re: #38 EPR-radar

OT, but an interesting example of you can’t make this stuff up:

nationalreview.com

Here we have an NRO contributor arguing that the GOP presidential candidates are being cowardly opportunists in their responses to the ‘would you have started the Iraq war knowing what we now know?’ question.

One’s enthusiasm for war must truly know no bounds if one is going to assert that starting that disaster was the right thing to do, even after conceding the point that there was no WMD threat.

I read that piece and it’s bit more complex than that. David French thinks that the answer should be “I’d have gone after Saddam Hussein, but I’d have done it differently and smarter.” He sees the media’s asking the question as intended to whip up anti-Republican sentiments while forcing current GOP candidates to disavow George W. Bush.

My own thought is that while I think French has a good argument I don’t agree with it. The nature of the modern media is such that anyone who said, “I’d have gone after Saddam, but I would have done it smarter.” will see all of the words after ‘Saddam’ cut in the minds of many people and Democrats can be counted on to reinforce that view. Doe’s matter how well the candidate phrases his reply, if the core of the answer is anything but “No, I wouldn’t have gone in.” what many people will hear is “I’m a warmonger.” Under those circumstances, George W. Bush and Operation: IRAQI FREEDOM need to be thrown under the bus.Any other tactic is just going to result in a media drubbing.