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The top 9 reasons why a Democratic president can't handle the war on terrorism
Town Hall ^ | February 23, 2007 | John Hawkins

Posted on 02/23/2007 8:59:50 AM PST by Mount Athos

Many people assume that the Democrats' opposition to the war on terrorism and their unwavering determination to undercut the war in Iraq are solely an outgrowth of their dislike of George Bush. While Bush Derangement Syndrome and raw political considerations certainly are part of the problem, you've got to understand that the modern Democratic Party is simply no longer capable of dealing with a conflict like the war on terrorism because of the weird ideological tics of liberalism.

Look at how weak and helpless Jimmy Carter was when he was confronted by the Iranians. And Bill Clinton? Despite being prodded to take action time and time again by world events like the bombing of the World Trade Center, Saddam Hussein's attempted assassination of George Bush, Sr., the Khobar Towers bombing, the embassy bombings in Nairobi and Tanzania, the bombing of the USS Cole, along with India, Pakistan, and North Korea acquiring nuclear weapons under his watch, Clinton seemed incapable of dealing effectively with any serious foreign policy challenges.

That being said, if this nation were unfortunate enough to be burdened for four years with Barack Obama, John Edwards, Hillary Clinton or one of the other liberals contending for the Democratic nomination, things would be even worse this time around. Why would that be the case? There are a variety of reasons for it.

1) The Democratic insistence on treating the war on terrorism as a law enforcement issue will make it extremely difficult to deal with terrorist groups. When you have heavily armed terrorists ensconced in foreign nations, sometimes with the approval of their government, it's simply not practical to capture them, read them their rights, and take them back to America for trial. That is something that should be obvious after that approach was tried by Bill Clinton in the nineties and it failed to produce results. Going back to it in the post 9/11 world, which is what the Democrats want to do, is nothing but an invitation to catastrophe.

2) Ronald Reagan once said that, "Of the four wars in my lifetime, none came about because the U.S. was too strong." Conversely, a super power that seems weak invites attack. After spending the last six years railing against the Bush Administration and fighting tooth and nail against almost every measure that makes it tougher on the terrorists, a Democratic victory in 2008 would be viewed by the world as nothing less than an American capitulation in the war on terror. This would encourage the terrorists to launch more attacks and cause our allies in the fight to lose heart.

3) When the only credible Democratic voice on national security in the Senate, Joe Lieberman, was defeated in the Democratic primary last year, the message sent to Democrats was, "Being serious about defending America may cost you your job." After that, elected Democrats became even more reluctant to stand up against terrorism, which is really saying something, since the Democratic Party has been nothing but a hindrance in the war on terrorism since they voted en masse for the war in Afghanistan.

4) The Democratic base doesn't take terrorism seriously and considers it to be nothing more than a distraction from socializing the economy, raising taxes, promoting gay marriage, and the other domestic issues that are near and dear to the heart of liberals. It's old hat to hear Democrats say that they think global warming is more dangerous than terrorism, but at one point in 2006, 94% of the readers at the most popular liberal blog on earth, the Daily Kos, were actually saying that they thought that corporate media consolidation was a greater threat than terrorism. If you have a Democratic base that isn't serious about fighting terrorism -- and it isn't -- you will have a Democratic President that isn't serious about fighting terrorism.

5) Using the American military to further the interests of our country makes liberals uncomfortable, even though they're usually happy to send the troops gallivanting off to the latest godforsaken hotspot that has caught the eye of liberal activists. That's why many Democrats, like Hillary Clinton, who oppose winning the war in Iraq, are all for using our military in Sudan. However, it is also why those same liberals will oppose using our military to tackle terrorists abroad except in Afghanistan, where it would be politically damaging for them to call for a pull-out.

6) When the U.N. Security Council has members like China, France, and Russia that seem to be financially in bed with every country we end up at loggerheads with, the UN is going to be even more hapless and ineffective than normal. Since the Democrats are so hung up on getting UN approval for everything we do, it will be practically impossible for them to move forward on any serious, large scale foreign policy enterprise.

7) The Democrats are overly concerned with "international opinion," AKA "European opinion." The Europeans have mediocre militaries, pacifistic populations, fetishize international law, and have extremely inflated views of their own importance. Other than Britain, they don't have much to offer in a military conflict, yet even getting token forces from them that are minimally useful is like pulling teeth. Getting large numbers of European nations to cooperate with us on military ventures that are important to American security will be nearly impossible at this point -- yet since Democrats place a higher priority on European approval than our national security, they will insist on it. This, combined with the logjam at the UN, would hamstring any Democratic President.

8) The Democrats want to close Guantanamo Bay and put the terrorists held there into the American court system. The justice system in the United States is simply not designed to deal with and interrogate terrorists or enemy fighters captured overseas by our troops. Putting the terrorists held at Gitmo into our court system would only mean that hundreds of terrorists would be freed on technicalities because it's not advisable to reveal intelligence methods -- or because our soldiers aren't trained in the legal niceties that are necessary for policemen, but should be irrelevant in a war zone. How absurd would it be to catch a Taliban fighter entering Afghanistan, take him back to the United States, have him released by a liberal judge, and then dropped back off on the Afghan border where he'd be back shooting at our troops the next day? If a Democrat wins in 2008, we will get to find out all about it first hand.

9) The intelligence programs that have helped prevent another 9/11 would be curtailed under a Democratic President. As a general rule, Democrats favor weakening our military and intelligence agencies. Add to that the complete hysteria we've seen from liberals over programs like the Patriot Act and the NSA tapping calls from terrorists overseas to people in the U.S. Under a Democratic President, we would be sure to see our intelligence agencies systematically stripped of the powers they need to detect and foil terrorist plots.

