Concerned that Iraq will not be as potent an issue in '08, Democrats turn to traditional issues

[DeepModem Mom]

The Politico: Democrats turn to traditional issues
By: Martin Kady II
Oct 8, 2007

Congressional Democrats rode anti-war sentiment to victory last fall — but they are staking their success in the final months of this year’s calendar on more traditional domestic issues amid concern that the war may not be the potent political issue it once was by Election Day 2008.

With few Iraq votes expected in the next several weeks — a marked departure from the first nine months of the new Democratic-controlled Congress — Democrats are trying to build an agenda that’s heavy on health care, community policing, housing, tax reform and other issues. “Iraq has always been the 800-pound gorilla in the room, but there are other issues to deal with,” said Jim Manley, a spokesman for Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.). “We did well with our initial agenda. Now we need to move on to a broader agenda.”

But there’s another driving factor under the radar: a latent concern that Iraq may not be as favorable a political issue for Democrats a year from now, as images of brigades of U.S. troops coming home could well be flickering on American television screens....

***

...as always, polls are a factor. A majority of voters in an Oct. 3 Gallup Poll support the partial withdrawal plan proposed by Army Gen. David Petraeus, the top U.S. commander in Iraq. Meanwhile, a significant majority in a recent Washington Post poll showed that voters trust Democrats more than Republicans on health care by a 2-1 ratio, further illustrating why Democrats are pushing so hard on the children’s health bill.

“They have to diversify their portfolio. There’s no question about that,” said Ross K. Baker, a congressional expert and professor of political science at Rutgers University. “President Bush has handed them a great opportunity to unify around traditional Democratic social issues.” His veto of the State Children’s Health Insurance Program bill — scheduled for an override vote Oct. 18 in the House — is really just a starting point....

http://www.politico.com/news/stories/1007/6251.html

[BelgianMadCow]

1. " a latent concern Iraq may not be as favorable a political issue"

imagine if the dems used EVERYTHING at their disposal to end the war, and repubs would have blocked it all - then it WOULD be a viable center issue.

I agree that with the current behaviour, it is NOT a viable center issue, sadly.

[silverojo]

2. The reason it's not a viable center issue

Is because the public is disappointed with the Dems for not fighting harder against the Iraq war. Last thing you want to do is trot out your biggest failure during an election campaign....

[avrdream]

3. Very good point.

The Republicans are going to do their best to slam us in the upcoming election - they will probably use our "biggest failure" against us, knowing the way Karl Rove set things up.

[karynnj]

4. The reason given in 2006 for the Clintons et al not wanting Iraq to be be fought in the Senate

was identical to this:
"
But there’s another driving factor under the radar: a latent concern that Iraq may not be as favorable a political issue for Democrats a year from now, as images of brigades of U.S. troops coming home could well be flickering on American television screens...."

The fact is that under the current plan, the number of troops expected to be Iraq a year from now is the pre-surge number. The Petraeus partial withdrawal plan is nothing more than completing the surge and returning to "stay the course".

It is hard to believe that the issues won't be Iraq, Afghanistan and the war on terror - if we still have more than 100,000 soldiers in Iraq. This is exactly what the same people were saying in 2004. That Kerry should campaign mostly on the domestic issues and speak as little on Iraq and national security as possible - as they were Bush issues. In fact, his numbers did far better when speaking those issues than domestic issues. It is likely that the Republicans will not be able to use fear as much as they did in 2004 because fewer people are still traumatized by 911.

[DeepModem Mom]

6. This did have a scary sense of deja vu to me. We didn't succeed...

at changing the dialogue in '04, at all. On the other hand, if the GOP can manage the press in such a way that the impression Joe Citizen gets is that we're coming home from Iraq, this might be a good plan. But I'm not at all sure this strategy, if they're already set on it, is smart.

[jmp]

5. It won't be "potent" issue because ...

The Dems are in bed with the Bush administration on the Iraq war.

[Totally Committed]

8. Bingo!

They never learn.

TC

[Adelante]

7. Oh, God, not again

WHEN will they learn? I happen to think economic security is going to be huge next year, but right along side of the war, not ahead of it. The American public has not believed the Democrats will be strong enough on national security, but were getting there, and this change in direction will only stiffen that initial misperception.

[Perry Logan]

9. It's sad. The Republicans actually think they have a chance.