- Jun 3, 2002
- 10,518
- 271
- 136
We heard a lot about WMD, mobile weapons labs, etc. as justification for Iraq. Clearly a mis-step, but lots of Republicans who supported Bush (and a good deal of Dems to be fair) supported the effort. Nothing was found, and a new justification for the war emerges; get Saddam out not because of WMD, but because he's a dictator. No mention that this justification then opens the door to striking any dictator in the world, including Kim Jong Il in North Korea, Putin in Russia, Chavez in Venezuela, etc.
We've also seen a lot of the right claim for months this year (before Lehman et al failed) that the economy really wasn't that bad. Considering job losses, unemployment benefit requests, and Dow losses last month were some of the worst in decades, and the worst 2-day % loss in history was seen these past two days right next to the two-day crash in 1987, that claim looks sadly misguided. Nutty guys said 81 or 92 recession was worse. Wrong again.
We heard a lot about how much of a success the surge has been. Yet we had generals in September telling us that any withdrawal from Iraq could throw Iraq into chaos and that they would continue to wait and see if any further gains could be made. So clearly the surge did not accomplish its ultimate goal of getting troops out of Iraq, and any eventual withdrawal might not necessarily mean the surge was the cause knowing the Al Anbar awakening was pre-surge by many months. Americans' attitudes of the war also haven't changed at all since the surge, with 64%+ opposed to the war. In fact, people on both sides (especially Dems in Congress) called for increased troop levels in 04 and 05, but Rumsfeld steadfastly denied the request, despite pleas from commanders on the ground.. No wonder Dems and some Repubs wanted out, Rumsfeld didn't give them an option.
We also heard a lot about how gains wouldn't be made in 06 for the Dems, especially in the House. We heard a lot of guys here echoing Rove's sentiments that 06 wouldn't be a big loss for Republicans, he actually argued they really wouldn't make any gains despite being force-fed numbers. Not that it was a foregone conclusion, but every poll had them winning and winning solidly.
And of course we heard how Obama wouldn't win, or how it would be close, and then of course reality set in and suddenly we get "It won't be a blowout". Of course, it was a blowout with Obama winning by 200 electoral votes.
So I wonder, do conservative Republicans who supported this disastrous administration and voted for Bush twice still take themselves seriously? As in, after 8 years of just getting, well, everything wrong (economy, war, surge, Dem seats in 06, Obama 08), at any point do you just tell yourself, "Maybe I'm just not that well informed?"
We've also seen a lot of the right claim for months this year (before Lehman et al failed) that the economy really wasn't that bad. Considering job losses, unemployment benefit requests, and Dow losses last month were some of the worst in decades, and the worst 2-day % loss in history was seen these past two days right next to the two-day crash in 1987, that claim looks sadly misguided. Nutty guys said 81 or 92 recession was worse. Wrong again.
We heard a lot about how much of a success the surge has been. Yet we had generals in September telling us that any withdrawal from Iraq could throw Iraq into chaos and that they would continue to wait and see if any further gains could be made. So clearly the surge did not accomplish its ultimate goal of getting troops out of Iraq, and any eventual withdrawal might not necessarily mean the surge was the cause knowing the Al Anbar awakening was pre-surge by many months. Americans' attitudes of the war also haven't changed at all since the surge, with 64%+ opposed to the war. In fact, people on both sides (especially Dems in Congress) called for increased troop levels in 04 and 05, but Rumsfeld steadfastly denied the request, despite pleas from commanders on the ground.. No wonder Dems and some Repubs wanted out, Rumsfeld didn't give them an option.
We also heard a lot about how gains wouldn't be made in 06 for the Dems, especially in the House. We heard a lot of guys here echoing Rove's sentiments that 06 wouldn't be a big loss for Republicans, he actually argued they really wouldn't make any gains despite being force-fed numbers. Not that it was a foregone conclusion, but every poll had them winning and winning solidly.
And of course we heard how Obama wouldn't win, or how it would be close, and then of course reality set in and suddenly we get "It won't be a blowout". Of course, it was a blowout with Obama winning by 200 electoral votes.
So I wonder, do conservative Republicans who supported this disastrous administration and voted for Bush twice still take themselves seriously? As in, after 8 years of just getting, well, everything wrong (economy, war, surge, Dem seats in 06, Obama 08), at any point do you just tell yourself, "Maybe I'm just not that well informed?"
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