Pro-war vote in the House puts War Party on wrong side of public opinion

[bigtree]

Pro-war vote in the House just opening volley

Zachary Coile, Chronicle Washington Bureau
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/chronicle/archive/2006/06/17/MNG72JG0C21.DTL&type=politics

(06-17) 04:00 PDT Washington -- {snips}

The acrimonious debate that culminated in a 256-153 vote in favor of the pro-war measure suggests that the battle over how much longer to keep 130,000 American soldiers in Iraq will only intensify -- especially as polls show that a majority of Americans want to see a timetable for when U.S. troops will begin to return home.

But the public's patience for the "stay the course" strategy has been waning because of rising sectarian violence in Iraq and the mounting death toll of U.S. troops. The point was underscored when the House and Senate halted the war debate Thursday for a moment of silence after the Pentagon announced the 2,500th death of an American armed services member in Iraq.

But Republicans could find themselves on the wrong side of public opinion on the issue.

A new CNN-Gallup poll found that 53 percent of Americans support setting a timetable for withdrawing troops while 41 percent oppose setting a deadline. Nearly three-quarters of Democrats and 31 percent of Republicans said they backed a timetable for exiting Iraq.

article: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/chronicle/archive/2006/06/17/MNG72JG0C21.DTL&type=politics

[nolies32fouettes]

1. Think people won't 'get' the sleezy Republican move?

http://www.progressiveu.org/194600-sleezy-republican-ploy-hurting-the-troops-more-than-murtha-and-kerry-wasting-tax-your-dollars

They will if we keep telling them.

[msongs]

4. EXACTLY! if only elected dems would say it over and over!

advertising experts say one has to hear a radio ad at least 3 times before it starts to sink in.

repetition is essential.

people already believe the bush administration is acting like sadaam, american style, they just need to
have their view reinforced and validated into action.

Msongs

Can you sing?
www.msongs.com/vocalistwanted.htm

[nolies32fouettes]

9. right. And this administration has shown us how we need to do it

Or people don't hear the message.

[BillZBubb]

2. It doesn't matter.

It's not an issue that will change any votes in November. The Repugs know that. The sheeple don't care about Iraq because it doesn't cost them anything.

[bigtree]

3. these midterms are usually ruled by voters with a grudge, a negative vote

By focusing on the Iraq war and occupation (the only issue Bush and the war Party can claim ownership of) they force Americans to confront their own ambivalence about it, and their eagerness to see our troops come home. I think that there is a real opportunity to not only generate interest in the usually low interest contests with our opposition to the war, but also galvanize more of the public and force the republican's hand BEFORE we vote.

There is the other factor of our party actually addressing the issues and concerns that matter to most Americans and hammering home the fact that the $10bn a month spent in Iraq and Afghanistan could be, and should be, put to better use here at home.

[dogday]

5. I have asked before...

If the house is voting for this, and a majority of people do not want this, it means that we are not being represented anymore, and that is a constitutional crisis.....

[bigtree]

6. Only if we didn't have elections

more precicisely, if our branches of government refused to recognize each other's authority and caused our government to cease to function. Now, there are degrees and interpretations of what would constitute that . . .

[dogday]

7. Uh

I believe we have some of that happening as well... Executive branch seems to not recognize anyone's authority for oversight these days....

[bigtree]

8. like I said

interpretations, perceptions matter. The public has to buy in, and the proponent of that theory has to make certain that they aren't seen as deepening the crisis with their advocacy or they risk being accused of fostering the crisis themselves.

How that assertion is moved forward in the political debate is a tricky political matter. Gingrich's government shutdown was as close to a consensus that a crisis was occurring that I can remember in my time, outside of the obvious Watergate incident. Iran-Contra had us all worked up until the pardons. Hard to carry it forward, but not unheard of.