvers for the past 7 years. I would venture to say that Afghanistan is at this time being USED for political reasons. Get the attention off of Iraq.
July 8, 2008 1:51 PM | Reply | Permalink
no, afghanistan is just going according to schedule. it usually takes about 3-5 years for the guerillas/insurgents/tribal forces /taliban/muhjihadeen or whatever you want to call them to get a handle on how to retake territory and kill foreign troops in greater numbers. the soviets were doing just fine the first few years there and then they hit an increase in violence too. we're not in new territory here. let's just pray for karzai's well-being. if anything happens to him then the whole charade of a new afghanistan falls completely apart and the warlords in his 'cabinet' will go back to being at each others throats...
July 8, 2008 3:02 PM | Reply | Permalink
It could backfire and the knucledraggers would spin him as naive
July 8, 2008 2:26 PM | Reply | Permalink
Post a Comment