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Independents in Play

Posted by PAUL SILVER in At TMV.
Feb 10th, 2008 | Comments

David Broder writes in A Strategic Choice for Democrats

Both Clinton and Obama are now framing their campaigns as a riposte to John McCain. Clinton argues that, given McCain’s authority as a warrior and as a defense expert, her experience and toughness are essential for the Democrats to have a chance.

Obama counters with the claim that it is only by providing the sharpest of contrasts — a generational gap linked to a flat-out denial of the strategic centrality of Iraq — that the Democrats can confront McCain and hope to win.

Now this is a turn of events that can be welcomed by the entire world: A long term, public debate among our better leaders about values, ideals, strategies, and tactics. What I want to hear and see from Clinton, Obama and McCain is who is most persuasive to independents about the most attractive ends and means for the US and the World. Who’s path most reliably leads to greater security, health, liberty, tolerance and understanding.

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DLS

Right, stick to the lib-Dem game plan, as always. Nothing "independent" there.

Insofar as our enemies are concerned, hopefully both Obama and Clinton are wiser than their current people have been quoted to have said.

http://www.investors.com/editorial/editorialcon...

Don Quijote

The Iraq & Afghan occupation are expected to cost us over 170 Billion next year, not counting a half a trillion defense budget, where does anyone think the money is going to come from? We can barely afford either occupations and we have a recession coming on.

This discussion is totally irrelevant in that we can't afford the financial cost of these occupations.

PaulSilver

Don_Quijote,
I don't understand your point. Are you saying all is lost so why try?

Don Quijote

What I am saying is that we cannot afford the Iraq Occupation.

As for losing the war, it was lost five minutes after we crossed the border. We lack the ability to control the population, we are infidels in the center of the Muslim world.

StockBoySF

Hillary claims she's tough? How so when she gets weepy on national TV every time the primary vote doesn't look god for her. I hope this isn't a tactic she's going to use when talking with Putin, Ahmedinejad, or anyone else.

Paul, I agree with you- this is a great time to have a long debate about our nominees' abilities and strengths. The path to a better America will inevitably result in some discontent (and if a Dem is Pres, the Reps will be unforgiving).

Jim_Satterfield

Investor's Business Daily is hard core Republican. Predictable as Fox News. Anything in their OpEd section is as honest as the opinion pages of the WSJ or an RNC newsletter.

pacatrue

I don't think a teary eye this way or that tells one much of anything about someone's strength. I agree with the larger point that perhaps with the current campaigns, a true discussion about the road ahead for national security might genuinely occur, and that's well overdue.

DLS

Disprove the quotes rather than stoop low again.

DLS

"the road ahead for national security"

Speaking of which, I have yet to encounter anyone accuse the Justice Department and the GOP and Bush of politically timing the charging of six 9-11 terrorists and seeking the death penalty for them (to help McCain's prospects in November). I suspect that such accusations may be hurled by the more rabid anti-Bush people eventually.

Jim_Satterfield

Pointing out that it's an opinion piece from a publication that is hard core ideologically Republican is not stooping low. As far as the quotes are concerned the only thing they prove is that some very bright people think that the approach of the Bush administration isn't working and is in fact largely counterproductive. Given the facts on the ground I think that's just the facts.

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