For Clarification - What you Expect from Obama
I've seen it mentioned by many that the WAR (among many other issues) is a far more important issue than FISA. So, out of curiosity, I thought it would be interesting to have Obama supporters share their *specific* opinion on what Obama will do re: the War. No one knows until he actually does it, but everyone has to have a personal opinion on what the War will look like once he's been in office for a year. That is:
(a) Will there be more than 100,000 troops in Iraq?
(b) Will he work for permanent bases in Iraq?
(c) Will he assert the War must be continued for our national security, or will he assert we've done our job and its time to get out?
(d) Will he take a hawk-like position with Iran?
(e) Odds we'll end up in a war with Iran due to our "national security interests", or because they're "supplying weapons to the insurgents", etc.?
(f) Or, I don't know, whatever he does will be right, cause thats all the guy does.
There may have been a post like this I've missed, but those of you that trust him, how do you see him handling the war?
My opinion - it will be almost identical to the Bush Admin's handling of the war.
Like I said, no one can be right; I could be incredibly wrong. I'm just wondering what the general belief is.
(a) Will there be more than 100,000 troops in Iraq?
(b) Will he work for permanent bases in Iraq?
(c) Will he assert the War must be continued for our national security, or will he assert we've done our job and its time to get out?
(d) Will he take a hawk-like position with Iran?
(e) Odds we'll end up in a war with Iran due to our "national security interests", or because they're "supplying weapons to the insurgents", etc.?
(f) Or, I don't know, whatever he does will be right, cause thats all the guy does.
There may have been a post like this I've missed, but those of you that trust him, how do you see him handling the war?
My opinion - it will be almost identical to the Bush Admin's handling of the war.
Like I said, no one can be right; I could be incredibly wrong. I'm just wondering what the general belief is.
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My belief is:
a) Will there be more than 100,000 troops in Iraq? No, there will be a slow and steady decrease.
(b) Will he work for permanent bases in Iraq? No, he knows that they are not necessary.
(c) Will he assert the War must be continued for our national security, or will he assert we've done our job and its time to get out? My thinking is, he will declare that it's more important to help stabilize a country our previous administration took over than to continue a wrong mission. My thinking is, he will bring up Osama bin Laden and how Osama has nothing to do with Iraq. My thinking is he will slowly but surely send our troops out of Iraq and after Osama. As it should be.
(d) Will he take a hawk-like position with Iran? No, I don't think so. I think he's already said that he would like to open a channel of communication and determine how we can work out a peace agreement between Iran and everybody else, without pissing off Iran, or Israel.
(e) Odds we'll end up in a war with Iran due to our "national security interests", or because they're "supplying weapons to the insurgents", etc.? No odds, no bets. Leave that stuff to McCain, eh?
(f) Or, I don't know, whatever he does will be right, cause thats all the guy does. Answer: He's going to do the best he can, with a new voice, a new view, and it will probably be to everyone's benefit, once naysayers finally shut up and get with the program.
There, that's my answers. Play on.
June 26, 2008 7:50 PM | Reply | Permalink
a) Whether he can get the troops in Iraq down to 100,000 w/in the YEAR, I'm unsure. Within 2 years, absolutely. He's said over and over that this must be a responsible withdrawl.
b) Hopefully no permanent bases in Iraq. If there are any bases, hopefully NOT permanent and certainly far fewer than the 58 Bush wants.
c) we've done our job and its time to get the COMBAT troops out, but perhaps continue helping with fixing what we broke with other forms of training and assistance, as long as the Iraqi governemnt wants us there.
d) No hawk-like position with Iran--diplomacy
e) Unlikely we'll end up at war with Iran unless Bush starts it before January.
How can you even imagine his position will be identical to Bush/Cheney? If it is, he'll be guaranteeing himself as a one-term president.
June 26, 2008 8:15 PM | Reply | Permalink
There is a principle that Obama has held since before we invaded Iraq that answers all of your questions. His belief is, and I strongly agree, that our very presence as a military force in a Muslim land is a generator for Al Qaeda recruitment and for cross cultural hate. He'll try to get out responsibly, but he'll get us out as soon as he can in a thoughtful reasoned way. As far as Iran, we don't know the answer to that one yet because we don't know what Iran will do. We do know that he has said that we can't allow a country like Iran to have nuclear capabilities. And we know that he'll use all the tools at his disposal, and not just military force, to do what needs to be done. I do trust Obama, but I don't believe that it's blind trust. It's trust based on many long months of reading, researching, watching and listening. It's trust based on listening to my heart when I listen to him speak. I believe that he is a man of character and judgement and I believe that he's very capable. I feel better about voting for him than any other president I've voted for in the last forty years.
June 26, 2008 9:50 PM | Reply | Permalink
I figure all you have to do is look at the results of the current Congress. Hugely depressing record of total appeasement and capitulation brought to you by the union of the neocon blue dogs and the neocon Republicans.
So will Obama go along to get along or will he risk major change. Not looking so good to me so far...
June 26, 2008 9:59 PM | Reply | Permalink
I agree. I doubt he'll do anything much different than the 2006 election brought, which is better than what 2000 and 2004 brought, but not by much. A game of millimeters, it seems.
June 27, 2008 10:17 AM | Reply | Permalink