I've done just about everything I can think of to end this war. I've marched in streets and stood in the rain. I've hung signs. I've screamed. I've blogged. I've called. I've written. I'd pretty much do whatever it took to move this catastrophe to its end. So today I'm going to suggest something that is positively low-brow to get this over with, and I think it could work.
I am watching this back and forth between Congress and the President in the state of numb disbelief that I've adopted as a second skin some time ago. What has been striking to me, as always, is Bush's nerve to overtly ignore the people's will. This is not new, and I have an understanding of why he does so that I won't get into in this diary.
For a while I've been disappointed that this dangerous arrogance does not drive the majority of people into the streets, although it finally got them to go to the polls in the '06 election. I often attribute this to the fact that not everyone is making an effort to read foreign press or even consider that FOX is not a credible news source. I have admitted to myself that the only way to do some of the work we need to do is to play political games, although I insist on chastising our leaders and my fellow citizens along the way as to why this is even necessary. We should all be outraged and we should all be registering it daily.
All of this being said, I think it is time to go "American Idol" on the President.
I think the Democrats need to launch a huge PR campaign in which votes are made by call in or website to support a withdrawal date from Iraq. I think it should and would be covered every night on every news station. This way, when this latest bill is reintroduced, or a new one put before the President, it will be clear to everyone that people all around them want this war to end.
I hate the idea of using gimmicks and flash for this, but if that is what it takes, that is what should happen. It can't be an effort raised by the netroots alone, it has to come from Congress. To make it even more effective, every candidate for Democratic office could speak in ads supporting the withdrawal and support the idea that the President should listen to "the will of the people." This will be so impressive to many people, to see the party united in one cause without trying to outdo one another in this political season. We could win many recruits. I think some Republicans might even sign on for ads if the effort is kept up.
If the President has the nerve to veto again, I think Republicans in office might cave and overturn it. This could also set the stage for impeachment hearings because I believe the public would finally be able to see that the President is working in direct conflict with the will of the people.
Sometimes things need to spelled out in a flashy way for members of our citizenry, and I'm willing to concede my squeamishness over political plays like this if it means an end to this bloodbath.
The Democrats should be using the will of the people, and they can do that in better ways than just referring to it in speeches. We live in the age of technology, where the will of the people can be heard in huge ways.