If a Democrat were to win in 2008, it would give terrorists worldwide a four year respite to rebuild, reload, and run wild without serious opposition from the United States. The price our nation and our allies would pay in blood and treasure for that mistake would be incalculable.


TOPICS: Editorial; Foreign Affairs; Politics/Elections; War on Terror
KEYWORDS: congress; elections; johnhawkins; liberalism; terrorism; wot
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1 posted on 02/23/2007 8:59:53 AM PST by Mount Athos
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To: Mount Athos

A very good start. Thanks.


2 posted on 02/23/2007 9:01:41 AM PST by unkus
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To: Mount Athos
Ronald Reagan once said that, "Of the four wars in my lifetime, none came about because the U.S. was too strong."

Go Gipper.

3 posted on 02/23/2007 9:01:47 AM PST by T. Buzzard Trueblood ("left unchecked, Saddam Hussein...will keep trying to develop nuclear weapons." Sen. Hillary Clinton)
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To: Mount Athos

John Hawkins is a Duncan Hunter supporter, and it shows.


4 posted on 02/23/2007 9:02:38 AM PST by pissant
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To: Mount Athos

This is a perfect statement of fact summarized nicely in bulletts.
I will make a paper copy and carry it around when approached by anyone supporting Her Heinous or Obama.


5 posted on 02/23/2007 9:02:55 AM PST by stanz (Those who don't believe in evolution should go jump off the flat edge of the Earth.)
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To: Mount Athos

We need to be VERY afraid should RATS take the WH in 08 and look for another 911 to occur.


6 posted on 02/23/2007 9:03:57 AM PST by lilylangtree (Veni, Vidi, Vici)
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To: nutmeg

ping


7 posted on 02/23/2007 9:04:18 AM PST by stanz (Those who don't believe in evolution should go jump off the flat edge of the Earth.)
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To: Mount Athos
Good assessment. Add to that the Democrats really do want to see America lose and you have a party that thinks America is not a great nation, period - and not meant to be one.

"Show me just what Mohammed brought that was new, and there you will find things only evil and inhuman, such as his command to spread by the sword the faith he preached." - Manuel II Palelologus

8 posted on 02/23/2007 9:07:31 AM PST by goldstategop (In Memory Of A Dearly Beloved Friend Who Lives In My Heart Forever)
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To: Tolik

"Clarity" candidate ping.


9 posted on 02/23/2007 9:10:11 AM PST by rightinthemiddle (Without the Media, the Left and Islamofacists are Nothing.)
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To: Mount Athos

Marked.


10 posted on 02/23/2007 9:11:15 AM PST by Robert A Cook PE (I can only donate monthly, but Hillary's ABBCNNBCBS continue to lie every day!)
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To: Mount Athos

10) Democrats LOATHE the military.


11 posted on 02/23/2007 9:13:53 AM PST by texas_mrs
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To: pissant

I don't think it shows him supporting anyone.. it shows him opposing any Democrat in the oval office.


12 posted on 02/23/2007 9:15:02 AM PST by theDentist (Qwerty ergo typo : I type, therefore I misspelll.)
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To: lilylangtree
...and look for another 911 to occur.

And do you know what a Dhimmocratic President would do if we had another terrorist attack and a lot of people died?

1)Blame Bush/Republicans for creating terrorists
2)Do nothing else.

13 posted on 02/23/2007 9:16:00 AM PST by kromike
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To: theDentist

He is a Duncan Hunter supporter, and it does show, IMO.

But yes, that was not the focus of the article.


14 posted on 02/23/2007 9:17:54 AM PST by pissant
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To: lilylangtree
We need to be VERY afraid should RATS take the WH in 08 and look for another 911 to occur.

If the borders are not closed it won't matter whether which party holds the White House - a 9/11 or bigger will happen. Except that the white House holder will take his or her party down for the count.

15 posted on 02/23/2007 9:25:17 AM PST by MrEdd (Always look on the bright side of life.)
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To: kromike

Don't forget the dims will yell loud and whine louder for a special (dim-stacked, do-nothing) commission to investigate.


16 posted on 02/23/2007 9:38:07 AM PST by lilylangtree (Veni, Vidi, Vici)
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To: Mount Athos

Ping


17 posted on 02/23/2007 9:56:37 AM PST by aynrandfreak (Who would turn out better if we split into two separate countries based on the '04 Presidential Map?)
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To: Mount Athos

This is a great one to save for some simple arguing points when confronting liberals.


18 posted on 02/23/2007 10:00:05 AM PST by NavyCanDo
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To: NavyCanDo
This is a great one to save for some simple arguing points when confronting liberals.

You are correct, however anytime you confront liberals with facts, they label you as a Fascist, a Nazi, a Homophobe, a Warmonger, or an inbred Bible thumper. Of course there have been time when they just stick their fingers in their ears and start chanting, "LA LA LA LA I CAN'T HEAR YOU LA LA LA LA."

Don't get me wrong, it's always worth trying, just be aware of the possible results. As Alexander Pope once said, "You cannot reason someone out of a position that they did not use reason to get into in the first place.

19 posted on 02/23/2007 10:15:41 AM PST by Sergio (If a tree fell on a mime in the forest, would he make a sound?)
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To: Mount Athos

How dare he question 'rat patriotism!


20 posted on 02/23/2007 10:22:23 AM PST by HIDEK6
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