The President could energize his reelection campaign by announcing an early Afghanistan withdrawal

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I don't think that's out of the question.

When I heard that consummate liar, Bob Woodward saying he thinks the Obama campaign has something big under their sleeve, I immediately thought of him declaring an early (earlier) withdrawal from Afghanistan which would both energize the election and galvanize a wide spectrum of voters behind his candidacy.

It's not such an explosive issue that it would shock the system. His former republican ambassador, Jon Huntsman, has already called for 'reducing' the Afghan mission. He offers few specifics and appears to just be giving it lip service. But you don't see the attacks coming from his republican counterparts -- probably because they are well aware of the long-held, out-of-Afghanistan sentiment throughout America.

With public sentiment against the Afghanistan occupation running close to 60% in most polls -- and the aura of 'strength' that the White House has adopted in their hit on bin Laden and their material and operational support in wiping out the latest round of defunct dictators -- there will never be a better time for a Democratic administration to go before the public and announce an early pullback and an earlier exit.

There wouldn't be any significant blowback, except for the perfect foil of the republican candidates' bleating objections to run against. Right now, no matter how the republicans frame their Afghanistan argument against this administration, there's not a dime's worth of difference between their determination to remain engaged and the Presidents position (albeit, he actually has an exit plan).

Announcing an earlier pullback and withdrawal would be just the bold move Barack Obama needs to carry the American public with him in a second term.

[Poll_Blind]

1. And come Nov 7, 2012: Oh! That? We needed sixty votes in the Senate!

KTHXVOTE!

PB

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2. he doesn't really have any vested interest in staying

. . . his generals do.

Barack Obama would like nothing more than to get back to an uninterrupted focus on domestic concerns. He didn't run as a war President and he'd be loath to let this opportunity go by to put a lid on the occupation. Nothing about the man says that he'd like a continuing war as his legacy. He'd certainly advantage a domestic agenda with the money saved.

[TBMASE]

3. He did run on Afghanistan being the neccesary war

and where we should be focusing in the WOT

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5. that he did

It was part of his retort to a 'diversion' of troops to Iraq, away from the effort to get Osama. That was a tactical mistake on many supporters' part to not assume that the President would take that as some mandate to double-down in Afghanistan. It's just been disheartening, beyond belief.

[chollybocker]

4. Thousands of troops coming home for Thanksgiving

would certainly tug at America's heartstrings. Plus, one less month of dead American soldiers.

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6. not likely this year

. . . with Iraq drawing down. But, by the end of next year . . . no point in waiting until 2014.

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7. kick