Anyone Catch McCains New Talking Point?

[spanone]

Here it is...'only 15% supported 1st Gulf War'.

So he is inferring that we'll come around, I guess. AFTER FOUR FUCKING YEARS????

On MTP.

[neoblues]

1. Naw, in four MORE years... nt.

[ChairmanAgnostic]

2. that is bullshit.

80% of americans supported the international forces going into Kuwait. 80% of Americans supported Bush the Elder. The fact that he squandered that support after Kuwait was his own damned fault.

[ray of light]

10. exactly what I was going to say.

[NewJeffCT]

3. when did only 15% support 1st gulf war?

I thought it was a pretty popular war, as far as wars go?

[spanone]

5. When did the truth matter to McCain and all, just lie enough times and voila! it's true.

[Jackpine Radical]

6. IIRC the support for the war was really low when it was first proposed

but then they hit the public with that massive PR campaign featuring bogus stories about Kuwaiti preemie babies being thrown out of their incubators and wailing Kuwaiti widows who turned out to be actresses & ambassadors' daughters & whatnot & all of a sudden public opinion was turned around. Went from 80% against to 80% for in 2 or 3 weeks. It was the first example that really impressed me on how they could jerk public opinion around with PR.

[NewJeffCT]

13. I didn't remember it that way

I remember gas prices going up 20 cents a gallon (from like 1.15 to 1.35) the day after Iraq invaded Kuwait having people ready to invade almost immediately.

But, I was 24-25 years old back then, so was probably often more focused on my failures in chasing young women than the nuances of politics...

[ray of light]

12. it was!!! and we all sat in front of CNN watching the war by minute!

[JustABozoOnThisBus]

18. Watching on TV doesn't mean "support"

Heck, how many of us watched Saddam's hanging on YouTube? Probably some people who are against the war (at least one that I'm sure of! :) )

The support was pumped up by lies, just like the more recent phase (2003) of the war. A Kuwaiti princess testifying to Congress that Iraqis were tossing premies out of incubators to take the equipment to Baghdad - never happened. We bought the Kuwaiti propaganda. Kuwait was just another oil-rich thugdom, and still is.

Anyway, the anti-aircraft fire from Baghdad was sure pretty, shown in the green glow of night-vision equipment. Irresistable show-biz.

[90-percent]

4. WTF

I recall oodles of public support for the first war.

The merits of which can be argued, but at least it was CONDUCTED BY PEOPLE THAT KNEW WHAT THEY WERE DOING!

Foremost amongst the team that ran the thing is that THEY VALUED THE LIVES OF THE PRECIOUS YOUNG PEOPLE THAT ACTUALLY DID THE FIGHTING.

and did as much as they could do to minimize American losses.

In and out quick with minimum loss of American life.

betraying the kurds later on could be criticized a bit.....

-85% jimmy

[GenDem]

7. He's toast.

This is getting worse, not better, and he will be going down with the ship.

[rodeodance]

8. He blamed Casey for the Failed Policy--said some knew from the begin-

ning that it would not work.

said he would not support his promotion either

[spanone]

9. Like Casey MADE policy. Casey follows orders from CIC.

[Botany]

11. McCain is trying to sell this bucket of dead fish he is carrying as ......

..... New Orleans Jambalaya.

[PsN2Wind]

14. I thought the main point he made was

George Bush, able to create a desperate situation in only four (4) years.

[harveyrunner]

15. Did mention that those 15% were WRONG?

Iraq was no threat to the USA and Desert Storm was totally unnecessary. In fact, Desert Storm laid the ground work for the invasion of Iraq in 2003. The world and the US were no safer after Desert Storm. 9/11 happened AFTER Desert Storm.

[harveyrunner]

16. Desrt Storm is nothing to use as an example.

All Desert Storm did was to ruin Iraq and cause thousands of innocent deaths through sanctions, continued bombings. We denied the Iraqi people medicines, food, and really tore up their country by ruining their infrastructure including destroying many schools and hospitals. Before Desert Storm, Iraqi healtcare and education were among the best in the ME including Israel.

Desert Storm was made possible by the US media and the US middle-class that has become so removed from the US "working-class" and the poor. It's difficult to really understand if the American middle-class really knows who they are.

[spanone]

19. And this WAS a war over Oil. Iraq invaded Kuwait over slant-drilling operations

[tbyg52]

22. With our invitation--remember April Glaspie

Edited to add:

Hi, harveyrunner! Welcome to DU! :hi:

[newyawker99]

17. Hi harveyrunner!!

Welcome to DU!! :toast:

[dansolo]

20. Desert Storm set the stage for 911

The two biggest factors for Osama bin Laden's actions against the U.S. were a direct result of the First Gulf War. The first was the presence of U.S. troops stationed in Saudi Arabia, and the second was his anger that the Saudi's wouldn't allow him to assist in repelling the threat that Saddam posed at the time. "He hates us for our freedoms" is just bullshit propaganda.

[tbyg52]

21. Did you hear the *first* thing he said?

In the very first sentence, or near it.

I looked General Petraeus in the eye and said, “Is that sufficient for you to do the job?” He assured me that he thought it was and that he had been told that if he needed more he would receive them.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/16634747/