Why Americans may ultimately not care about Biden's Afghanistan performance

According to CNN Biden's political aspirations may not be scuttled by resent event's in Afghanistan where his withdrawal policies have failed miserably and left many Americans and allies in life threatening positions.

Apparently, historically Americans have short attention spans when it comes to foreign policy failures or even success. They explain below that dispite failure in Lebanon Reagan was still re-elected; and that dispite conducting one of the most successful wars of the last 60 years in the gulf George H.W. Bush still lost reelection.

What's the point: Americans have given their initial reaction to how Biden handled the US troop withdrawal from Afghanistan, and it seems to be negative. Whether or not it remains that way is yet to be seen.

How Americans viewed the North Vietnamese taking control of Saigon in 1975 is instructive in understanding the shifting political winds today.... Americans, though, didn't blame Gerald Ford, the president at the time. In fact, 59% said he deserved none of the blame at all.... Of course, how Americans saw Ford's Vietnam performance didn't predict the 1976 election. Ford lost that race to Jimmy Carter.

On the other end, Ronald Reagan sent American troops to Lebanon in the early 1980s as peacekeepers. Hundreds were killed in a bombing, and Reagan later withdrew the troops. By early 1984, more than 60% of Americans viewed the Reagan policies as a failure in Lebanon.... Reagan easily won reelection later that year.

Arguably the most successful war of the last 60 years was the Persian Gulf War during George H.W. Bush's presidency.... Bush lost reelection in 1992 to Bill Clinton.

The point here is that the American public often has a short memory when it comes to foreign policy endeavors. The recent developments in Afghanistan that have hurt Biden in the polls may still be hurting him come the midterms in 2022 or presidential election in 2024. They could just as easily have no impact at all.

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Last week the news was all about Biden's failure; even amongst Biden's supporters in the media, simply because it could not be ignored.

Now that some time has passed we are going to start seeing articles about why the failure doesn't matter.

All Biden has to do is replay the tactic that did well for him in the run up to the 2020 elections. Stay low key and hide out until it all blows over. The less he talks about it the better because as we have seen the last few days he is not good at messaging.

biggest difference between this and those mentioned in the article is we get to see it happen live in HD, we will be seeing videos from people hoping to get rescued showing murder, torture and rape, not sanitized by the media with the worst aspects not reported on.

Christians being cruicified, 12 year old girls becoming comfort wives, innocents at the mercy of depraved barbarians this is something that doesn't sit well with a lot of Americans, I hope the writer of this article is wrong.

Ten thousand hostages and most will probably die,the world laughing at us,and terrorist attacks inevitable.Even if the economy doesn't crash or Biden does something else spectacularly stupid,there's not many people who are going to forget this one.Except all the dead voters,guess he does have a chance for reelection.

a reply to: dandandat2

The instant real time nature of the modern internet has changed all that.

People can see what is really happening, not to mention, most MSM is even against Biden this time.

Which makes me think somethings fishy.

a reply to: dandandat2

CNN propaganda...
it's not that Americans have short attention spans, it just means less news about it because it does not fit the MSM narrative.

USA thinks it's something special. They have military forces in over 100 countries around the world spouting their influence because they must have their big ass nose in other countries daily business while USA has enormous problems at home with people living in tents, Starving children, mentally ill and the insane walking their streets, racism, BLM, CRT, ANTIFA and so much more.

IMO USA has its own serious problems and they should solve their own issues before sticking their arrogant noses into other countries.

They hate being reminded of their own issues and having it smeared in their faces.....

It's time for a lesson for USA.... and it is coming...


a reply to: dandandat2

It's not going to happen this time.

Even the most extreme Liberals are starting to wonder what's happening here. WHO is in charge right now!?

We have Hillary talking to the head of a state on behalf of a regime she's not even been elected into, in direct violation to the Logan act! But, she's bulletproof.

The problem we have is the publication of all these crimes, it's like a tsunami that the public can't keep up with, and so there's a collective shock that's making these people immune.

I'm talking about things like Clinton on Epsteins jet. Meeting Lynch on a jet to talk 'family'. Hillary with Benghazi, Obama with Obamacare, Hunter Biden STILL making money from his dad's position - now he's 'selling pictures'......

