Obama should declare victory for the troops, not Bush, then bring them home with parades. Saddam is dead, Al Quedda is on the run, election have occured. We won! Let's bring our boys home!
In the upcoming debates Obama may find himself in a pickle when it comes to the surge. McCain was prescient in his support of the surge. As many of you know Obama stated to Bill O'Reilly the surge has worked beyond anyones expectations. McCain will try to nail Obama on this comment. So what does Obama do?
If Obama takes the angle of stating the surge has a two pronged mission: 1) to decrease violence and 2) to give the Iraqi space to make political reconciliation he runs the risk of sounding professorial. It will also be hard to admit the surge has worked then in the next breath call for quitting the surge. The logic doesn't follow.
Now I know many of you will say the surge has failed because of the Iraqi political situation but trust me, the American people won't buy this and trust me even more on this one - the American people do not want to feel like they have lost in Iraq. So how does Obama reconcile this pickle?
Here is how.
Obama should declare victory for "the troops".. The troops have excelled at every mission the Administration has tasked. However misguided policy has been, the troops have done thier job with distinction and the troops have won. It is now up to the Iraqi to fix the rest. Our troops have given the Iraqi people the space and the peace to do the hard work of poltics and if they can't do it, then so be it. Our troops won, let's bring them home in victory.
Don't give credit to Bush. Rail on Bush for creating poor strategy. Praise the troops for achieving in spite of horrible leadership. Don't give credit to McCain for the surge - he expected poltical reconcilliation - this did not happen. The troops did thier job, McCain failed to realize the Iraqi people are unable to step up to the plate.
Put this question to McCain: Does mcCain beleive the troops have not won "thier war"? Does he beleive they have not achieved victory? Obama beleives the troops have won. If McCain wants to continue the war - make it his war. Make the case that the Iraq war is now officially over. The troops won in spite of bad leadership. If McCain wants to deny the troops victory and victory parades that is his choice. Obama wants to bring the troops home in vicotry.
I think this arguement has a very simple talking point: The troops won thier war, John McCain wants to fight a new war. Repeat - Saddam is dead, AL Queeda has been demolished and the Iraqi have elected a government...Mission Accomplished.
Does John McCain really want to spend 1 billion dollars a day for a new war in Iraq? Does he want to set new missions for our troops to win his new war?
The left won't get to rub Bush's noses in his pee pee but I think this message will resonate with the American people.
Declare victory for our troops! They have won "their" Iraq war - not Bush's war -"thier" war.
Saddam is dead, Al Quedda in Iraq is demolished, the Iraqi have voted. The troops won.
is John McCain proposing a new war in Iraq with new missions? How does John McCain define victory?
Remember - The troops won "their" war, now John McCain wants a new war.