jveritas is absolutely correct, IMHO. Your country is at war. If America exits Iraq with anything less than complete and total and unconditional victory, America will suffer an unbelievable credibility hit.
No other possibility other than achieving total victory should be entertained by any American: this is not even a matter for serious debate. 9/11 killed Democrats, too.
The Democrats and all others who think it is just GWB who would wear that credibility hit are naive: it would permeate all US society and survive a change of government from Republican to Democrat. And it would take years to recover from: if indeed that be possible.
More likely it would signal the beginning of a long and slow, painful decline. This cannot be allowed to happen.
The rest of the Western world is naive to think that this credibility hit would be isolated to America: it wouldn't. It would signal Open Season to the terrorists on everything every decent civilized Western society member holds near and dear.
It would even hit us in NZ. In my view, our Government should pay attention to what is happening and mobilize: we are no longer "living in a profoundly benign strategic environment." Peace without Victory cannot be achieved.
The world's alarm bells should be ringing right now. All hands general quarters! Yet they resolutely refuse to sound. It is like watching a train wreck about to happen, in slow motion.
You are so right. There should be an alarm bell ringing. Think of Spain's election after the Madrid train bombing...they caved. Think what the EU, the UK -- with large Muslim populations -- will be like if America exits Iraq with less than total victory.