Reply #81: Wrong [View All]

[BRockNYLA]

This election came down to national security and 9/11. I agree that the Kerry campaign did not provide a credible alternative. I do not think, however, that Kerry deserves all the blame. We need to acknowledge our share of the responsibility. Kerry was bound by the anti-war folks on the left from truly speaking "tough" on the WOT. I'm not talking about the Iraq war. That was a huge mistake (or at least not worth the cost in lives and treasury) and everyone should know that by now. I'm talking about providing a comprehensive vision beyond Iraq. I'm talking about language that I'm sure would get most folks here pretty worked up. Believe it or not this is most Americans respond to. Sure it is silly on many levels, but it works in politics. At least it works for the Repugs. Bush can swagger and taunt and win more votes. The minute a Dem uses any militaristic language the left is ready to jump ship.

My only point is that I do not believe the anti-war strategy/image of the party is viable. The Iraq war completely f**ks our foreign policy argument because we sound as if we are anti-war when we speak out against this particular action. The other, more fundamental, problem is that our grassroots folks might actually be "anti-war", a position which hinders our candidates and hinders our chances of being a viable alternative.