Rep. Raúl Grijalva: Get Off the Warpath

[babylonsister]

Get Off the Warpath

Rep. Raúl Grijalva says voters want jobs -- and out of Afghanistan.
May 31, 2011 | web only

Get Off the Warpath


Much of the country is already in election-season mode, and it's time for Democrats to think about smart politics as well as smart policy. The enthusiasm gap that lost them the House in 2010 has to be addressed, and waiting much longer would be a disaster.

The White House knows this. It also knows what it has to do about it. Last year, when asked about a potential 2012 challenger to President Barack Obama from his base, Democratic pollster Stan Greenberg's answer came in two words: "Watch Afghanistan."

It's not news that the American public -- Democrats, Republicans, and everyone else -- has soured on the war. The national-security rationale has lost its resonance, and the economic and human costs in Afghanistan are crippling our ability to recover from a deep recession.

A recent ABC News/Washington Post poll asked people to weigh the costs and benefits of staying in Afghanistan. The poll revealed that 64 percent of those surveyed think the war is not worth fighting, up from 41 percent in 2007. This is the highest figure recorded since polls started asking the question.

The planned withdrawal in July will be an important test of the administration's commitment to winding down the war. The same poll showed that 73 percent of Americans think the U.S. should withdraw a "substantial number" of troops in July. Tellingly, only 39 percent believe this will happen. President Obama can reinforce the beliefs of voters who feel the government ignores their position, or he can give voters a reason to hope, and to vote, next year.

Some pundits think Afghanistan will be obscured by the economy and won't play a big role in the 2012 election. I doubt it. Americans are connecting the dots between federal spending priorities and the pain they feel at home.

more...

http://prospect.org/cs/articles?article=get_off_the_warpath

[izquierdista]

1. Shoring up the base

Q: How does a President win re-election when much of his base is in front of the White House chanting "hey, hey, LBJ, how many kids did you kill today?"
A: He doesn't.

We had better get out next month, and out completely. All the Repubs need is one opening and some fucker like Nixon will be waiting in the wings.