Did tonight's Iowa vote put an end to IWR as an issue?

[Rowdyboy]

Roughly 80% of Iowans voted for candidates who supported the IWR, while personally opposing the war. Does this put an end to the use of that vote as a campaign issue?

[La_Serpiente]

1. The issue now is not how a canidate voted on the

resolution. The issue now is how he will get our young men and women back home from Iraq.

[corporatewhore]

3. I totally agree and must add when

the sooner the better for me

[DisgustedDemocrat]

4. Agreed

[POed_Ex_Repub]

2. One thing is for sure...

It ended it in Iowa.

[The Magistrate]

5. It Has Never Been Much Of An Issue, Sir

Outside of a narrow stripe of activists.

[Rowdyboy]

7. Ah, but they have often been represented as being the voice of our party

I disagreed with the vote to go to war but I never thought it was in any way reasonable to use that as some sort of a pacifistic litmus test for potential nominees. Unfortunately, many times, we allow that "narrow stripe of activists" to select our nominee (to our detriment).

[The Magistrate]

8. Indeed, My Friend

That cannot be permitted this time, the stakes are too great. And it seems from tonight's news that the real rank and file of the Party has no intention of letting that happen this year. The people of our Party are determined to turn the criminals of the '00 Coup out of office, come Hell or high water.

"I will fight the secesh till Hell freezes over, then fight on the ice!"

[Rowdyboy]

10. I laughed out loud and then laughed some more

Indeed, "I will fight the secesh till Hell freezes over, then fight on ice..."

You sir, are most likely, A Democrat!

[BurtWorm]

6. Too early to say.

Maybe it's not such an issue to Iowa Democrats? :shrug: We'll have to see how other Democrats mark their proeferences.

[sandnsea]

9. Using the vote as a campaign issue???

Interesting choice of words. Very.

[Rowdyboy]

11. Do you not agree that the IWR vote has been used to pound

Kerry, Edwards, and Gephart into obscurity, precluding any serious discussion of their issues?

[Feanorcurufinwe]

13. But they voted for the WAR!!

[The Magistrate]

17. And Got Far More Votes, Sir

Than those who accused them of doing so did. Four-fifths of the caucus participants found that vote no reason not to vote themselves for Senators Kerry and Edwards, or Rep. Gephardt....

"Politics is not the art of the possible; it consists in choosing between the disasterous and the unpalatable."

[Feanorcurufinwe]

21. Sorry, I forgot to use

the </sarcasm> tag

[The Magistrate]

25. Bit Of A 'Friendly Fire' Incident, Eh?

My apologies, Sir.

Congratulations on your candidate's success. He is a good man, and would make a damned fine President!

[sandnsea]

19. Then we're in agreement

It has been used, pretty sadly, in many cases. It's a tough thing to come out and make accusations about, because people are dying and it's kind of a sick thing to do. But the truth is glaring and has to be said at some point.

[lcordero]

12. not by a long shot

http://www.whatreallyhappened.com/protestphotos.html

[Career Prole]

14. Sure I would have preferred it if J.K. had voted 'Nay'...

...but I've cut him some slack for the fact they Congress had the same "Imminent Threat" lie fed to them as well. What classified stuff they were privy to that the gen. public was not was doctored and puffed up by Bushco before they (Congress) saw it.

[iowapeacechief]

28. Yup--still an issue but never should have been a litmus test!

Vigorous debate pro and con IWR shouldn't end, but candidates should be judged less on that vote and more on the potential success of their Iraq exit plans. Where was Dean? Nowhere near the vote, but cutting no slack for Congress members who made tough calls on IWR.

[stickdog]

15. Yes. The Iowans who caucused tonight remotely control our consciences.

[The Magistrate]

20. Conscience, Sir?

You mean, the little voice that whispers someone might be watching?

"I am a man of principles, Sir, and chief among them is flexibility."

[stickdog]

26. No, the one that advises "Everything in moderation --

especially moderation."

[The Magistrate]

29. Well Said, Sir

My own particular vice is not that tipple, though, but rather pragmatic calculation: it is folly to attempt what cannot succeed....

"Conservative, (n); In politics, a statesman who is enamored of existing evils, as opposed to a Liberal (n), who wishes to replace these with new ones."

[stickdog]

34. The Devil you say. (nt)

[dreissig]

16. Interpreting Iowa

Later primaries will show the Iowa caucuses to be anomalous. It won't be helpful to read too much into them. One good outcome is that Gephardt, who voted for the war and celebrated with Bush in the Rose Garden, dropped out of the presidential race entirely. I'll accept that outcome as valid.

