In Two Weeks, The Saddam Story Will Be Old News

[THUNDER HANDS]

And America will have moved on to something else. Trust me.

I say this because I have a tremendous amount of respect for the ability of the media to hammer a story over the head until it becomes nauseating and overdone to the millionth degree.

So by two weeks time - or post-Christmas, America will have been subjected to... three days of non-stop Saddam coverage on tv. Saddam on the front page of every paper for the next few days. Saddam on the cover of every magazine for the next few days.

By the time Christmas is over with America will no longer want to read another story about Saddam, they'll be sick of it.

Because I believe as important and newsworthy as this story is, the attention-span of the average American is not as long as the media would like.

So forget about this being an issue in 11 months. In 11 days it'll already be old news and the candidates will be back to talking about domestic issues.

There's only so much all-Saddam-all-the-time that America can handle. I watched 15 minutes of it today before I was fed up and turned it off. My parents were the same way. I have no doubt that around the country, millions of other Americans feel the same way.

There's still a whole country left over there, and while soldiers are still getting killed every day, I have no doubt that Americans will start to see that killing Saddam did little to quell the violence.

So calm your fears guys. This is a good day for Bush, maybe it'll end up being a good week for him. But that's it.

[RUMMYisFROSTED]

1. Agreed.

It's only a good day for Bush because the MW's say it is. It's a good day for the troops if this lessens the number of them getting picked off. It'll be a good day for Chimp when they find WMD. A question that's not being asked this morning.

[THUNDER HANDS]

5. WMD's ???

What are those? The little thingys that were the reason we went to war in the first place?

[Francis]

2. Scheduling

What's the betting that the trial will be scheduled to get max coverage at election time

[DemNoir]

3. Finally some sanity

Since when was "where is Saddam?" the main issue in Iraq? It was always the least of our problems.

[Granite]

16. Did anyone think we wouldn't catch Saddam?

There really wasn't too many places he could go - it was just a matter of time, and while my initial reaction to this was a political one (I still haven't watched any of the news coverage), I think most reasonable people expected this sooner or later. And I know that this is a good thing - especially for the Iraquis who suffered under SH.

The problem with the three big talking points - what about Sadam? what about OBL? what about the economy? - is the inevitability of catching Saddam, catching OBL, and an improving economy. What then? When we get past the initial distractions, Repub self-congratulations, and media-euphoria over this, we have to begin to try to re-position the discussion back to issues that we can control - jobs creation, healthcare, true homeland security, strengthening public education, and the rest.

I'm not down on our chances in 2004 if we have the right message, the right candidate, and the right strategic approach. Pinning our hopes for victory on a bad economy or the fact that we haven't found 2 guys that should already be in the bag just isn't good strategy, IMHO.

[ecstatic]

4. Try again. The Media is NOT on our side.

Its only aim is to tear us down and make us look weak. This story won't go away like the CIA leaks and Uranium lies did. Trust.

[THUNDER HANDS]

8. The story might not

But people will begin to be sick of it. And then, of course, comes the question people will begin to ask.

Average Joe Question: "So if we now have Saddam, why can't we get him to tell us where the WMD's are?"

Confused Administration Official: "Well, um.....we're working on that."

[Skittles]

20. can they tell us where the good jobs are

?

[jonoboy]

6. I fully agree..2 months outside

the media can't sustain this ..it doesnt have legs

[WhosNext]

7. Who cares. BUSH will be able to run on this.

[THUNDER HANDS]

9. let him run on whatever he wants to run on

I REFUSE...I just REFUSE to believe that there are any voters out there who were undecided yesterday, but have now fully swung into Bush's camp just on today's news.

We have no control over the swing voters who are going to decide this election. It will be won or lost based on what the news picture looks like a week before the election. So, like I said, this Saddam capture will be old news by then.

Especially if the violence continues in Iraq, which I have no doubt it will.

[DemNoir]

10. Hw many times

Can you say "we got Saddam" the story was over when it was first reported. The only thing that matters now is what happens next.

[sistersofmercy]

11. Respectfully disagree

There will be big debate about when and where he should be tried. I suspect bush* co will push for a trial by the Iraqis minus the world court. Personally, I have mix feelings about the whole event. I believe the news coverage may sudside for a bit but will pick up in the spring.

[DemNoir]

12. I dont believe for a second

That they will put Saddam on public trial so he can talk about his history with the CIA. It will never happen.

[meti57b]

15. excellent point!! If this guy talks, the republicans aren't ....

going to come out of this very well.

[meti57b]

13. Exactly!! .... and BTW, did they find those WMDs?

[lancdem]

14. I'd love to agree

but the trial will probably go on in 2004, perfect timing to help Bush in hus campaign.

[OneTwentyoNine]

17. Two weeks happend a several weeks ago IMO

Check it out,these media whores have been ORDERED to pimp this "BOOMING ECONOMY!" until the lemmings sitting at home still layed off believe it.

Its in the newspaper,its on Reich Wing talk radio DAILY,its pimped non-stop buy FOX and the other bought and paid for cable outlets. Meanwhile the lay-offs continue....

David

[Mountainman]

18. Saddam will never get to talk about his relationship with the US

On C-Span those who support the war are still saying that capturing Saddam has something to do with 9/11. One woman said that she hopes this helps the families of the 9/11 victims get some closure.
The right will let the lie live that Saddam was a threat to the US. Bush needs the lies to live on so that these people will support the reselection.

[Nlighten1]

19. America will have moved on but...

the media and the White House will have this plastered 24/7 for months.

[Saudade]

21. Wishful Thinking

Talk about wishful thinking.