Reports out today talk of intensified violence in Iraq, as numerous attacks have killed a minimum of 110 people today. So maybe it's time we started paying attention to Iraq again? Not that it ever went away, but you wouldn't know it by listening to the media. The media has created a perception that things have turned around in Iraq since the June 30 handover, which is of course complete nonsense. If anything, the violence has actually increased in recent months, with August being one of the bloodiest months of the entire occupation. But the media's portrayal of an improving situation in Iraq has helped Bush rebound from the low 40s ratings he was getting back in May.
To me, this will be the story of the election. If the media, with pressure from the blogosphere, starts to really pay attention to Iraq again, then Bush is toast. No matter what he or his surrogates say, they won't be able to cover the disaster unfolding in Iraq, our worst foreign policy mistake since Vietnam. But if we bloggers waste time on issues like TANG, then Bush could easily win this election. Let's face it, there's only so much room in the news cycle, and every minute spent on Bush's actions 30 years ago is time not spent on Iraq, or for that matter the economy or the budget deficits.
Look at it this way. Last week reports came out on a new record budget deficit, as well as an official slowdown in the economy (Greenspan's "soft patch"). And of course, the violence in Iraq continues unabated. But none of these topics are seriously addressed by the media; the missing document scandal dominated the news cycle. So just ask yourself, which hurts Bush more? More stories on his lack of service in the national guard, which many Americans are already somewhat aware of, or stories on the worsening situation in Iraq, which most Americans think is actually getting better?