Iraqi Casualties Unlikely to Hurt Bush Election

[Paragon]

Unbelievable. :argh:

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=584&e=3&u=/nm/20040304/pl_nm/iraq_usa_voters_dc

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Iraq policy is only a low priority for American voters and the mounting civilian casualty toll there is unlikely to damage President Bush'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.

In the latest in a string of devastating attacks, at least 171 Iraqis were killed this week while worshiping at holy Shi'ite Muslim shrines.

Most U.S. newspapers ran the news on the front page but it was overshadowed by the day's top story -- Massachusetts Sen. John Kerry's emergence as the Democratic presidential nominee.

(more)

[arcane1]

1. dead civilians and legal votes- Repubes count neither

:grr:

[Chicago Democrat]

19. Sick isnt it?

Republican Party: The Party of Blood and Mafia-like Government

[slor]

2. I do NOT...

buy this. We cannot be this depraved, can we?

[Amich]

4. yes we can

many Americans believe that it doesn't matter how many Iraqis are killed. That they are so much better off since we liberated them. And that they should feel grateful for our sacrifices. I bet the dead and maimed are SOOOOOOOOOOO relieved that America is there and Saddam is out of power.

[trapper914]

6. The Fly Paper Theory

I've heard right wingers go on and on about what a positive the Iraq war is, in that the terrorists are being drawn to Iraq so that our troops can fight them there rather than in America. Great for us...not so great for the Iraqi people who didn't ask for this.

[worldgonekrazy]

12. Yeah, I've heard this argument too

And I don't know what to say to it. Its just ridiculous on its face. Anyone who (1) believes this and (2) thinks it is a GOOD thing is not going to be swayed by reason.

[kurtyboy]

16. Reverse flypaper theory

The opposition sucked us into their territory where they could kill hundreds of US soldiers with relative impunity.

Even if Osama is killed tomorrow, he's gotta be pretty happy with the way things are going. This must exceed his wildest expectations about how the 911 attacks would work.

And instead of the numbers of belligerents being reduced, they are only growing---

And we pulled our armed forces out of Saudi Arabia, just like he wanted all along.

Yeah, flypaper indeed

[DuctapeFatwa]

3. It will help him, actually. Dead Iraqis are seen as a positive sign the

war on terror is working.

[JuniorPlankton]

5. Unfortunately, I agree n/t

[orwell]

7. Jerk Offs

Actually, while dead Iraquis "may not matter" I think the article misses an important point. Anything that keeps Iraq in the news exploits one of Dumbo's weaknesses. It makes him and his administration look incompetent for bungling the post war situation at the very least or at worst, for getting us involved in Iraq in the first place.

They need Iraq to settle down. I suspect that this writer is carrying some water for White House Inc. with this wishful thinking. I reminds me of all the "war chest" "shock and awe" propaganda routinely spilling out of the masturbatory media elites.

Sorry, I'm not buying it.

O

[worldgonekrazy]

13. Especially with the supposed "hand over in power"

The Bush Administration has to have things in Iraq at least APPEAR to be going well during the "transition" phase. Unfortunately, it just isn't going to happen.

[llmart]

8. Sad to say...

but this really is the truth. The majority of people in this country could care less about people in other countries, or even people in their own country for that matter. They care primarily about themselves and their own little sphere of compatriots. Face it, we are a very, selfish nation. I truly wish I could say this wasn't so, but I deal with a lot of people on a daily basis and this is definitely the impression I get in my neck of the woods.

[Disturbed]

9. Dead Iraqis/ Afghans

Weren't they all terrorists responsible for killing Amricans?

[Malva Zebrina]

10. Isn't that a tragedy?

where are all the Christian values? The right to life and all of that? How can this be?

[SOS]

11. Americans ignore the carnage

in Iraq, Afghanistan, Bali, Turkey, Morocco, Tunisia, Saudi Arabia,
Tanzania, Kenya at our own peril.
Haven't we learned that ignoring world events can come around and bite us?
Oh well, TV has dropped Iraq altogether in favor of gay marriage reports. Got to get the horror off the screen and divert the public to help the Bush/CNN re-selection effort.

[saigon68]

22. Carnage will be coming back

Look at 1968 , just look at what happened. This year (2004) is only starting. It is only the beginning of March.

A lot of Very Bad Things are going to happen this year.

Things that no one today---- can even begin to imagine.

[MasonJar]

14. Americans do not try to know much of anything. I teach high

school; I can assure you that the parents who raise these future leaders do not even teach them the most basic manners, so it is not surprising that theei sons and daughters' approach to the world is jaded, sophomoric and provincial. Unbelievably in a parent conference (with a counselor and 5 teachers present) a parent asked what we studied in Music Humanities. When I responded that we were currently studying Beethoven and had just finished Mozart, she said that it was no wonder her son was bored. She concluded that she would be bored too. Even if I had such thoughts, I hope I would have the courtesy and sense to at least remain quiet. Rude and ignorant parents breed identical offspring.

[snippy]

15. The indifference of so many Americans to killing done on their behalf

is a terrible thing. Perhaps more people around the world would take less joy in killing Americans or seeing Americans killed if Americans were not so indifferent. For those who believe in any form of afterlife, repaying the debt for that indifference may be a heavy burden.

That being said, this article is one of the most ignorant things I have ever read. Are Iraqi casualties unlikely to hurt Bush? Maybe. Maybe not. No one has any idea what casualties will occur in Iraq or under what circumstances between now and November. My guess is that Bush will be hurt some but not a lot if things continue exactly as they have gone for the last few months. If things get worse, Bush is hurt more. If things get better, Bush will benefit.

[FloridaPat]

17. 4 million Vietnamese citizens killed by US troops in Vietnam.

Any backlash about that anywhere? The people that lead this country are some of the worst murders in history.

[Chicago Democrat]

18. Iraq is fading due to Rove's manipulations.. 1)Haiti 2) Hate Gays

Does anyone doubt that these two disasters and distractions are orchestrated and coodinated!!

[leesa]

20. We luv our military folk!! What a pile of crap. Republicans love

violence and war and they love to see soldiers, civilians and children blown to bits...especially when they are brown-skinned and non-Fundie "christians"
WooHoo, on to the next slaughter...gotta steal us some more oil so we can drive our big ol gas guzzlers and racing cars round and round.

[The_Casual_Observer]

21. They have a tiger by the tail

The only reason US troops aren't being whacked is that they are spending their time in highly fortified compounds and travel with heavy armor. When was the last time you saw a GI mingling with the common folk of Iraq? They send their "translators" into town to pick up Cd's and odds and ends. They "wouldn't be caught dead" going in themselves.