UPI Analysis: Saddam's capture boosts Bush

[Jerseycoa]

Source: UPI 12/14/03

Already, Conventional Wisdom is stating that Saddam's capture is likely to validate and strengthen those Democrats who voted for the crucial war resolution in Congress: Sens. John Kerry of Massachusetts, John Edwards of North Carolina and Joe Lieberman of Connecticut, and Rep. Richard Gephardt of Missouri. But in practice, the opposite is likely to be the case.

For sentiment against the war and against Bush's policies are now so intensely and generally felt among the Democratic grassroots that a single event like the capture of Saddam, dramatic though it is, will not change it. Indeed, it is precisely the campaigns of these four leading congressional Democrats that have been foundering disastrously up to this point.

Therefore, even if the capture of Saddam revives sentiments among pro-war Democrats, they are far more likely to throw their support to former Gen. Wesley Clark, who, while losing ground to the surging Dean, has been presenting himself precisely as the one Dem candidate most capable of blasting Bush on national security and defense issues.

And Clark's central premise, which he hammers home repeatedly, has not been invalidated or discredited to the slightest degree by the capture of Saddam. That is his contention that in their Iraq obsession, the Bush team have disastrously neglected the primary goals of U.S. domestic homeland security and the war against al-Qaida and its associated groups.

On edit: The title doesn't support the conclusions drawn in the article much at all.


:dem:

[joeybee12]

1. Great last paragraph

It's true--this changes nothing, and as the attacks escalate, this symbolic capture will be forgotten quickly enough.

[prole_for_peace]

2. yeah yeah they "captured" saddam who did nothing to us.

where's osama???? oh yeah its not about him anymore.

[jjmalonejr]

For about 5 minutes...

...until the breathless TV coverage of Saddam's capture subsides. Iraq will still be a mess, our allies will still be wary of our motives, anti-American sentiment will not subside, the terrorsit threat will not go away, the jobless rate will not improve and the millions of Americans without health insurance will not magically get coverage.

This, too, shall pass.

[stickdog]

3. How long has this analysis been in the can, ready to be sprung? (nt)

[mikehiggins]

4. If I may, I would like to express my appreciation

for that UPI writer who actually managed to tell the truth about Clark's campaign, at least in regard to pResident Bush.

It is something so rarely encountered in the media that it is worth taking note of.