And just like that, conventional wisdom declares Iraq a failure

[jobycom]

Tell me if I'm premature here, but reading the news sites, and hearing the general tone of the media, I'm getting a sense that now people believe the war is a failure.

It's been happening for a few months. People's opinions have been changing as all the news out of Iraq was about the casualties, not about an end to violence, not about triumph, or hope that things were improving. The elections in Iraq failed to make things better. The declarations by Cheney and Bush that the insurgency was fading away has not held up to the facts. People could see it was getting worse.

But most people were afraid to say Iraq was a failure. Too many lives and dollars had been spent for most people to admit that. People were starting to feel it, but weren't ready to speak it.

Then tonight, in what may turn out to be the stupidest decision since... well, since sometime in Nixon's string of self-incriminating debacles... Bush made a speech to defend our progress in Iraq, and to reassure the people that things were going well. Only, he didn't do that. Instead, he told people that we had to stay the course, that the sacrifice was worth it, that we would not be safe if we pulled out now. In other words, Bush said, almost as clearly as if he had formed the words, "Things are going bad, but I can't think of a damned thing to do to fix them."

Now people are beginning to think what they only felt before. And the transition from supporting the war to believing it is a failure is almost instantaneous.

I've always said that when people started to see through Bush's lies, they would turn on him overnight. We may be seeing it, over this night.

Am I too early to declare that? Maybe, I don't know. But the spiral has at least started, and I don't think Bush or any of his crew has what it takes to pull out of that spiral. I may be premature in my optimism, but I don't think I'm ultimately wrong. Bush is sinking. Time to throw the big rocks on top of him. The bottom is the limit.

[alittlelark]

1. Cornered animals will behave erratically

Calling them 'animals' is a complement. I question these types categorization w/in Homo Sapien Sapien.

[jobycom]

2. I feel bad calling them animals, like if we

shouldn't push our problems off on innocent species who have never produced anything so vile.

[LynnTheDem]

3. It is a failure. It was a failure the day America became

"that kind of a country".

Afghanistan is also a total failure, but due to almost-total US "liberal media" black-out, most Americans are not yet aware of the fact.

[nadinbrzezinski]

4. I hope you are right

[The_Casual_Observer]

5. It remains to be seen what rove can conjure up from the dark recesses

However, the thing is probably beyond the point where more lies and denial will float it, too many people have been/being killed.

[Oversea Visitor]

6. Hate to say this

Chess games far from over.
Next move now is .... "if we spoilt it we own it"
follow up move .... " and we will fix it "

Democrats in disarray.
In short... challenge thrown
" Stop pussy footing around, you got something to say. Say it. Grow some balls and say it or shut the fuck up."

Democrats reaction.... Kohl :crazy:

Others well well see how that challenge being answer.

King piece not on table. Queen piece to be sacrifice.
Objectives met. Stay the course.

[The Magistrate]

7. They Do Seem, Sir

To have reached the lip of the famous Credibility Gap.

By comparison to the dis-connect between between fact and fictions presented by this current crew, President Johnson was talking pretty straight in the mid-sixties....

[Oversea Visitor]

8. Bush is a moron

A walking disaster, a born loser, he was never the President, just a puppet.

[meg]

9. Great post!

I hope you are right.

[nadinbrzezinski]

10. kick

and I hope you are onto something

[Radio-Active]

11. I didn't watch the speech,

but I knew that the harder Bush tried to defend the indefensible Iraq war, the more his base's support would slip through his fingers.

Of course, I doubt he won any new converts. The speech probably did nothing but hurt him, despite what the "liberal media" might say.