But Kerry with 37%? No way.

[Rowdyboy]

22. How dare those ornery Iowans vote their conscience

The nerve of those.....

[The Magistrate]

24. No, Sir, They Will Not Show That

They will show that the rank and file of the Party wants the criminals of the '00 Coup turned out of office, and will choose a candidate based solely on their personal calculations of which has the best chance to accomplish that, and on no other criterion.

"LET'S GO GET THOSE BUSH BASTARDS!"

[tkmorris]

31. Well, let's be realistic

People are different wherever you go, even Democrats. The issues that motivate and inspire the Democratic base in Iowa are not necessarily the same issues that matter most to Democrats in California. Or Florida. Or even New Hampshire. I won't speculate about what those differences might be, in the interest of keeping the burner on 'low', but there are some surely you would agree.

[aquart]

18. The issue is disingenuous gullibility.

The issue is not grasping what and who we are dealing with.

The issue is, good grief, if you don't acknowledge being taken for a bloody fool the first time, why should I believe you have half a clue now?

THAT's the issue.

[sandnsea]

23. We have no candidate then

Every single solitary one of them said Saddam had WMD. Kucinich said weapons inspectors had to go in the country and there's no sense in saying that unless you believe Saddam had WMD.

The entire war vote and the intelligence before the war has been twisted so far out of distortion that the whole thing is over now. Separating it all out in people's minds, which could have been done at one point, would be impossible. It's a big massive ball of lies and distortions all the way around and Bush is going to walk away clean.

And that's the way it goes when someone uses things to promote their political campaign instead of to hold someone accountable for wrong-doing.

[woofless]

27. A yes vote on IWR does NOT translate into support for the war!

Period. None of these candidates support the war and certainly not how it was rammed down our throats with fear, lies and damned lies. Please people, do not close your mind to a good candidate because of one vote in the Senate. That is just silly.

Woof

[rucky]

30. Preemption, PNAC & the Bush Doctrine are almost off the table

that's what Iraq was about. And the people don't know or don't care to know or know and don't care.

I don't see how we can really debate the neocons on this anymore without losing interest from the people who only see the two options of war/no war. It's too muddy & we should've had the debate on September 23rd, 2002 - the day after Bush announced the Bush Doctrine of preemption. Now all we have to offer is a mixed message from our side that comes off sounding like politics as usual.

Having said that, the answer is yes. IWR is a non-issue, and that's a damn shame.

[0rganism]

32. I think it's Kerry's political Judo paying off

By voting for the IWR, Kerry shielded himself from the all-too-common criticism of pacifistic "fringiness" (and if Iraq had WMDs, a "no" vote would have been political suicide). In the current context, his claim that bush misled congress into voting for the invasion will translate into a brutal squeeze play in the general, should Kerry win the nomination.

Kerry still has a tough row to hoe in terms of campaign $$, but if he wins or seconds in NH his fundraising should go through the roof. His main obstacle will still be the media image of a "french-looking new england liberal pansy", but I'm beginning to think he knows how to overcome that one. Hell, I never thought he'd win Iowa, but he pulled it off somehow.

[shance]

33. 500 Innocent Americans and countless Iraqis dying for oil matters to me

I am only hoping that life is not so irrelevant unless it directly affects some DUers.....

[incapsulated]

35. When will people learn?

Being against the war in general, which most Democrats are, is not the same as being violently against anyone who voted for IWR.

It's a losing strategy for a simple reason. Most people (even Democrats) bought into Bush's lies. They realised they were wrong and want out. Do you want to make them all feel like a bunch of idiots in both the primaries and the general? Is this how you intend to get their votes? Saying that anyone who voted for IWR isn't fit to be President is saying what, exactly, about someone who would have voted the same way at the time? That they are a bunch of fools, or worse, warmongers.

You are cutting off your nose to spite your face.

[Feanorcurufinwe]

39. Hear, hear

:yourock:

[carpetbagger]

36. Why was it an issue in the first place?

Are these guys running for Senate under a second Bush term?

As I've said before, I'd support IWR to give Al Gore the latitude he needed to force inspectors in. And except for Lieberman, if we had to do it again, I'd support the IWR for any of the guys running.

The problem is Bush.

[Piperay]

38. Agree

with you TOTALLY. :thumbsup:

[Piperay]

37. There are other issues that

are important besides who supported the war...like having a plan to end it.

[Rowdyboy]

40. kick

Now that people are awakening to reality...