Pelosi On Dems. Position on Iraq

www.washingtonpost.com...

House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) said yesterday that Democrats should not seek a unified position on an exit strategy in Iraq, calling the war a matter of individual conscience and saying differing positions within the caucus are a source of strength for the party.

Pelosi said Democrats will produce an issue agenda for the 2006 elections but it will not include a position on Iraq.

Pelosi said she had not consulted with Dean or Senate Minority Leader Harry M. Reid (D-Nev.) before taking her position. Her action angered some Democrats, who believed it left the party vulnerable to criticism from the Republicans, but cheered the party's antiwar activists who want party leaders to challenge Bush more vigorously on the war.

I this a good strategy for the democrats?

I think it is a terrible idea. They are admitting that they do not have a clue about what to do in Iraq except demonize Bush and the Republicans without offering any other meaningful alternatives.

If they continue to critisize Bush over every little thing that is happening in Iraq without offering any kind of a solution or meaningful alternative, it will backfire on them come election time.



[edit on 12/17/2005 by Classified Info]

I think it could be considered to be a bad move for the Democrats, but it's really the only option they have. The simple fact is that they really don't have any unifying strategy other than "Bush is bad." They don't have any real goal beyond getting elected. They can't legitimately, as a party, oppose the war and urge an immediate withdrawal because that will not only alienate much of middle America, but will expose them as enormously shortsighted. Most thinking people, regardless of their views about the war, understand that an immediate and unilateral withdrawal will cause problems there. Additionally, there are some very powerful interests that favor a continued American military presence in Iraq, and it wouldn't do for the Democrats to completely alienate them.

However, the few who DO believe that an immediate, damn the consequences withdrawal from Iraq is a good idea are almost exclusively Democrats, and the party doesn't really want to alienate them either, so they're in something of a Catch-22, but it's not really a new one.

This isn't really that different from the problem they faced in 2004, when they originally ran on the platform of being not-Republicans with a candidate who was not-Bush. Even then they couldn't quite bring themselves to either support or oppose the war. The only real difference is that their failure to propose any real ideas regarding Iraq in 2004 was one of omission-- they simply didn't talk about it. Apparently the new plan is to make not taking a stand an official part of the 2008 platform.

The democrats are lost they dont have anything else to do so they do whats easiest blame bush.

Originally posted by Classified Info
They are admitting that they do not have a clue about what to do in Iraq...

I disagree. I think pretending to 'think as one' just because you belong to a particular political party is kind of a weak position. People are different and have different views of this war. Some Republicans even think a pull-out is the way to go. I think this is a strong and good move for the Democrats. They're not automatons, they're people, with individual minds. The Republicans don't have a 'unified position' on the war or the exit strategy, why should any other political party?

If they continue to critisize Bush over every little thing that is happening in Iraq without offering any kind of a solution or meaningful alternative, it will backfire on them come election time.

Perhaps you've missed (or ignored) what they have suggested...

Exit Strategy

Bush crapped his pants and the Democrats don't have a unified plan to clean him up. Bastards! Why won't they share a damn brain like Republicans? Individuals suck.

You make some good points B.H., but I'm taking it as nothing more than the Democrats do not have a clue on how to deal with the Iraq situation besides bash Bush.

Originally posted by Classified Info
You make some good points B.H., but I'm taking it as nothing more than the Democrats do not have a clue on how to deal with the Iraq situation besides bash Bush.

Well, you're certainly free to take it that way. I'm a firm believer that you will see what you're looking for. If you wish to see the Democrats as clueless in the face of very reasonable suggestions to the contrary, I'm certainly not going to convince you otherwise.

Have at it.

That's the problem with our two-party system. Republicans have very narrowly defined beliefs. Your either with them or against them, so it's easy to present a unified point of view. Everybody else has to find a home in the Democratic party, it's a big tent. With a lot of point of views, there is no one speaker, because it is so diversified. It doesn't make things easier, but makes things better, IMHO.