Ignoring Iraq: Why Has it Become the Forgotten Issue of the '08 Race?

"What if the United States were at war during a presidential election -- and none of the candidates wanted to talk about it?" Good question. It was asked by Noah Feldman in this week's New York Times Magazine. And Time is running a story this week asking: "Will Iraq Return as a Campaign Issue?"

Bush's escalation of troops is now one year old. When it was launched, we were told that the purpose of the so-called surge was to help bring about political reconciliation in Iraq. Clearly, that has not come about.

Yes, a bill designed to reverse Paul Bremer's disastrous policy of de-Baathification just passed the Iraqi parliament. But that's the first of the political benchmarks on which there has been any progress at all. And as Juan Cole explains, it's as likely to further sectarian strife as reduce it.

But the traditional media have bought into the "the surge is working" meme hook, line, and sinker. Time talks about "the success of the U.S. military surge, and "the 'good news' of the surge." And during the pre-New Hampshire Democratic debate, Charlie Gibson repeatedly tried to get the candidates to agree that serious progress has been made. "Are any of you ready to say that the surge has worked?" he all but demanded.

Along with propagating the "surge is working" myth, reporters have hit on a new way of diminishing the importance of the war: pretend like no one cares about it anymore, like it's old news. And they have the poll numbers to prove it! (And we've all seen how accurate poll numbers can be.)

The economy "is now issue of concern number one," announced Wolf Blitzer on Sunday. "More than the war in Iraq, more than the war on terror, more than health care. The economy is the highest concern for Americans, according to our most recent poll." CNN pollster Bill Schneider backed him up: "The number one issue to both Democrats and Republicans is now the economy, clearly in first place over the war in Iraq."

This finding allowed Andrea Mitchell to nostalgically trot out a moldy oldie from 1992. "Remember 'It's the economy, stupid'?" asked Andrea Mitchell over the weekend. "Sixteen years later, the candidates have finally figured out voters are more worried about the economy than Iraq or anything else."

The problem is that even if you want to go strictly by the poll numbers, they are not at all as clear cut as the media would have you believe. Turns out, for example, that the CNN poll separates "the war in Iraq" from "terrorism" -- a ludicrous division, no matter how you feel about the war.

Bush has spent over five years trying to convince us that Iraq is the central battlefront in the war on terror. And opponents of the war point out how Iraq has shifted the focus -- and precious national security resources -- away from fighting terrorism while serving as a prime terrorist recruiting tool. Any way you slice it, Iraq and Terrorism are inextricably linked.

So the CNN poll, which has the economy at 35%, would have Iraq/Terrorism at 34% -- a far cry from the storyline being put out by the media.

A CBS/New York Times poll taken around the same time found a similar result: 25% of those surveyed rated Iraq/Terrorism the most important problem facing America, compared to 23% for Economy/Jobs.

It's a vicious cycle. The candidates treat Iraq as if it's not something that needs to be front and center in the campaign; the media use cloudy poll numbers to reinforce the perception. This in turn reinforces the candidates' resolve to shove the war to the backburner. And, for some reason, Barack Obama (who opposed the war) and John Edwards (who has apologized for his initial support of it) seem as comfortable with this shrunken focus on Iraq as Hillary Clinton (whose stance on the war remains a vulnerability).

But ignoring Iraq would be a disaster for the Democrats -- whoever their nominee turns out to be. Pushing Iraq aside and ceding national security to the GOP while focusing on domestic and economic concerns is the exact game plan the party power-brokers convinced John Kerry to follow in 2004. And we all know how well that turned out.

Democrats need to start talking about Iraq and terrorism again -- and about how the war has made us less safe and less effective in fighting terrorists -- and not shut up about it until the first Tuesday in November.

Comments

[realitytrumpsbull]

I think that Iraq is basically testament to the fact that, despite all our aspirations to high-minded enlightenment and so forth, at the end of the day, might makes right. When you've got the machine gun, and the other guy doesn't, it's actually YOUR oil well, he's just standing next to it, and that's about the long and short of it. Power corrupts, absolute power corrupts absolutely, and this is one of the most corrupt administrations to roll down the pike in quite some time. I think, I HOPE, that Ron Paul's the kind of guy who'll take office and do some serious housecleaning and budget cutting in this area, he is a doctor, and all, so in theory he should be able to recognize gangrene, or in this case, gang-green, and deal with it professionally.

Today's national debt:
http://www.treasurydirect.gov/NP/BPDLogin?application=np
Astoundingly, it seems to be falling, just ever-so-slightly? Is this the 'aha' moment in Washington, perhaps? Don't hold your breath...

[belikejeanvaljean]

Talk about ignoring Iraq: if you go to Mitt Romney's official campaign website, you will find NOTHING on Iraq on his "Issues" page. Nothing - nada - zilch!! It is like Iraq doesn't exist.

