National Security Politics Posted by Ilan Goldenberg

I couldn't agree more with Michael's op-ed in the politico.

Come election time, one can expect “cut and run” attacks on Democrats to escalate, but this might be the first presidential campaign since the ’60s in which national security could be a net plus for Democrats.

With the electorate favoring Democrats on a host of domestic issues, the political risks for Republicans are significant. If Democrats can go into 2008 with the confidence to talk about foreign policy and national security issues — and without being afraid of GOP counterattacks — we might truly be on the verge of a long-term political realignment.

There is a historic opportunity here that I've written about a number of times.  But it isn't just going to fall into Democrats' laps.  They need to avoid the usual pitfalls of just pivoting back to domestic issues or addressing the Iraq War strictly in the frame of domestic costs.  Instead, they need to address the issue directly and demonstrate how their foreign policy will be better for America and better for humanity.  And if they really want to solidify the advantage, they'll need to follow it up by governing effectively. 

Comments

[Don Bacon]

"My friends, the situation in Iraq is this: Under the previous administration the United States has expended blood and treasure to free Iraq from an oppressive dictator and replace it with a fundamentalist Islamic government allied with Iran. The US military is now acting as an agent for that government, defending it against internal foes.

"I have determined that this has gone on long enough. We have done all that we can do for the Iraqi people, including the arming of their army which the previous administration has praised numerous times.

"The American people have had enough, so I am ordering the careful and phased withdrawal of all US military, except those needed for embassy protection, to start immediately. Some say that this might allow al Qaeda to establish bases in Iraq, but I have determined that this is not an option when one considers that Sunni al Qaeda and Shiite Iraq are mortal enemies. So let the withdrawal begin. We need to move on to the more important challenges that face our country."

[Cal]

Don's fictional speech shows how easy it would be for the Democrats to persuade Americans that our troops should withdrawal. Unfortunately, where there's no will there's no way, and the Dems have shown no willingness to really make this case.

The Kyl-Lieberman debacle showed that the Dems are totally hopeless on foreign policy, and even Michael Cohen has argued that we have a moral obligation to stay in Iraq indefinitely.

So it will forever remain 1968 for the Democrats, because they always want to triangulate between insanity and realism, all the while leaning towards the former.