A “Duh” Moment
57 % of people polled do not think the Democrats have a coherent plan on what to do with Iraq.
While voters in Election Day surveys said corruption and scandal in Congress was one of the most important factors in their vote, the postelection poll showed that 37 percent of all adults said the war in Iraq should be at the top of the congressional agenda during the next two years. The issue of terrorism, the second most mentioned priority, was ranked highest by 15 percent of those polled.
Though voters apparently embraced the Democratic mantra of changing course in Iraq, a majority of the public did not detect a clear Democratic blueprint for ending the war. Fifty-seven percent of all adults in the AP-Ipsos poll said Democrats do not have a plan for Iraq; 29 percent said they do. The poll of 1,002 adults has a margin of error of 3 percentage points.
That finding strikes at the heart of a Democratic dilemma. The party has been of one voice in criticizing President Bush's strategy for the war but has been more equivocal on how to move in a different direction.
Democrats such as Sen. John Kerry of Massachusetts and Rep. John Murtha (news, bio, voting record) of Pennsylvania want a fixed deadline to pull all troops out of the country. Other Democrats, including some party leaders, have voiced support for a staggered withdrawal that demands greater responsibility from the Iraqis.
The public's perception was reinforced during the campaign, when President Bush time and again told voters that the Democrats had little to offer on the war.
"Everyone agrees that we're going to have to begin redeployment," Rep. Ike Skelton (news, bio, voting record), D-Mo., said of the Democratic position. Skelton, in line to become chairman of the House Armed Services Committee, has proposed withdrawing a U.S. brigade for every three Iraqi combat brigades rated fully capable. Skelton opposes setting a timetable for withdrawal but said at least one U.S. battalion or brigade should pull out promptly.
"It should send a clear message to the Iraqi government, the Iraqi people and the American people that we're not there to stay," he said.
No doubt, the election results have put Democrats in something of a box, said Stephen Biddle, a defense policy expert at the Council of Foreign Relations.
"It's a very, very awkward thing to run a war from the Congress," he said. "The public wants them to do something. And they don't want to go into 2008 and be accused of being the do-nothing 110th Congress."
Kind of scary when you realize the people you put in charge don't have a plan, isn't it?
By crosspatch, November 15, 2006 @ 1:07 am
I think most people believe that what we have done so far isn’t working so it is time to give the other team a shot. The problem is they have been sold a bill of goods from the media and I think what they are going to get is a big shock. The Dems probably still think they have a free pass because they think they can blame whatever happens on Bush. In other words, they can completely screw it up and still blame it on Bush. Sad thing is they might get away with it.
What I believe most people don’t realize is that while we have been there for going soon on 4 years, the Iraqi government has had, what, 6 months?
By Arlo, November 15, 2006 @ 8:02 am
“Six to Eight Democrats” sure made a lot of news for something with absolutely no specifics (i.e., which Democrats and what did they do that was corrupt?).