Matt Yglesias had a very good item this morning, noting the “debacle” for the Republican approach to foreign policy.
[McCain had] spent, several weeks with the main theme of his campaign being, quite literally, to criticize Barack Obama for not having been physically present in Iraq recently. This (of course) got Obama to go to Iraq, thus setting up a dilemma. Either Obama would survey the “progress” in Iraq and change his position, thus making him a flip-flopper, or else he would refuse to change his position, thus making him obstinate and out of touch with reality.Over the last couple of months, the entire GOP foreign policy — the strategy, the worldview, the assumptions, the tactics — has crumbled to the point of destruction.
But instead of either of those things happening, Obama went to Iraq and Iraqi leaders said he’d been right all along! That’s about as close to “game, set, match” as you get in terms of real world events influencing your political campaign. What’s more, given the domestic situation and John McCain’s inability to talk about domestic issues persuasively, he can’t afford to play for a draw on Iraq.
The Bush/Rumsfeld policy is over. "Stay the course", which was your mantra, is dead. Bush is talking to Iran. Bush has reached an accord with North Korea. You thought you could ride 7-year out-of-date ideas into the White House. Your world is crumbling around you. You're busted.
Read on
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