I believe that this will hurt Trump's chances of re-election.

[yardwork]

There is a faction of Americans - on both the left and right - who tolerated/kind of liked Trump because they believed that he was anti-war. Lefties who believed that Hillary was a bigger hawk, conservatives who care only about the stock market, etc. There are millions of these people, and they vote, and they're suddenly very upset with Trump.

The Republican politicians, white evangelicals, and racist right-wingers will trot out the party line in the days and weeks to come. Trump has their full support and nothing will budge them. However, Trump just lost support among a group of people who now have a very good reason to vote against him, even if they don't particularly like the Democratic candidate.

This was a stupid move on many, many levels. None of us know what this will lead to or what the consequences will be for our nation. I'm certain, though, that one consequence is fewer people supporting/tolerating Trump.

[Joinfortmill]

1. I think you are right.

[yardwork]

6. I hope we're right!

[Thekaspervote]

2. Me too! Twitter is a buzz with praise for Joe Biden following his statement

Let’s show the squatter the door

[yardwork]

7. Good to hear!

[moondust]

3. Tend to agree.

Dump has been into advertising for a long time. If there is one thing he has figured out how to do it is to tell his audience what they want to hear at any given point in time. They never figured out that nothing he says actually means anything; it's just advertising. Now the guy who has told them again and again that he wants to get out of the wars in the Middle East may have started the biggest war there yet. This will be a wake-up call for some but too soon to tell how many.

[yardwork]

8. I notice that his messaging has changed this afternoon.

I don't think it will work, especially with the lefties I know who assumed Trump was a dove.

[VOX]

4. It ALL depends on the willingness of swing-state voters to break from 45.

They’re the ones (along with Vlad & Co.) who gave him those strategic 80,000 votes in 2016.

Unfortunately, the 2020 election will be decided in the usual swing states, particularly those in the Rust Belt.

[Amimnoch]

5. Yep.

Sad as it may be, those are the only states that actually count in the POTUS race.

[yardwork]

9. The white evangelicals are his most important supporters.

They like Trump because they're racist, and they'll like this latest move because End Times.

[gratuitous]

10. I am somewhat encouraged by the initial coverage

Thinking back to 2002-2003, one of the most infuriating things about Bush's march to war and invasion was the seeming unanimity of the media outlets that war was totally necessary. Even the so-called doves sighed heavily and conceded that there was really no choice. Dissenters and protesters were discounted as focus groups or superannuated hippies or dupes or terrorist lovers or America haters who didn't support the troops.

This time around there appears to be some skepticism. The Trump administration doesn't do that whole press relations thing, so it's difficult to see if any of the hard questions are going to be asked of administration officials. But at the very least, we're starting things off with less credulity and more realism.

[yardwork]

13. I've noticed the same. I remember 2003 very well.

I agree that this is very different. I hope the skepticism survives whatever Iran is planning next.

[rockfordfile]

11. I think Americans are on to the lies from Middle east bs. Particularly from a right-winger.

[yardwork]

14. I hope so.

[spanone]

12. file under: Promises Unkept

[yardwork]

15. Yep!