Does this mean the war is over?

[kentuck]

Will most of the hostilities in Iraq now cease? Since Saddam has been captured, does this mean Iraq will be more stabilized or less stabilized? Will Americans continue to die? These are some of the questions that people may be asking this AM.

Does it mean our troops can now start coming home? Or will this only create a new wave of terrorism and violence? Will this bring in more insurgents into Iraq to fight the Americans? What does the future hold for the Iraqi people?

No doubt, many people will be looking at the political consequences of the capture of Saddam Hussein. Does this mean George W Bush is a shoo-in in the next election? Does this mean all has been forgiven and forgotten, now that we have captured the "imminent threat" to our nation? Will he tell us where the WMDs are located?

There are many questions this morning. Only time will give us the answers. Realistically speaking from a political perspective, it is going to make the Democrats job that much more difficult to beat Bush in the next election. The capture of Saddam Hussein has legitimized the invasion of Iraq, and no matter under what pretexts we invaded that country, George W Bush is the victor and to the victor go the spoils.

[Democat]

1. It probably means Dean has even less chance against Bush

This is going to make Bush into a war hero for some and it's going to make those who were most vocally against the war look stupid to many Americans.

I love what Howard Dean has done for the Democratic Party, but more strongly than ever I think this will make it nearly impossible for him to beat Bush.

Clark is probably our only chance to beat Bush, and even him, with the entire media so right wing, it will be a hard fight.

[Katherine2]

3. If things don't improve

in Iraq, I don't think this will help George Bush. Realistically speaking, capturing Saddam Hussein doesn't make us an "safer" from the "evil doers", since Saddam didn't do anything to us. We still don't have Osama bin Laden.

I wonder why they didn't kill him? I'm so surprised to hear he's alive.

[Racenut20]

2. A ticker tape parade in Crawford, Texas is in the plans I think.

Giant John Deere farm tractors pulling stock trailers full of white pigs.
Long skirted dancing girls leading prize winning cows down main street.
Ice cream stands on all the Church lawns.

[soothsayer]

4. How would his capture legitimize the invasion of Iraq?

I really don't see how it makes things any more legit. He was never a threat to the US (until we invaded his country). so how does capturing another head of state after illegally invading his country somehow make it better?

Bizarre to me.

[Democat]

6. It makes it more legit because America "wins"

How does the Supreme Court appointing Bush make him legit? How did 9/11 make Bush more legit? It just does.

It doesn't matter what is true, it matters what voters think.

This will make voters think better of Bush and of the entire Iraq situation.

People love winners and Democrats have been anything but winners for the last few years.

We need to stop fooling ourselves. Our party is seen as weak losers by many Americans.

[Name removed]

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[kentuck]

7. Good question soothsayer!

:)

[SahaleArm]

5. No hostilities will increase as every tribal group, insurgent, and...

terrorist will want a piece of Iraq; you can't undo 3000+ years of history. With an excess of 25000 insurgents entering Iraq since March they will want to drag this out until the US can't take it and leaves; See Russia and Afghanistan.

Does this make the Democrats job more difficult? Absolutely, but unless Bush can have a legitimate government in place before the election, Iraq will still be in play.

[kentuck]

8. Another related political question?

How does this affect the race of Howard Dean?

[soothsayer]

22. he's still caucasian

or is too early to be silly?

[eileen_d]

23. no, not too early...

I'm laffin-out-loud here...

[PurityOfEssence]

25. Don't worry, the Earth will still orbit him

It's hard to tell, but it will probably help all of the Dems.

Let's be realistic: this is the fixing of a fuckup; it's something that should have happened 7 months ago. The war's still a war, and it's causing untold troubles. Short of a happy, joyous Iraq, this is the last bit of good news of real substance we could count on, and now it's done. They'll milk the "victory" for all it's worth, but they've played that card now, so that's it. That's why it helps the Dems.

Dean doesn't have to worry about the general election now; he has to work the primaries, and he's doing just fine.

As for the war, it may be a momentary lull, but this will probably pass quickly. Whether all hell breaks loose is another question. I'm sort of on the fence, but my gut says that it will be some version of that. It now removes something from the equation, and the factions no longer have to worry how the people view them with regards to the old regime. That's important: insurgents no longer have to worry that their fellow Iraqis will lump them in with the old tyranny, so there will probably be a net gain for them, whether their activities escalate right now or not.

Junior's poll numbers will bounce a bit, things may simmer down for a little while, and then things will either blow wide open, or will resume being merely hideous. Perhaps things will cool off and people will trust us and meekly accept whatever we cram down their throats, but that seems very farfetched. Who knows?

[Guaranteed]

9. Fox News anchor said this may be "Mission Accomplished"

I tend to disagree with her, though. What's going on in Iraq right now has much more to do with the Shiites and Al Qaeda than Saddam.