The public KNOW these things but what are you gonna' do? It's too corrupt, the courts, the legislature, the schools, the unions and now the scientific community too, the average person doesn't stand a chance in the face of this monstrous conspiracy. That's why people deny reality and join groups, they're absolutely terrified of reality and the implication that very real, evil entities are running the show, and make no mistake they are......

Walk into any woke, Leftist Starbucks hangout and ask all the customers if they could point to Afghanistan on a map.

I bet 9 out of 10 would get it wrong.

so many directions to look. South, oh no, the border is being invaded and we have no plan!
Look to the west, China is inches from Taiwan, Taliban offering their word that Joe's folks get a pass, Oh and the economy is in the #ter, if you got a minute.

I don't see anything positive to distract from the string of epic failures.

All of which must have been by design. Watch this space.

The article is heavily flawed.

Reagan won primarily because Mondale was a joke, and Bush lost because Ross Perot ran.

The news media will ignore it if at all possible

a reply to: dandandat2

Has everything to do with keeping a story going or letting it go. Case and point: Trump had two scoops. Or Nixon said: I am not a crook.

a reply to: dandandat2

I bet they do care about the civilians that got left behind.

a reply to: dandandat2

The writer of this article is not relaying a fact that Americans don't care.

The writer of this article is trying to convince Americans not to care.

There is a difference.

a reply to: dandandat2

This will be the new talking point over the next few days from liberal media. MSNBC is saying the same thing today.

The problem is that Joe Biden is a dumpster fire. It is only a matter of time before his next major screw up.... Following the ongoing string of smaller screw-ups we've been seeing over the last 7 months.

a reply to: dandandat2

This has been decades of failure... Which doesn't absolve Biden as he was either a legislator, VP, or Pres through the whole war(s). He's not alone in the blame though.

Most Americans don't really care about the wars in general, because it doesn't directly effect their day to day life (that they know of).

Most of those who do "care" use it as a political football for their agenda. The fact in that is that they all of a sudden care about civilian lives there after decades of war. We did nothing to help the region, just send it into further disarray.

I'd love to be convinced otherwise on this stance, as it's cynical and depressing.

originally posted by: Irishhaf
biggest difference between this and those mentioned in the article is we get to see it happen live in HD, we will be seeing videos from people hoping to get rescued showing murder, torture and rape, not sanitized by the media with the worst aspects not reported on.

Christians being cruicified, 12 year old girls becoming comfort wives, innocents at the mercy of depraved barbarians this is something that doesn't sit well with a lot of Americans, I hope the writer of this article is wrong.

And...

They will censor the hell out of it along with the MSM not reporting it.

a reply to: dandandat2

While it is true the American Public does have short attention spans.

This particular Problem is not just going to disappear and here's why.

There are thousands of American Citizens still trapped in Afghanistan along with Afghani's Loyal to America , and until we get at least the Americans out this problem will be a gigantic problem for Biden .

Matter of Fact Good or Bad this will probably be the defining moment of his Presidency , and this could go horribly wrong .

originally posted by: Vroomfondel
a reply to: dandandat2

The writer of this article is not relaying a fact that Americans don't care.

The writer of this article is trying to convince Americans not to care.

There is a difference.

I agree with your first point.

But is there really a difference if the outcome is the same?

originally posted by: CriticalStinker
a reply to: dandandat2

This has been decades of failure... Which doesn't absolve Biden as he was either a legislator, VP, or Pres through the whole war(s). He's not alone in the blame though.

Most Americans don't really care about the wars in general, because it doesn't directly effect their day to day life (that they know of).

Most of those who do "care" use it as a political football for their agenda. The fact in that is that they all of a sudden care about civilian lives there after decades of war. We did nothing to help the region, just send it into further disarray.

I'd love to be convinced otherwise on this stance, as it's cynical and depressing.

Maybe your wrong about most Americans not really caring. Maybe its just to difficult to care so most Americans find ways to put it out of their mind.

I was sitting outside in the dark having a beer last night and I let my mind wonder as to what it must be like for people in Afghanistan right now. It was a disturbing thought process, putting my family in that situation if only in my imagination. Its difficult to keep up that level of empathy for a prolonged period of time... but this failure is not the same as not caring..