How can someone run for president and have no statement about that conflict on their campaign site? How can anyone vote for a person like that? Truly pathetic.

[YankeeCanuck]

Why? Plain and simple.
The voices of reason on the subject of Iraq and on foreign policy on the Dem side, with the exception of Dennis Kucinich(currently getting 0% votes) have been forced out of the race. After having been ignored by the media that was so fascinated with the horse race: teeth, hair, eyes, whinny-- all the truly important issues.

[getoffmedz]

Dear Arianna - "Ignoring Iraq: Why Has it Become the Forgotten Issue of the '08 Race?" A really good question.

Anyone who reviews the voting record of ANY leading candidate with quickly discover why?

They are ALL responsible to one degree or the other and a NO VOTE is bullshit!

[Sundialsvc4]

We are battling a Hydra .. seeming to have many heads but all working with one mouth and one set of razor-sharp teeth. When you look closely, there is no difference at all between Repub and Demo, and likewise no difference at all at who gains the White House as long as it is "any one of these."

As we see, the Hollywood writers are not actually short of work. Propagandists simply pick one message and drown all available bandwidth with it... packing it in different wrapping-paper all the time.

But don't be taken in by this, Arianna, and don't let quite so much of the space on your web-site be filled with it. Freedom of Speech is a powerful thing, and a wisely-crafted counter message can move mountains.

[Chris1345]

I agree with you Arianna. I wish you were a MAIN political commentator on one of the big networks. We need you to keep reminding America of these facts, go on Hardball, and those shows more often! We need you!

Aside from my Arianna praise, what she says is TRUTH. Democrats need to OWN terrorism and the War as the issue they can best deal with. Not avoid it. I know it seems easy now, but unless we keep talking about it, and reminding voters that this issue is still valid, it will come back to haunt us no doubt.

[pingzing58]

Getting out of Iraq is a still one of the most important issues for me. To see it ignored saddens me because service men and women and iraqi civilians are dying every day. The loss of one human life is too many! People forget that when you put on the uniform your life is forfeit and EXPENDABLE [4. Military. (of personnel, equipment, or supplies) capable of being sacrificed in order to accomplish a military objective. –noun] But I will not subscribe to Military ideology, ethos, and practice. It is incumbant upon our democratic candidates to associate our troubled economy with the billions spent each month on our war in Iraq. A war with undeterminable goals and objectives.

[The Hedonistic Pleasureseeker]

After the Nevada and SC primaries the woman with the highest negative ratings of all . . . Wins!

The fix is in, folks, she'll ask Obama to be her running mate.

[REDSTATEREFUGEE]

Personally, I no longer opine about the human and financial cost of Iraq. After all these years, it is clear that our Little Prince will continue to enjoy having his way until the bitter end, only to be succeeded by either Hillary, who is a crypto-Repug on Iraq, or the Little O, who proclaimed his opposition to the war, only to suggest that sending in an American force to invade Pakistan in search of OBL would be a viable option for him.

It is unclear that a majority of the American people will wake up and recognize that we are an imperial power in decline and Iraq was simply the beginning of the end. When Persian Gulf states and Singapore have to bail out Citigroup, the U.S. is finished as a premier global power.

[Spitzerhopper]

Ron Paul!!!

[Jonahson]

Perhaps the situation in Iraq is such a thorny issue that even the next President would like it to remain status quo. Less spoken durng their campaign less commitment thereafter.

[NoFactsJustTruth]

I become MORE convinced EVERY DAY, Arianna, that IRAQ is the 'forgotten issue' because 'the fix is in', for SOMEONE to win.

[wmbear]

WHO GIVES THE MEDIA THEIR MARCHING ORDERS ANYWAY?...

It always sounds to me, when I read this kind of editorial, that the Mainstream Media (MSM) are somehow COLLABORATING with the Bush/Cheney war crime family. But what is the process for ensuring this kind of collaboration? Who tells whom to do what, exactly, and why do the people who set the reporting agenda FOR the media always seem to feel so compelled to "go along"?

[fantagor]

I haven't forgotten, that's for sure. Nor have I forgotten that the MSM still continues to apply the lowest standard possible for George Bush. Tony Snow actually went on Bill Maher and proclaimed the surge a success because the violence is down to 2004 levels. Yes, what a great year that was for the Iraqi people. I'm sure they all wax nostalgic for 2004, the year hundreds of thousands of Iraqis were needlessly injured or killed verses 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, all years hundreds of thousands of Iraqis were needlessly injured or killed.

This plaque should be nailed to every Iraqi wall:

"Bless This Republican Mess!"

Randy

[Meah]

Why has global warming become a non issue? You don't get votes if you mention people's SUVs?