Bill Clinton used a much storied "War Room" to win the Presidential election in 1992.
George W. Bush took that to a whole new level.
WAR AS AN ELECTORAL STRATEGY
You don't often hear the Bushies talking about their mistakes. So when I saw headlines of the Secretary of State's acknowledgement of "thousands" of tactical errors in Iraq, my interest was picqued.
But after reading the story, what stayed with me the longest wasn't that quote. It was her hope--and insistence--that history would vindicate the administration and the Bush Doctrine.
And they repeat it so much that it made me ask "who are they trying to convince?"
I don't think any administration officials want this war. I'm sure they liked the idea of riding to re-election on the backs of 300 dead american soldiers in another "Desert Storm" style miniwar; but you have to think that they wanted it all nicely tied up by Spring 2004. They could sail thru re-election as War Heros and spend a couple years with a real mandate on things they actually cared about: Eliminating the Middle Class, Pillaging our Environment, and, of course, laying framework for their future political ambitions.
Now they're left with a war that they don't want and don't understand; and approval ratings that are ironically close to the unemployment rate.
Most of these people work in thankless jobs for little money and no prestige. In many cases they gave up their lives for this new adventure. Sure, it's a 100 hour a week job, but you can make history. The most important thing you'll ever do.
Then you're stuck with this. An electoral strategy gone wrong. A Frankenstein that Rove brought to life probably before Bush was ever elected. Out of control.. and not what I signed up for.
You've got to have a reason to keep slogging thru. And a good way to do that is to just remind each other constantly that the American Public is just not enlightened enough to "get it" and that history will prove us all heros and patriots.
Put yourself there. You'd cling to that. Pray that it's the truth. That all the sacrifices that you've made.. and all the sacrifices that you've caused we're worth their mettle.
Personally, I think history will uncover a string of memos and mailings and emails that prove that this was nothing more then War as an Electoral Strategy.
And as an electoral strategy, it worked.
Bush's "War Room" is far more serious then Bill Clintons. But they both had the same goal.