[Humbug]

It goes against my nature to stick up for the media...but in this instance i don't think the media is entirely to blame. Nor do i feel our military/political leaders are at fault either. We took a stab at getting a quick capitulation but it just hasn't worked yet. The media has simply picked up on the vibes it was getting out of Washington that there was a chance we could get this thing over with without much resistance. For instance i remember Bill Krystal going on Fox, not long after we had attempted to shish kebab Saddam, and him saying something to the effect that "this might be a war that was finished with just a single blow" and he was bubbling over with what a brilliant and brazen decision it was by the President to order a strike on Saddam. So the feeling was there. And the media picked up on it.

But i definitely do agree that the majority of the media is shaping it in a very anti-Bush way, making it sound as though this has been a great blow against us rather than presenting it as it really is - that the leadership boldly took a shot at ending things quickly to try to prevent American and Iraqi casualties plus to help keep the region more stabilized, that it didn't work out quite as they had hoped, and that now we just have to buckle up and prepare for the type of war everyone expected (though some of the expectations were far worse than the reality has been so far).

[The Wizard]

"Quick" is three weeks to a month

[Wphile]

I agree with your assessment about the media, the punditry, the administration, and the expectations.

Expectations will ebb and flow and they surely were flowing after the initial strike. Many were predicting a short war, the DOD was spouting "the regime is history" and "sadaam hussein is losing control of his country." It appeared that the war was going very smoothly at the outset. Now reality has come crashing in as it is obvious that Sadaam's regime is not going to crack without putting up a fight.

The media has to make it negative no matter what so they have grapped onto the "you said it was going to be short" mantra. I, too, hate to defend the media but I too think the DOD and CentCom fueled the "this is going to be quick" fire with their early assessments following the initial strike.

[MEG33]

Bill Kristol is part of the media.

[Cboldt]

The media has simply picked up on the vibes it was getting out of Washington that there was a chance we could get this thing over with without much resistance. For instance i remember Bill Krystal going on Fox, not long after we had attempted to shish kebab Saddam, and him saying something to the effect that "this might be a war that was finished with just a single blow" and he was bubbling over with what a brilliant and brazen decision it was by the President to order a strike on Saddam. So the feeling was there. And the media picked up on it.

I understand you aren't defending the media, and I also agree that some of the people at the Pentagon MAY have made statements that could be interpreted as "over-reaching" enthusiasm. But Bill Kristol is part of the media, and the leadership (Rumsfeld, Franks, Bush, Powell, etc.) have been very consistent in their expression that this effort is not apt to be completed in the public's "patience-frame." Mr. Kristol and the others are projecting their wishes, they are not reiterating administration positions.