judgement vs pledgement

As I mentioned below, one of the problems of the extended Democratic primary is that there's pressure on both candidates to offer pledges that will come back to bite them in the butt should they win the general election.

The prime example is Iraq. This is such an unpopular war with voters, particularly Democratic voters, that the candidates have been making ever-more definitive pledges to withdraw ALL troops IMMEDIATELY (ie within 16 months).

This is a completely irresponsible position. It's fine to declare a strategic intention and to have a sense of urgency to it, but making a promise that they will withdraw all troops under any circumstances, no matter what the situation on the ground come January and regardless of advice from their generals, is foolish.

Going ahead with that action even at the risk of humanitarian catastophe just because they said they would, is - as Ana Marie Cox points out - just the mirror image of the thinking that got America into Iraq in the first place (also see David Brooks today).

But even in the short-term of the campaign, isn't Obama missing a trick here? Hillary is the one under the most pressure to make the most extreme pledge on this, because she's trying to redeem her vote for the war in the eyes of voters.

Obama has more room for manoeuvre, because he opposed the war. He should ostentatiously refuse to make a blanket withdrawal pledge, declaring that this is the kind of a decision a responsible leader makes when in full possession of the facts, and that only someone in thrall to the 'old politics' would give a hostage to fortune on such a crucial issue. It's the perfect opportunity to turn this into a story about his judgement versus her experience.

But it's probably too late.

Comments

[Gary Sugar]

Hmm, I've been checking out your bog for a few days. So you think someone's personal judgment might be preferable to clear international law? In five years of illegal occupation, there hasn't been even one moment when it wouldn't have been better for the American invaders to get out of Iraq. Sorry, goodbye.

[marbury]

Right, that's it. Without Gary, there's just no point carrying on.