Bush backing into a box of his own making?

[salin]

Just two weeks ago the WH was starting a 'campaign style' response to war critics. Bush was still spouting the we can't leave ... have to honor those who have already given up their lives... stay the course... vapid lines.

Now with a quick rejection of that message he is about to announce that the time has come... a miracle of sorts has happened as the Iraqi Army has apparently, since September, been able to make phenomenal ground in training battle ready troops.

We know that there will be rhetoric to try to spin this as a win and as bush keeping his word (ala 'we won't stand down till their forces stand up'), as fodder for the true believers.

We also know that reports to congress have been made (ala documented) as to the very small number of Iraqi troops that have really been trained and are ready to take over. Exceptionally few.

The WH is off its game. If they couldn't predict that the backlash to the nakedness of their attacks on all who criticize the war (crescendoing with blatant ugliness with the attacks on Murtha), when the majority of the country no longer believes we should have gone to war in the first place... then I guess it isn't surprising that they can't predict the even bigger backlash to propagandizing bush's HUGE policy flip-flop.

Because it is will be so clearly a lie - and his credibility is already shot with the public (it was shot with the world a long time ago) - any last vestiges that this was America's war and had anything to do with the War on Terror. And it won't be due to this speech - but the dizzying back and forth, spin, yes we will no we won't spew that will inevitably come out of the WH the Pentagon and the intel community in the days and weeks after the speech. In the end this will become commonly known as Bush's war and Bush's folly. That idea - will be driven into the public psyche. The naked arrogance and disregard for those who serve our country, and for our national security in the post 911 ear - will become to be recognized as a mainstream belief - not just a belief of those of us who called it from the beginning.

Bush has backed himself into a box... his own box that he created. There is no graceful way for him, in less than ten days - to shift his rhetoric and policies so dramatically. And the news that follows will make him back into the corner of the box - esp that which points out the ridiculousness of his claims - once again cementing the public perception that he lies regularly to manipulate and propagandize the public (remember he himself put the "I use propaganda" message out to the public in a moment of candor.)

If the reality and consequences of all his policies were not so tragic. If the reality that those policies have created such a complex, dangerous, combustible mess that there is NO easy response (pull out, draw down, etc - each has huge possible pitfalls), if that reality weren't so serious, than it would almost be time to pull out the popcorn and watch the republican fireworks, spinning tops and further erosion of public support.

Odd that the WH can no longer see when they are about to take a media crisis (low perception of BUsh and GOP) and exacerbate it.

[ChairmanAgnostic]

1. But we now have a VICTORY plan! All is forgiven. Trust me

Mission will still be accomplished.

[annabanana]

2. a "secret plan" that has been in place all along, no less...

Jebus! Could he channel Nixon any more clearly?

[salin]

4. that has been my immediate reaction since this turn of approach

was first announced. Laos, Cambodia, troop escalation while claiming troop withdrawls. But with the bushies - folks will be looking for this - were it to happen - the international press - and soon the national press to a lesser extent, would start reporting it.

[Cessna Invesco Palin]

5. No.

Even Nixon had the dignity to resign.

[salin]

3. So he will claim...

but the quick response that will have facts/reports etc to disprove his claims... that will make his claim not only moot - but the games during those facts appearing (ala the W and attack dogs) will make it clear to most that the emporor is naked. The question is whether or not his descent (from popular war president, to feckless least popular president in the modern era) will happen early enough in the midterm cycle to take down other GOPers. That, too, is part of the fun and games we should watch. The folks on the Hill know that this president can hurt their reelections - how do the folks who were put on the spot a week ago to attack anyone suggesting any withdrawls appear to their constituents when they either go against the pres. claims (so they can appear consistent and strong on the WOT - which they have continued to claim this is about) - or do they follow the pres. directly down the proverbial rabbit hole?

[OneBlueSky]

6. (old joke, but) . . . How do you know Bush is lying? . . .

his lips are moving . . .

ta da . . . :headbang:

[0007]

7. Muthra stole his idea about bringing home the troops.

Why it was his idea all a long, wasn't it. wink wink

Now junior slips around those border towns that have a military installation and chatters about aliens becoming Americans and doing jobs that real Americans won't do.
junior may have a point in obtaining recruitments for the military, another job that real Americans are turning away from.

[supernova]

8. I agree with you, salin

The WH have put themselves in a box and there's no graceful way out.

That's what happens when you use black/white, authoritarian thinking to justify your actions.

Unfortunately, the WH's true believers will believe it all the same. They have to. They couldn't stand the cognitive dissonance to admit their mistakes.

I think if they pull out now, or early, however you want to say that, the RR coalition will still be in tact. They will still want power. We need something to happen so that they are no longer such an influence on the national stage.

[salin]

10. I think that there are many GOP operatives

who are lamentingly thinking... "three more years". Unless there is a huge break in congress from this WH - the inevitable bi-monthly very unpopular misteps will take down the party. They have been watching this pattern since Dec of 03 when the "bump" bush got from capturing Saddam lasted less than ten days - and then in January of 04 when his numbers started steadily declining. They were hopeful with the last full out push via swiftboaters - combined with cheney's fear talk - and combined with pandering to the religious right per gay marriage... squeaked out a win for their boy and their hopes of continued one-party rule through the first half of the century. Then by the Spring, starting with the Schaivo debacle - followed by DSM, Sheehan, Katrina, Libby indictment, and so on.... the decline has escalated - and anything the WH now does - seems to take them ALL down a notch. And they have three more years of it.

If it weren't for all the damage which will be wrought in the next three years, it would almost be entertaining amusing to watch the power and influence of these folks go into such decline that there will be a transformative moment in history possible at the end of their rule (by 2008).

[Catshrink]

9. The sheeple have realized that the catapult is shooting blanks.

The propaganda is *'s latest desperate attempt to spin his way out of his ratings hole. Three more years of this guy? Like someone posted, Nixon had the decency to resign. Although *'s history suggests he'd cut and run (i.e. resign) when things got ugly or too hard for him, he's too freaking stubborn to resign the big job. I don't think he'll make it three years -- he'll go looney tunes in a public way so that everyone can indeed see that the emperor has no clothes.

[Mutley]

11. With next year's midterm elections coming up...

they're going to try and convince the people that THEY were responsible for ending this war. They'll forget to mention that without all the recent anti-war protests and discussions they wouldn't have thought twice about pulling out of Iraq.

[KarenS]

12. It's a Christmas Miracle !!

We have won the Iraq War and Democracy is spreading all over the world.


:sarcasm: off