[mb7588a]

17. Why in the world are you watching faux right now? nt

[corporatewhore]

10. I think iraqis will up the ante

and pull off more attacks now that one dictator is gone and want to oust their current one (bremmer) Also attacks cant be blamed on saddam any more also i think if bush doesnt keep pull the troops or some of the troops out it will show that its just for oil and not about saddam
It will take the media a while to ask theese questions though

[Guaranteed]

11. That's a really good point.

Now that Saddam ain't coming back, they'll want the US to get the hell out NOW.

[Gore1FL]

12. It means nothing in the overall scope of things

This won't end the multinationals coming accross the boarder. It won't end the insurgency.

The only thing this changes is that they will find a way to justify a tax cut over it.

As far as beating Bush -- The unpopularity with Bush and the Iraq fiasco is not over getting or not Getting Saddam. It is over american servicemen dying over a lie and the American taxpayer footing the bill for the same.

Capturing Saddam is a good thing -- no matter what political affiliation you happen to be. It will likely give Bush a bump. It does nothing, however, to address the real problems facing this admin in iraq.

[LoneStarDem]

13. Turning point

I think this will be a substantial turning point in the Iraq issue.

Either this will undermine the resistance in Iraq and allow for an easier and less bloody transition to whatever the future holds for Iraq (good for the iraqi people, I wish them nothing but the best, and if this is good for them, well then excellent). *BUT* If Saddam is now in custody, his structure now beheaded, and the war continues, the "insurgents" keep coming, if the country breaks out in civil war, in that case the * Admin will no longer be able to hide behind the boogie man of Saddam Hussein. It may force people to take a long look at what is actually happening on the ground and lead them to ask the questions that desperatly need to be asked: Why are we there? What is our goal? What will we do?

Politically, this could shake out a couple of ways. If Iraq were to somehow amazingly wrap up quickly and quietly, it's better that it happen sooner rather than later. In that case, it's time to push domestic policy. "So Chimp, what have you done AT HOME lately?" If it continues to be bad abroad, this just takes another bullet out of Shrubs's holster and could indeed backfire. If the public has been built up to associate a personality with a conflict (Hitler/Hirohito-WWII), that person is taken down, but the conflict does not end, I would imagine that it would cause the public to reevaluate the way they thought about that conflict. Reevaluation works in our favor.

Anyway, here's to the capture of Saddam. We shouldn't be there, lotsa bad shit associated with this war, but Saddam is a genocidal assclown, and I wish him all the worst. Maybe we can get him a cell next to Slobo and they can trade ethnic cleansing stories till they rot.

[eileen_d]

14. Hey LoneStarDem!

:yourock:

Welcome to DU!

[LoneStarDem]

16. Thankyou

Thankyouverymuch!

[izzie]

15. This is proof that we can get the leader of a third world country

Where did I read that we would never fight a first rate army as we could not have Am died as our leaders could not get voted in with that, but we back these third rate countries and now pound our chest on taking them down. I am not sure just why Am should be happy over this type thing but they are .We seem to have a big part of our pop that is living in some time in space that we are the gift to the world and will save it yet it is not how the world sees us or thinking people in this country.I am willing to bet that it will keep things on voting about the same. People who think War is the way to go will be happy with Bush and the others happy this man is gone but still vote for someone else.

[rman]

18. was capturing Saddam the objective of this war?

i remember WMD's, 9-11, liberation, democracy as reasons-for-the-occasion.

But surely the reason for war can be changed after the fact, -agian-.

[kentuck]

19. And now we can get back to the real "war on terrorism"?

How will the Bush Administration handle this reality?

[Guaranteed]

20. LOL make fun of freepers with this one:

"So, I guess the war on terrorism is over, now, eh?"

[SahaleArm]

21. Bremer - "Ladies and Gentlemen, We got him" *nm*

[radfringe]

24. No it's not over

if anything Saddam will be herald as a martyr and attacks will increase

am glad Saddam is captured - this will give Baghdad Bush's numbers a boost - but will that last - the capture of Saddam doesn't signal an end to the war on terrorism, nor does it resolve our Iraq occupation

I suspect the capture of Saddam will not reduce the attacks on our forces in Iraq, it may actually increase the attacks with Saddam being herald as a martyr. Is it a mistake to capture Saddam - no, it needed to be done. However, I am now wonder what the plans are to deal with the certain reaction to that capture by terrorists?

Given Baghdad-Bush's record of a lack of planning - I doubt we are ready for the backlash.

also - remember that Poppy Bush's Gulf War victory wasn't enough to renew his stay in the White House -- we still have 11 months before the re-Selection, We are still in Iraq, Bin-Laden is still out there, and the Taliban/Al-Qeada are still causing problems in Afghanistan -- and back in May '03 Baghdad Bush did say that Saddam wasn't relevant

[Name removed]

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[dbt]

27. Tombstoned in 10 minutes

WTG, Mods!!!!

:toast:
dbt