Iraq's Radical Impact on American Politics

Bush’s stubbornness and unwavering support of the war shows that he believes that history will show, without doubt, that he was right about Iraq and the world will be better because of our going into Iraq. McCain’s decision to hop on board with Bush and the Iraq bandwagon shows that he too thinks the war was a good idea, that the situation in Iraq is improving, and that Bush was far more brilliant and wise than given credit for by the media and the American people. Shocking strategy considering that there’s a perception by the media elite that people are tired of Bush and the war.

There’s no question that the conflict, the often times acrimonious relations there, the intelligence, death toll of American and Iraqi soldiers and Iraqi citizens, and general situation on the ground in Iraq has drastically improved. But have we made such an exponential turnaround in Iraq that McCain has become the genius who all along was the savior the Republican Party and the country needed? Are we really voting for him based on the success we're seeing lately in Iraq? Because if so, that is a perilous road to travel down, because nobody can be sure how this war will go. And truthfully, things have turned around in an unbelievable way there – the issue for McCain is whether or not it continues through this presidential election.

I can’t understand how a man who ties his candidacy to the legs of a perceived unpopular president and an unpopular war is suddenly popular. Are the polls wrong? Are the people lying? Were the other Republican candidates just that bad? Or is McCain just that good?

All these questions are arising because many pundits are finding it difficult to explain how a man who is supposedly a lighting rod by their standards, and questionable by independents, can run a winning campaign based on what the media and liberal elite terms a dreadful war. Many are just amazed that his strategy is working and gaining momentum; just six months ago it looked like the riskiest idea in the world to place his winning the presidency on this war.

But now that it’s worked, McCain just might ride this crazy war all the way to Pennsylvania Avenue. Who knows? Certainly, not me. And it looks like nobody else will know for sure until at least November. Well, probably not then either.