Public Opinion: Barack Obama's War Opposition Versus John McCain's Surge Support—Which Is More Important?
Were both men correct? If so, which position is more critical in terms of selecting the next president?
Reader Comments
Looking A Gift Horse In The Mouth.
Gaffes Happen has become the official teeshirt of the McCain campaign and they may come to regret 'whining' for more news coverage.
Politicians put their foot in their mouth on a regular basis. Sometimes it may be the result of long hours on the campaign trail, sometimes because they simply can't keep their facts straight and sometimes because they can't keep their lies straight. Sometimes it's simply because they do not understand the facts.
Couric/McCain Interview:
http://www.cbsnews.com/sections/i_video/main500251.shtml?id=4284432n%22%20rel=%22nofollow%22%3E
Per President Bush and Col. MacFarland, the Anbar awakening was already well under way through organized efforts by the tribal leaders well before the surge began. These events took place months before the surge was even announced. Per McCain, the surge 'began' the Anbar awakening.
http://www.defenselink.mil/transcripts/transcript.aspx?transcriptid=3738
McCain also neglects the fact that although the surge helped to support an awakening already in progress, the new troops headed for Baghdad, not Anbar. He also gives little credit to the ongoing Sadr truce.
The Couric interview gets even more interesting as McCain tries to distance himself from the numerous failed Iraq policies under the Bush administration:
“McCain: The fact is we had four years of failed policy. We were losing. We were losing the war in Iraq. The consequences of failure and defeat of the United States of America in the first major conflict since 9/11 would have had devastating impacts throughout the region and the world.”
Why would McCain support a president responsible for four years of failure?
“no one has supported President Bush on Iraq more than I have.” [John McCain, 03/28/08)
“The fact is that I have agreed with President Bush far more than I have disagreed. And on the transcendent issues, the most important issues of our day, I’ve been totally in agreement and support of President Bush.” [John McCain, 06/19/05]
“I am proud of this president’s strategy in Iraq.” [John McCain, upon receiving endorsement from President Bush, 02/13/08]
Gaffes and old quotes are a living history of our thought processes, how well we think, what we think and when we think it. Even Carly can't change that fact:
“To say that John McCain was aligned with President Bush on the prosecution of the war in Iraq is to change history.” [Carly Fiorina, McCain Campaign Advisor, 07/13/08]
The McCain campaign should be thankful the media has let them slide on many major issues, such as his voting record on veteran health issues and successful effort to shut down all investigation into remaining POW/MIA over the protests of their families and veteran groups in order to open up trade with Vietnam (his father-in-law immediately opened up a multi-billion dollar beer industry there).
http://www.aiipowmia.com/sea/schanberg_mccain.html
McCain has been given no media coverage on the very real probability he suffers from PTSD.
“Among U.S. servicemen taken captive during the Korean War, as many as nine out of 10 survivors may suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and other mental disorders more than 35 years after their release, psychologist Patricia B. Sutker of the New Orleans Veterans Administration Medical Center and her colleagues report in the January AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PSYCHIATRY.”
Perhaps McCain should quit whining about media coverage and not look a gift horse in the mouth.
McShame
To repeat a superb post by some one else:
"It's about judgment, my friends....
“And I believe that the success will be fairly easy” and “There's no doubt in my mind that... we will be welcomed as liberators.” [John McCain 3/24/03]
“There's not a history of clashes that are violent between Sunnis and Shias. So I think they can probably get along.” [John McCain 4/23/03]
“Look, we're going to send young men and women in harm's way and that's always a great danger, but I cannot believe that there is an Iraqi soldier who is going to be willing to die for Saddam Hussein, particularly since he will know that our objective is to remove Saddam Hussein from power."
[John McCain 9/15/02]
"But the fact is, I think we could go in with much smaller numbers than we had to do in the past. But any military man worth his salt is going to have to prepare for any contingency, but I don't believe it's going to be nearly the size and scope that it was in 1991." [John McCain 09/15/02]
"He's a patriot who has the best interests of his country at heart." ]John McCain on Ahmed Chalabi, 2002]
"Absolutely. Absolutely." [John McCain, asked by Chris Matthews, "you believe that the people of Iraq or at least a large number of them will treat us as liberators?" 03/12/03]
I think the victory will be rapid, within about three weeks. [John McCain, MSNBC, 1/28/03]
It’s clear that the end is very much in sight. … It won’t be long. It, it’ll be a fairly short period of time. [John McCain, ABC, 4/9/03]
We’re either going to lose this thing or win this thing within the next several months. [Meet The Press, 11/12/06]
"Well, then why was there a banner that said mission accomplished on the aircraft carrier?" [John McCain, responding to assertion by Fox News' Neil Cavuto that "many argue the conflict isn't over," [John McCain, 06/11/03]
"My friends, the war will be over soon, the war for all intents and purposes although the insurgency will go on for years and years and years." [John McCain, 02/25/08]
Back to basics
Whether the surge/escalation worked or not does not matter. Whether Bush lied or not does not matter.
Our government has consciously violated almost every one of the high values we have long believed set us apart among nations. Our government has criminally violated our own laws and gutted our constitutional protections. While Bush and Cheney led the charge, the loyal opposition did not protest and refuses to hold anyone accountable. All are guilty.
At the end of the cold war, we could have thrown our strength behind the international institutions that could lead to a truly more peaceful world. Instead we chose to be the world bully.
