What did last night mean?
"A Referendum on Iraq Policy" blares the Gray Lady's analysis piece on Joe Lieberman's defeat. But will last night have any real impact on U.S. foreign policy? It has long been argued by more hawkish commentators that if America fails in Iraq it will likely be because of a lack of political will at home. ...
"A Referendum on Iraq Policy" blares the Gray Lady's analysis piece on Joe Lieberman's defeat. But will last night have any real impact on U.S. foreign policy?
"A Referendum on Iraq Policy" blares the Gray Lady's analysis piece on Joe Lieberman's defeat. But will last night have any real impact on U.S. foreign policy?
It has long been argued by more hawkish commentators that if America fails in Iraq it will likely be because of a lack of political will at home. The toppling of the former Democratic VP candidate suggests that we now have an explicitly anti-war party. But this seemingly persuasive insta-analysis doesn't work for me. First, 2 of the 5 frontrunners for the Democratic nomination are pro-war and have not recanted. Second, the fact that in a New England primary in August, Joe Lieberman scored 48 percent of the vote despite an approach to the war that bordered on the uncritical suggests that Iraq is less electorally poisonous than many in Washington had assumed.
However, Lieberman's defeat has handed Karl Rove his favorite stick with which to beat Democrats: Weakness on national security. Expect to hear a lot more of this Lamont line: "Our nation is stronger when we …negotiate with our enemies." This enables Rove to campaign on the issue that most excites the Republican base and is also one of the Republicans' best shots at keeping waverers on board. Obviously, though, if the situation in Iraq continues to deteriorate at its current speed, no number of commercials asking if you trust Nancy Pelosi to keep your children safe will be able to change the conversation. Ultimately, the impact of Lamont's victory could be that it helps keep Congress in Republican hands and so allows Bush to plough on with his Iraq policy.
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