Posted on 08/20/2007 12:37:52 PM PDT by qlangley
As the news from Iraq worsens, panic starts to set in.
A major paper conducts a poll which shows a dramatic shift of opinion. The shift is so big that the paper doesn’t publish the results and commissions a new poll instead. When the new poll confirms the results they publish, but bury the story on an inside page and describe the shift as “modest”.
Meanwhile a leading politician publicly worries about what General Petraeus may say in his report in September. If the report is as bad as he fears “it could be a real big problem”.
What is this bad news that a major newspaper fears so much that it buries it? What is the bad news that a House leader fears could be such a problem? It seems the surge is working. It is early to draw any conclusions. Violence in Iraq varies by season for reasons of both religion and climate. But we can firmly say this: those who declared the surge a failure before the additional troops even arrived were more than a little premature.
The poll was commissioned by the New York Times. It seems retrospective support for the March 2003 intervention in Iraq rose from 35% to 42% - that’s a rise of one fifth. Opposition to the policy remains very high: falling from 61% to 51% - a fall of one sixth. Plainly it still means the war is unpopular, but the movements are more than just modest. If, for example, one in six current readers of the New York Times abandoned the paper over a period of eight weeks, the editor might regard the bad news as more than just modest . . .
(Excerpt) Read more at quentinlangley.net ...
Where do they get their info? Probably dig it out of their nose.
For a moment, I thought the news was really bad, but as I read on, it became apparent the news is bad from a liberal perspective.
In many ways I honestly believe that is what this is all about.
America wins, but Democrats look divided. That’s what Clyburn considers “a real big problem”.
Good news for the U.S. and Iraq = Bad news for the Democrats
Must be Bush’s fault?
The Democrat Pary has always hitched its success to a tanking economy where people lose their jobs, their homes, and their savings, and therefore need more government largesse (ie., welfare and “free stuff” from Democrat politicians - - in exchange for votes, of course).
Now the party has added “military failure and more body bags” to its formula for success.
How in God’s name do those scumbags sleep at night?
They keep telling themselves and their victocrat wards that they are morally superior, not because their policies work, but because their intentions are to create a perfect society.
Suppose this is all made up speculation? What then? If that happens then all support for the war (and I support it) will dissapear. It’s far better to tell the truth then to lie—we don’t need any more Pat Tillman or Pentagon Paper scandals for the liberal media to throw in our face.
I take these reports of “progress” at face value. Even if these reports are not true, we should press on and put more pressure on the Iraqis.
Of course it is. Recapturing their youth has been the obsession of the moonbats since 2003. The most annoying — and dangerous — “second childhood” ever!
In the end, for the rats it's all about holding office, along with all the wealth, power, perks, and privilege that come with it. They couldn't care less about anything else - - you, me, and America included.
Well, now we know that the Left really do hate the military. “Military success = bad news” ... ;)
It is probably mostly illusion, anyway. Most of them are falling asleep by 9:30 pm and cannot even recall where they were in 1968, let alone what they said yesterday or to whom.
I know a lot of these people. One in particular, a self-made millionaire with a lot of guilt who is also a vary competitive marathoner/triathaloner is having to deal with a daughter who is intent upon joining either the FBI or CIA after she finishes her Masters in International Business Management. Many are dealing with the very real and very aggravating discomforts of aging. One woman is obessed with her failure to forestall osteoporosis even though she has followed every exercise/food fad for over 50 years. Yet another uberliberal is dealing with his daughter’s outspoken disgust of her mistreatment at the hands of Muslim bank customers (they think of her as their servant and are quite insulting), even though she was raised as a multi-culti. Some, who decided to *give back* in retirement have become quite aware that the people they *serve* in the food pantries are scamming the system and are most decidedly not grateful and will not ever change. Some who joined the Peace Corps are thankful they were able to return to America alive and regained their health after experiencing the Third World up close and personal.
This is a last hurrah for many of them and as they actually do collect their Medicare and Social Security, they will relax into geezerhood and most likely find themselves talking
nonsense to grandchildren who are not even listening.
I just wish they didn’t vote.
>>Suppose this is all made up speculation?
I am not sure what you are wondering might be speculation? The NYT poll was pretty clear. Progress on the ground in Iraq? There do seem to have been indications from several sources that the progress is real. I guess we have to await Petraeus’s report for an overall assessment.
The main point of the article, though, is not to say that there has been progress, but to say that Democrats interpret progress as a bad thing.
Progress can’t be gauged by how many men we send to patrol Iraq.
Progress is when the Iraqi government is able to effectively govern and handle their foremost responsibility-—their own internal security.
Why are we making excuses for them? How long do we have to assume their burdens and when might we expect to see Iraqis taking charge of their own destiny, future and security? Clearly, this hasn’t been acheived yet despite the thousands of lives we have sacrificed and the billions in dollars we have spent.
We need to put more pressure on the Iraqis and we need to stop coddling/babysitting them. For the Iraqi legislature to go on vacation while our guys are being killed and maimed stinks like hell.
>>Progress is when the Iraqi government is able to effectively govern and handle their foremost responsibility-—their own internal security.
And how long did you think this was going to take? The progress has been clear and strong.
>>For the Iraqi legislature to go on vacation while our guys are being killed and maimed stinks like hell.
Why? What they need is properly trained and resourced security personnel. New laws won’t help.
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