We are now a nation that will invade a weak nation that poses no significant danger to us. We are now a nation that will torture captured enemies, even though we know it is ineffective. We are now in violation of international law, and refuse to acknowledge it. We are now weaker and in greater danger. We are incapable of dealing with the problems besetting our own citizens. We are widely despised internationally. We have become Saddam.
I an an American that has served his country, and fiercely believes in the American Dream. While I hope that a President Obama would act to restore our nation, I see no sign we are actually capable of saving ourselves. I now hope the International Court that we refuse to support takes up the case against our current actions; as painful as that would be, it may be our only salvation.
Cant we all just get along
Wow Sept. 11 I forgot what happened. How long ago was that? When did we get so polarized. False intelligence from the British, Congress voted and got us into war. We went to the enemies back yard. Al Queda came to Iraq to kill U.S. troops and disrupt democracy. The bias media reports death, civil war and defeat. Election year came and what did we do blame the president... that's fine. Accuse our troops of rape and murder ... give me a break. The gas prices at record high, housing fails and everything else blame the president...Why don't we blame congress? What has the congress done? Nothing! On the war I'll call it a draw for Obama and McCain. On energy I'll call it a draw as well. On the economy I personally hate excessive taxation. One thing I hate the most is government waste. I'd pay higher taxes for social security because I do think that we need to fix it. My major issue with Obama is that I don't know who he is. From what I know he is a first term senator, I don't know any bills he wrote or introduce. I've heard he is very liberal. Obama just doesn't have any experience. So would I hire someone that doesn't have any experience? No. I would not vote for an unknown and he's voting record don't look to good to me. So this Independent American is voting for McCain.
Cant we all just get along
Wow Sept. 11 I forgot what happened. How long ago was that? When did we get so polarized. False intelligence from the British, Congress voted and got us into war. We went to the enemies back yard. Al Queda came to Iraq to kill U.S. troops and disrupt democracy. The bias media reports death, civil war and defeat. Election year came and what did we do blame the president... that's fine. Accuse our troops of rape and murder ... give me a break. The gas prices at record high, housing fails and everything else blame the president...Why don't we blame congress? What has the congress done? Nothing! On the war I'll call it a draw for Obama and McCain. On energy I'll call it a draw as well. On the economy I personally hate excessive taxation. One thing I hate the most is government waste. I'd pay higher taxes for social security because I do think that we need to fix it. My major issue with Obama is that I don't know who he is. From what I know he is a first term senator, I don't know any bills he wrote or introduce. I've heard he is very liberal. Obama just doesn't have any experience. So would I hire someone that doesn't have any experience? No. I would not vote for an unknown and he's voting record don't look to good to me. So this Independent American is voting for McCain.
Saddam Not the Worst
All of you Repub's, that think we went into Iraq to save the Iraqi people from Saddam, are fools. If we were going to rush in and play that game we should have rushed to the aid of Darfur or Somalia. We rushed in with bad intel that WE KNEW was bad intel and took out a tyrant who had months to go before his government fell apart on its own.
We went in because Georgie W. Bush wanted to get into the History books. Well, rest assured he will. The worst President ever was so stupid he made mistakes that his father AND his Vice-President AND his Defense Secretary ALL had previously warned everyone about.
We went to Iraq because "w" is an unamerican fool with an evil heart. No wonder he thought Putin was a good man. Compared to himself Putin was a good man. God Save Us from the Republican idiots and child molesters.
I am ahamed of America
You people are pathetic. You who drink the liberal kool ade ( Obama-Juice.)
You do not now or have you ever cared about the Iraqi people. How much they suffered. How many lives we saved. But then, you never were concerned much with the "killing fields" of Cambodia either. You make up facts and recite slogans instead of truisms. You are so easily led that you are masterfully misled.
Saddam was a terrorist to his own people and his neighbors. He attacked Kuwait and Iran. He constantly created mischief in Israel and financially supported suicide bombers. He tried to assassinate a former US President. That all means nothing to you. He had tons of "Yellow Cake" and a plan to enrich Uranium. Before this war the complaint was that "Bush one" Should have taken him out in the first Gulf War.
Saddam could have easily avoided war by complying with the UN sanctions. You sheep are feed by the main street media. Sad to think that NBC, AP, The NY Times and their ilk will be choosing the next President.
You only care about your socialist agenda. How sad. Ashamed of America? I am ashamed of you.
The "SURGE" is a combination of events: Not just McCain's idead of having more troops on the ground. There has been a cease fire. These folks are trying to give America time to get the heck out of Dodge. If we continue to occupy, we will need even more troops and more surges and ultimately the type of attack we waged on the Japanese. (AWFUL!)
The death toll continues to rise and just remember that we ere promised a slow death of our soldiers, one by one. We know why these people are so upset. If we truly want to end this war, get off of Iraq's and Afganistan's soil.
The Republicans lied and our troops died
Senator Obama was RIGHT when he OPPOSED the Iraq War.
General Shinseki was RIGHT when he said we needed a MUCH LARGER force if we were going to invade Iraq.
These two facts trump any and all other arguments. Period.
You can’t make up for one of the biggest foreign policy blunders of all time with a bandaid.
It’s like saying to a patient - “We amputated your hands instead of your feet, but we caught on to our mistake before we amputated your arms.”
Not a huge comfort.
Surge Talk Only Exposes Lack of Judgement
we wouldn't be calling for a surge if the lawmakers (including McCain) had the good judgement to oppose going to war in Iraq. Who are we fooling? The place that needed our attention to fight the war on terrorism is Afghanistan. McCain and whoever touts the success of the surge either has some serious judgement issues or think the rest of us are fools to fall for their silly political gymnastics.
