A Democratic War on Terror

[Beefalow and the Consumer]

I've heard an interesting idea being bounced around on the loony-right radio shows.  Basically, it's that a Democrat president would have an easier time being a hawk, since the media adores them, and won't do anything to undermine our war efforts.

Clinton bombed the snot out of Serbia from 10,000 feet.  He destroyed every bridge over the Danube.  Did we hear about all of the civilian casualties?  Did we hear political pundits complaining about how he did this as a ploy to divert attention from Monicagate?  No.  We heard nothing.  Imagine if Bush did the same thing.

Kerry would be in a position to use massive force to put an end to the so-called "insurgency," and he could do so with impunity.  If there were any civilian casualties, the media would just blame them on Bush for starting the war to begin with, and heap praises on Kerry for having the resolve to do what need to be done to finish it.

I'm not saying Kerry would do that, mind you.  But he could.  A lot easier than Bush could.

Personally, I don't care who gets elected, who gets credit, and who gets blame in all of this, as long as we can swiftly win this thing and get out of there.

[MODU]

Agreed Beef, but only to an extent.  With the rise of online news and groups like FoxNews, a Democratic war time president would also receive closer scrutiny. 

On the flip side, I heard an argument to day that if Kerry had been in Bush's step and was having to deal with Iraq, Kerry's history indicates he would have never gone into Iraq, even after the sanctions failed, since Iraq never attacked the US.  To make their case, the note that after Bush the first had formed a coalition and received UN approval, Kerry voted against going to war with Iraq to liberate Kuwait.  These are the same guidelines which Kerry now claims Bush should have done with the war authority Kerry voted for this time.

[Silent Hunter]

Kerry hasn't been asked what he would have done if he couldn't get a coalition together.

[shankbear]

I am sure he would authorize the massive buildup of spitballs.

[Beefalow and the Consumer]

Kerry hasn't been asked what he would have done if he couldn't get a coalition together.

Kerry wouldn't have pursued an Iraq policy to begin with.

If he couldn't get a coalition together for Afghanistan, I'm sure he would go in anyway, as no one in their right mind WOULDN'T have gone after the Taliban following 9/11/01.

[I spent the winter writing songs about getting better]

Correct, anyone who thinks that Gore or any Democrat besides Barbara Lee wouldn't have gone in Afghanistan after 9/11 is an idiot.

[CollectiveInterest]

Dude, you're living in an alternate reality if you didn't notice the pass Bush got on the Iraq War. The Bushies, the Neo Cons and the Iraqi Nat'l Congress lied through their teeth to justify the Iraq War and have still never been called on it.

I don't disagree the media should have been tougher on Clinton. The expulsion of Albanians from Kosovo started after the NATO bombing of what was then Yugoslavia (now Serbia). And Clinton was never called on the carpet for bombing the el Shifa pharmaceutical plant. Although the GOP Congress had an oportunity to pursue this and chose not to.