Reply #26: They played it safe [View All]

[PATRICK]

thinking to intimidate and actually repeat the easy win of 2002. It became apparent that the fun and games would start- if ever- after a GOP victory. The opposition of the military, other unfavorable factors such as israeli weakness in Lebanon. The last scandals that rocked the GOP. One can speculate about a desperate act that never happened after ALL the GOP strategies, still working somewhat, as a whole and in each part fizzled. Fortunately they never knew how bad off they were and did not really want the work and risk of doing anything new in the particular fizzle of their trying to calm Iraq(and our own military) in the Fall.

So in part, and thank God, there never was a pre-election attack plan, nor a "pretext plan that was workable, nor an Israeli action that was feasible. They were ready and provoking possibilities, but in large part treated this fall as a repeat of yesteryear, resting on the tried and true, on the laurels and the fact that everything seemed to be working- just not very well. Even had they had a crystal ball this over-confidence and habit was set in deep and the Dem response seemed predictable and wanting.

So, in retrospect, the Iran assault fell between overconfidence of the Roves and the mystery of the predictable Dem power as something that simply could not be committed to. Too hard for an incompetently run Pentagon and a military filled with critics. Too hard for the 100% political hacks trying to gleefully play their easy tricks once more.

Now lives will be saved, the "reports" and provocations will be rolled back by sheer legislative process. Iran was merely a bluff distraction, a forward offensive thrust of the chin and all too impossible as a practical strategy. It seems the divisions upstairs played a hand in that Rumsfeld so quickly fell. THAT seemed more pre-planned than any Iran invasion. The death of the neo-con empire(temporarily) seemed to be the November surprise whether the bluff succeeded or was called. Mostly due to the disaster in Iraq. Desperate acts likely were off the table as a harrowing lose/lose situation. In hindsight, the forces for peace had already won and insanity has lost its day.