And that raises the really fascinating question: What would a Democratic president and Congress actually do about Iraq, if (as seems likely) they win in 2008?
Individual Democratic politicians may insist that the consequences of a pullout would be less serious than many believe. But this is largely mere oratory, designed to make the Republicans look unnecessarily stubborn for continuing the war. At a minimum if we pull out, Iraq will dissolve into a chaotic civil war, in which it is hard to see how forces sympathetic to Al Qaeda could fail to prevail in the long run over such democratic impulses as exist there. Iran and Syria would feel justified in their opposition to U.S. policies, and would move quickly to consolidate their alliances in Iraq. The relatively moderate Arab countries -- Jordan, Egypt and Saudi Arabia -- would all lose serious face for their willingness to go along with the Americans, and democratic forces throughout the Middle East would be gravely weakened. The whole region would become vastly more sympathetic to the Islamist terrorists, who would simply step up their attacks on the West, including the United States.
It is hard to believe that any probable Democratic president would fail to realize the likelihood of this scenario, or refuse to act to prevent it. He (or she) might have to face down such leftist forces in the Democratic Party as MoveOn.org, but he would surely have the support of the great majority of Democrats, not to mention a chastened GOP. In any case, a very great deal will hang on the Democrats' decision.