If Bush pulls out of Iraq after convention/before Nov, who do you hope Dem

[AP]

Poll question: If Bush pulls out of Iraq after convention/before Nov, who do you hope Dem

nominee is?

Imagine that the Democratic nominee is selected, and Bush knows Iraq is problem for his electability, so he pulls out. Nixon only had to say he was going to end the war to destroy McGovern's chances. Say Bush actually pulls out. (Of course, if he wins, he's invading Syria, Iran and Trinidad/Tobago in January just after the Superbowl, but let's set that aside.)

So, war's off the table. There hasn't been a terror alert or an act of terrorism in years. Soldiers are coming home to parades. Of these three, who do you hope the Democratic face is on the posters? And why?

[mlawson]

1. Edwards, no matter what.

He has the common touch, to get at the apolitical voters who will elect the president, assuming the SCOTUS doesn't. I am categorically convinced that he is the best one to go after bush, in any event.

If bush does pull them out, it wil help him, no doubt. (I expect him to pull SOME of them out, temporarily). But that is no reason to ignore the electoral chemistry that some candidates have with the voters; we need it more than ever in that case.

[AP]

3. If Bush is blowing sunshine up voters' asses next fall, and people start

feeling like there's no security threat, I'm going to want the candidate who makes people ask themselves why their kid didn't go to college three years ago, and why the rich aren't paying their share of the tax burden, and why they feel like after four years of Bush they're on the downside of opportunity.

I don't want them thinking, well, since there's no more war, who needs military experience?

[mlawson]

5. Yep. I want Edwards to ask Ronnie's 1980 question.

We all know what that was. So, the troops are partly out of Iraq, how is it that WE are better off?? Voters who believe that we are becaue Saddam is captured, would vote for bush anyway.

John simply must ask that question.

[Tinoire]

2. Kucinich. Too tired to explain tonight but Kucinich n/t

[mikehiggins]

4. Clark, Clark, Clark, Clark

It ain't going to happen. If the Shia and the Sunni's and the Kurds would just keep their mouths shut and mind their own business it might be possible for Bush to pull out the troops. It ain't going to happen.

Ayatollah Sistani has NO reason to cooperate with Bush and Bremer at all. In fact, if he can HURT Bush and damage his chances for reelection, we might see open warfare in the streets between our forces and the Shiites before June.

Sure, they're happy to get rid of Saddam but does anyone smarter than a turnip think that they don't hate and despise us for doing it? A christian crusader army encamped on their territory and calling the shots in their country JUST LIKE THE BRITISH USED TO DO? These people have LONG memories and they have NO reason to love us. They also have a lot of bodies lying around that are directly related to our liberating tendencies.

And, of course, we have put a "ruling council" in power over them that is made up of people the French would call collaborators. These are guys who have the fantasy that somehow or other they will remain in power ten minutes after the last US boot leaves the ground in Iraq.

By next November I am willing to bet good money that we will either be running with our tails between our legs or the bodybags will be coming home too fast for even Bush to spin them away. Who knows? Maybe we'll get to enjoy another hostage crisis.

And if we send our troops back in you can be sure it won't be a cakewalk, now that the Iraqi soldiers know how trustworthy our leaders really are.

This is a disaster of the first order building up over the horizon and it'll take a lot more than a buffoon from Texas to save the day. Clark, at least, has the credentials of having led the defense of a million or so Muslims in the Baltics and a lot of those folks think he saved their lives. If we truly want peace, that kind of a record can help a lot.

[Jackson Smith]

6. I like Edwards in this scenario.

[BurtWorm]

7. Dean.

:hi:

[arewethereyet]

8. you realize that this is only hypothetical right ?

there is no chance we're "pulling out" of Iraq.