Persuasive Iraq policy could work wonders

[papau]

Democrats really need a clear position on Iraq - GOP has a methodology, Do the Democrats?

http://www.boston.com/news/politics/president/bush/articles/2004/09/07/persuasive_iraq_policy_could_work_wonders/

Persuasive Iraq policy could work wonders
By Peter S. Canellos, Globe Staff | September 7, 2004

NEW YORK -- The convention season is over and confirmed what the primary season revealed: The Iraq war is as much of a political problem for the Democrats as the Republicans.

The Republicans know what they have to do -- insist Iraq is a vital part of the post-9/11 war on terrorism -- while the Democrats are caught between insisting that it wasn't a necessary fight and yet proving their own willingness to take strong measures to fight terrorism.

There's an appearance of contradiction to the Democratic position, which Republicans have been exploiting, even though criticizing the Iraq war and fighting terrorism don't inherently conflict. But the contention of contradiction resonates because everyone knows the party is divided between full-throated opponents of the war and those like nominee John F. Kerry, who supported it but object to how President Bush has handled it.

Moreover, there are so many emotions swirling around a fight that includes American soldiers dying, American commanders being held responsible for torture, hunts for alleged war criminals from the fallen regime, and a messy debate over prewar intelligence. Kerry has chosen to offer hedged statements of regret about each development as it emerges, but they don't make for a digestible critique until he adds them up and says he would have done almost everything differently, as he did in a speech before an American Legion convention last week.

It's surprising he waited so long, since his primary-election campaign only took flight when he looked beyond the clotted nuances and started shouting at audiences, ''If you think I would have handled it like Bush, don't vote for me."

The Republicans, for their part, have been far more methodical, linking Iraq to the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks in principle and framing the facts in a way that suggests more than is actually said.<snip>