The American Spectator

The Spectacle Blog

Jim Geraghty notes that Team Obama doesn't seem interested in their guy touring Iraq before Election Day. Geraghty writes that this leaves Obama vulnerable to criticism, but isn't it obvious that going to Iraq would be a major political risk for Obama?

According to the Military Times poll, more than 60% of active-duty servicemen believe the US is either "somewhat" or "very" likely to succeed in Iraq. But less than 20% of them think "the Iraqi military will be ready to replace large numbers of American troops" in 2 years or less. That suggests that a sizable number of the troops on the ground think that a precipitous withdrawal from Iraq would amount to snatching defeat from the jaws of victory. Imagine if a soldier, marine, or guardsman were to express that opinion to Obama's face, in public, on the ground in Iraq.

topics:
Military, Iraq