You are all WRONG! It was about the war in Iraq! The average American could care less about those Sunni's and Shiites. They don't understand Methodists and Presbetarians, and don't really want too, let alone Muslim details and nuances. "Get our boys home NOW! Why should one of our kids die for those stupid ragheads." This is the general sentiment.
I know, I talk to the public all the time. Iraq is a loser, bring the boys home is the average persons opinion.
I've supported the WOT and the Prez, but I agree with my son in Iraq, this is a civil war, let's go home.
Iraq was the #1 issue. My contention is this. Democrats have never been with Bush on Iraq and independents ran away from Bush in 2005. Republican candidates could have weathered the gathering storm better, had the GOP`s leadership of Bush, Frist, Hastert and the rest, not ignored conservative principles and abandoned many of the key elements of the conservative agenda.
The only problem with that course of action is that it would result in control of Iraq, save Anbar and the Kurdish north, by the Shiite Militias, who are allied with Iran, and who would make their part of Iraq into what Afghanistan under the Taliban was, only 10 times over. Similarly the Sunni controlled areas would be havens and training grounds for Al Qaida.
We, including your son, would have to be killing them here, rather than there, with much additional loss of American civilians. Your son, signed up to prevent that sort of thing. All who ever signed up did that, including this old man.