The death of Zarqawi PR wise was bad for the US public opinion on the war. After the US public no longer had a terrorist to look to for causing the problems they were increasingly willing to buy the DNC shit that Iraq is a Civil War and that it has nothing to do with the War on Terror or American security.
Juan Cole denied Zarqawi's existance until the day he died, because he knew he was a major justifying reason for the US being in Iraq.
I am not saying we shouldn't have killed Zarqawi. But, in my view his death long term helped the dems even though it was good for America, good for Iraq, and good for the world.
". . . his death long term helped the dems even though it was good for America, good for Iraq, and good for the world . . ."
Interesting perspective. Sort of like the idea that has gone around from time to time that we "keep OBL alive" to keep the WOT alive.
Nevertheless, it is largely the major "news" organizations that underpin the dynamics.