The Two Iraqs
Thu Sep 16, 2004 at 10:21:40 PM PDT
Part of the art of running for President is coming up with sound bites — short, memorable phrases that define your campaign or your opponent. Of all the Democratic candidates, John Edwards and his "two Americas" stump speech produced the best and most effective message of the primaries. Dick Gephardt's "miserable failure" was more pointed, and Howard Dean's "I want my country back!" was more passionate… but Edwards took a complex issue — the widening gap between rich and poor in America, and its impact on our society — and found a two-word phrase to express it. Talking about the "shrinking middle class" doesn't catch the audience's attention; talking about Two Americas, one for the wealthy and one for the rest of us, does.
John Kerry needs a sound bite to describe our situation in Iraq right now. It can't be the plain and simple truth — that Bush's colossal series of mistakes are costing us the peace — because Bush will respond by blowing sunshine, portraying himself as the optimistic candidate, and doing everything possible to plant positive Iraq stories in sympathetic media outlets. No, the sound bite needs to capture the truth about the war and take note of Bush's duplicity; it needs to shine a light on both Bush's distorted message on Iraq and the actual message that's coming from the country.
Kerry needs to start talking about the Two Iraqs.
In
Bush's Iraq, it's all rainbows and flowers: The schools are being painted, the country is on its way to democracy, Saddam is locked up, and we're killing more evil-doers than you can count. It's hard work, says Bush, but we're proud of our troops and the job they've done.
In the other Iraq, we're on the brink of a civil war. Coalition forces can't even guarantee security in the Green Zone, much less provide law and order outside the gates; the Iraqi people live in a constant state of danger, and fear the foreign troops in their country as bringers of death and destruction.
Bush's Iraq may sound more pleasant, but self-delusion has no place in the Oval Office — and Bush's Two Iraqs contain one self-delusion after another. In Bush's imaginary Iraq, Saddam had WMDs on the launch pad. In Bush's imaginary Iraq, he was within a year of having nukes; and in Bush's imaginary Iraq, Saddam was working hand-in-hand with Osama. In the real Iraq, Saddam was a tyrant and a murderer — but he wasn't responsible for September 11th, and the threat he posed to American interests was far less urgent than the threat we face from Osama bin Laden.
Today, no matter what really happens, things are going well in Bush's Iraq. And things will keep going well in Bush's Iraq, no matter how many of our young soldiers are quietly brought home in coffins, or disabled for life by crippling wounds. It's an open-ended mission that will always be accomplished — always — because that's what George Bush wants you to hear.
John Kerry and John Edwards will put an end to the Two Iraqs, and level with the American people about what needs to be done to stabilize Iraq and bring an end to the occupation. America must be made stronger and safer against the terrorist threat that we faced on September 11th — but there is no safety in retreating to Bush's dream world, where Iraq is at peace and America is safer because that's the way we wished it would be.
America can do better.
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