Warring Campaigns: Obama & McCain Trade Blows Over Iraq
- added June 20, 2008
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Matt Lauer was in the middle of paying John McCain a tremendous compliment last Wednesday when the Republican nominee interrupted him.
"You showed enormous political courage when you backed President Bush's surge policy in Iraq at a time when--"
"May I correct that statement?"
"Go ahead."
"I advocated the surge policy before President Bush."
"Early on," prompted Lauer.
"Yes."
"Early on. You actually called for more troops way before the president."
"Yes, yes, and said the past strategy was going to fail."
This was more than McCain being boastful. His advisers believe it's a distinction that will help determine whether McCain wins or loses in November.
McCain was an early and forceful advocate of a policy that has helped turn around the Iraq war. The fact that McCain led on Iraq and did not simply support the president is one of the central rationales of his candidacy. It was his commander-in-chief moment. McCain emphasized this throughout the Republican primaries, when he scored his opponents (particularly Mitt Romney) for being insufficiently supportive of the surge, and it helped him win.
Now things get more complicated. The contrast between McCain and Barack Obama is greater than it was with any of his primary opponents, which, paradoxically, makes McCain's task more difficult. The broader electorate is much more skeptical about Iraq than those who voted in Republican primaries. A majority believes the war was a mistake, and most want to get troops home soon, if not immediately.
"You showed enormous political courage when you backed President Bush's surge policy in Iraq at a time when--"
"May I correct that statement?"
"Go ahead."
"I advocated the surge policy before President Bush."
"Early on," prompted Lauer.
"Yes."
"Early on. You actually called for more troops way before the president."
"Yes, yes, and said the past strategy was going to fail."
This was more than McCain being boastful. His advisers believe it's a distinction that will help determine whether McCain wins or loses in November.
McCain was an early and forceful advocate of a policy that has helped turn around the Iraq war. The fact that McCain led on Iraq and did not simply support the president is one of the central rationales of his candidacy. It was his commander-in-chief moment. McCain emphasized this throughout the Republican primaries, when he scored his opponents (particularly Mitt Romney) for being insufficiently supportive of the surge, and it helped him win.
Now things get more complicated. The contrast between McCain and Barack Obama is greater than it was with any of his primary opponents, which, paradoxically, makes McCain's task more difficult. The broader electorate is much more skeptical about Iraq than those who voted in Republican primaries. A majority believes the war was a mistake, and most want to get troops home soon, if not immediately.
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