Will Bush have to run on Domestic Issues now?

[WhoCountsTheVotes]

Does the capture of Hussein mean that Bush will have to run for reselection on his domestic accomplishments, like the debt and deficit and the job losses? It seems to me the timing of the invasion of Iraq was well-suited to the 2002 congressional elections, so the Republicans could run on war instead of the miserable state of the economy. Can they get away with another war now? I can't see how Americans will put up for more of our soldiers being killed by rebels now that the official enemy has been caught.

Troops home in 90 days?

[xultar]

1. No, national security is still a problem because the war stirred the pot

we are more @ risk than ever. If we hadn't gone into Iraq things would have been alittle better security wise. Not to mention I know they are planning for Syria.

[WhoCountsTheVotes]

4. doesn't seem that way

Regardless of the reality, won't they have to find a new boogeyman to scare us with? Either they find Binladen or they have to find a new war. Who will be the boogeyman is Syria?

[ogminlo]

2. Well bin Laden is still out there, but no one cares...

[WhosNext]

3. Nope. Bush will just say "I got Saddam" and win in a landslide.

He'll talk about how he's kicking ass in the war on terror.

[WhoCountsTheVotes]

5. for the entire next year?

If the resistance in Iraq crumbles, then sure, but I can't see how that will happen? Another year of war, after "Mission Accomplished" and "Saddam Captured" while soldiers are still getting killed?

[ajacobson]

6. If Bush thinks the job is done

he's barking up the wrong tree. It's not like Afghanistan, where he dropped the situation into the hands of a few coalition partners and the place continues to be a mess. If anything the situation in Iraq may get more complex because with SH out of the way, the jockeying on the part of the religious leaders may become more intense. At some point Bush, Cheney, Wolfy, et. al. are going to have to decide whether they are going to allow an Islamist government to take control or if they will stay until they can prevent that. Either way, the outcome is not going to be what they want and what they sold to the American people.

In the short term, this will be sold as "mission accomplished part II" but in a few weeks when it's clear that American families will still see the Department of Defense representatives walking to their door with telegrams in hand, its anything but.

[ajacobson]

7. dupe

double clicked on post message, sorry