Iraqi Civilian Casualties Unlikely to Hurt Bush Election

[NNN0LHI]

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=584&ncid=584&e=4&u=/nm/20040304/pl_nm/iraq_usa_voters_dc

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Iraq (news - web sites) policy is only a low priority for American voters and the mounting civilian casualty toll there is unlikely to damage President Bush (news - web sites)'s re-election chances, political analysts and pollsters say.

"If a few hundred or even a few thousand Iraqis get killed, the average American citizen doesn't see that as relevant to them," said University of Iowa political scientist and pollster Arthur Miller. snip

American University historian Allan Lichtman commented: "Most Americans have no clue how many Iraqis have died during this war and its aftermath and don't seem anxious to find out. It was the same during the Vietnam War. If it had been 171 Americans killed, you can just imagine the hue and cry there would have been all over the land." snip

One factor influencing U.S. opinion will undoubtedly be Kerry's willingness to make Bush's handling of Iraq a major campaign theme.

more

[ex_jew]

1. Do Americans care if *anyone* gets killed ?

After all, there's a shortage of oil, of jobs, of space on the highway. Unless you're Laci Peterson's fetus, I just don't think Americans really care about death. Convince me that I'm wrong...

[ithacan]

15. no

you are right on this.

Americans in general think of themselves as wonderful. But when push comes to shove, they'll take however many civilian casualties it takes to support US supremacy in the world.

And they consider it very rude to point this fact out to them, cause they don't like to have to think about it...

[Mari333]

2. THATS BECAUSE THESE PICS ARE NEVER SHOWN

to the US public and never will be as long as the media WHORES dont show them or the pictures of the caskets or the coffins or the wounded soldiers
THIS WAS IS A FRAUD AND HAS BEEN SANITIZED TO COVER UP A SLAUGHTER
http://www.robert-fisk.com/iraqwarvictims_mar2003.htm

BRING THE TROOPS HOME NOW

http://www.bringthemhomenow.com

[underpants]

3. I hate to say it but this is why I never mentioned it pre-war

in conversations with people I know, I knew that it was not a big selling point against the war. Unfortuneately the American people don't really care about that which is one of the reasons that it was not one of the major points W used to go to war-the suffering of the Iraqi people under Saddam. AFTER there when no WMD were found sure it was all about liberating them and ridding the world of an evil dictator but that would have sold even with his base as a reason to GO to war.

It's sad but true.

EDITEd for spelling

[Zero Gravitas]

4. Sickening

Somewhere between 8,000 and 20,000 Iraqis were killed because of War-President Bush*'s invasion of Iraq and yet their deaths are rarely, if ever, mentioned.

These dead from the neck up pro war bush supporters suddenly pretended to care about the Iraqi people only when it became clear that the scary WMDs never existed, yet do they ever stop to ask if a death toll 5 times that of 9/11 was worth it?

[DuctapeFatwa]

5. On the contrary, if voters are made aware of it, it will help him

Do not underestimate the American voters' unslakable thirst for Muslim blood.

[peterh]

9. It pains me to say this….

But I think I have to agree with ya….that and how it’s portrayed, i.e.:


A SENIOR White House official was asked in a briefing this week if President Bush will ever directly address the Iraqi people about the deaths of Iraqi civilians in the US occupation. Instead of addressing Bush's responsibility, the official delivered a spiraling rendition of denial.

"Let's remember who's killing Iraqi citizens," the official said. "It's not the coalition forces. Yes, there are occasional collateral damage deaths in all wars. But it wasn't coalition forces that blew up the UN headquarters. It wasn't coalition forces that tried to force out the Italians and the Japanese and the Koreans.

"It wasn't coalition forces that blew up Iraqi police stations. These are Iraqis killing Iraqis, and they're the same Iraqis who have been killing Iraqis for 25 years under Saddam Hussein. . . . There will be some civilian deaths. It will be nothing like what Saddam Hussein did."

That was all true. It also had nothing to do with the question.

http://www.independent-media.tv/item.cfm?fmedia_id=4363&fcategory_desc=Iraqi%20Civilian%20Casualties

[bluestateguy]

6. I've been saying this for months

It's a tough pill for anti-war activists to swallow, but it's true. The American people simply don't identify with the harm being done to Iraqi civilians. The only reason public support for the war has dipped is because 550 Americans have been killed. I'm sorry, but that is all they care about. Americans can only identify with Americans being killed over there, and if the anti-war movement in this country wants to change things they would be wise to redirect their emphasis towards the people who are concerned about the Americans who have been injured or killed in Iraq.

[The Magistrate]

7. This Is Not Strictly True, My Friend

The deaths of Iraqis do not make much impression, but the picture of chaos and muddle does. That under-cuts the claim of success, and leaves an impression of incompetence, which makes people much more open to the thought it was a bad idea in the first place. This in turn reinforces the willingness of people to accept they were lied to in the matter....

"LET'S GO GET THOSE BUSH BASTARDS!"

[Guy Whitey Corngood]

8. This just in:

3 Americans die in ferry collision in the Mediterranean. By the way 300 others died as well. It might sound like an asinine statement but that's how the rest of us view US coverage in world events.

[NWHarkness]

10. Anyone remember the old National Lampoon newspaper parody?

The headline read, in large type something to the effect of, "Two Area Women Feared Missing". The article's much smaller subheading: Japan Destroyed By earthquake.

[Zero Gravitas]

11. Or the Onion

they did a great story about a 747 crash. The story is about a minor celebrity being on board and later mentions in passing the other 200 people also killed.

[wildwww2]

12. My mom will not vote for Bu$h again for that very reason. Too many

innocent people being killed for my mom's taste. So Bu$h loses another one. Where does he gain? The wholesale marketing of fear. Who is buying? Not me.
Peace
Wildman
Al Gore is My President

[indepat]

13. That the mounting civilian casualty toll in Iraq doesn't matter speaks

volumes about our country, our humanity, our values, our caring, our morality, our decency as a people, IMHO.

[damnraddem]

14. U.S. troops are also dying.

And Americans DO care about that.

Did someone claim that Iraqi citizen deaths would be a big campaign issue? Unfortunately, that just isn't very likely. On the other hand, such deaths do stand in contrast to those who claim that the Iraqis are so much better off now that Saddam is gone.

[dArKeR]

16. I swear to the bone that our world will implode when a story like this

can calculate a prediction for an election out of the continuing deaths of thousands of humans. It's sick and immoral.

[Karenina]

17. And don't forget...

Karma is a BITCH.