Reply #50: Keep in mind what an amazing strategic thinker Clark is

[Texas_Kat]

Back during the 04 primary season, he often made the point that Bush was trying to change the way US Foreign policy works permanently to a policy of 'preventative war".

That is, Country A just has to look sideways at the US and it gives the US a reason to attack".

One of the reasons he felt compelled to run in 04 was this change in paradigm that could well change the way US foreign policy works for the next 50 years. His op-ed is really about the idea that the neocon's philosophy of "conquer to democratize" is a failed strategy and even the 'typical' voter is waking up to that fact

("The public hasn’t quite sorted it out—but they know a failure when they see one.")

A good deal of the rest of it is a call to the 'inside the beltway' elected and punditry crowd to understand that they need to wake up to the fact that much of the US population ain't buying it anymore

("Joe Lieberman’s defeat shows that the public is now engaged in politics."

and

"the longer the bleeding goes on there, the harder the electorate will dig for answers—and the tougher they’ll be on those who got us in, and aided, abetted and apologized for them."

and

"difficult for elected Democrats to sense the mounting rage in much of the electorate over the failures of President Bush’s policies, and especially the seemingly never-ending war in Iraq, and his blatant partisanship."

In essence, out here where people vote, the jig is up.