Thompson: Dem Takeover Of Congress Wasn't About Iraq
The Iraq War doesn't really matter to voters.
That's Fred Thompson's view, anyway.
Thompson appears to believe that the huge Democratic victory over the GOP in the 2006 midterm elections had nothing to do with Iraq.
Check out this tidbit buried in the interview he gave today to USA Today confirming his plans to run for President:
On Iraq, Thompson voted to authorize the invasion in 2002 and now opposes setting a timetable to withdraw U.S. troops. Still, his fortunes aren't as inextricably tied to the war as those of McCain, one of the war's leading defenders.In any case, Thompson argues that Republicans lost control of the House and Senate in November not because of the war but because of out-of-control spending and unrestrained partisanship. What's surprising is that Democrats didn't gain more ground, he says.
"It's been kind of a pox on both your houses," he says.
I dunno, I kind of remember the history a bit differently here. You?
Of course, Dems can only hope that Thompson really thinks this and continues to think it should he become the nominee, because not only were the 2006 elections all about the Iraq War, the 2008 Presidential election will be all about Iraq, too.
Of course, he could be saying this simply to appeal to Repub primary voters. After all, the 25 to 30 percent that still approves of Bush's Iraq war policy makes up the majority of those voters.
May 30, 2007 3:04 PM | Reply | Permalink
The likely reason that Democrats didn't gain even more ground may well have been the Repo's voter suppression conspiracy.
May 30, 2007 3:06 PM | Reply | Permalink
Hard to know if Fred really believes what he says on this. The truth is many rank-and-file Republicans have become adept at deluding themselves into actually believing the Republican noise machine's lies. Most GOP politicians should privately know better since have to hear from a broader range of constituents than an ordinary citizen, but the delusion certainly has climbed the ladder into the minds of some, or even many, politicians, too.
I'm guessing Fred realizes privately that what he said about the last election is total bullshit, and he is consciously merely pandering to the GOP base. But, hell, I also thought Gonzalez would be a better Attorney General than Ashcroft! And I'm a lawyer in the federal government! Shows what I know!
May 30, 2007 3:45 PM | Reply | Permalink
Yes, Fred. That's it. Not Iraq.
Not Iraq...
And you should pick Tom Tancredo as your running mate.
You're definitely on the right track.
"Thank God George Bush is our president." -Rudy Giuliani
May 30, 2007 3:59 PM | Reply | Permalink
The way I read it, "out-of-control spending and unrestrained partisanship" is code for that which dare not speak its name among the GOP faithful: total corruption and incompetence, of which Iraq can be seen as a subset. He's talking about problems that have some hope of being fixed, instead of the hopeless quagmire.
Given his image, I actually thought Thompson might at least be a little outspoken but he's doing the PR-speak to the max. I wonder what would happen if a GOP candidate came out for impeaching Bush/Cheney. Might be quite a shocking response.
May 30, 2007 4:11 PM | Reply | Permalink
"A pox on both your houses", absolutely.
You don't have to be a blind conservative not to see it, just an ignorant one to deny it.
May 30, 2007 6:55 PM | Reply | Permalink
DaveW "out-of-control spending and unrestrained partisanship" doesn't = total corruption and incompetence. It means $6 trillion dollar debt going to $9 trillion and attacking your opponents' as dirty hippies.
Frankly Thompson must not think his supporters know the meaning of such big words because he's been shining up his culture wars bonafides and while his
lefty bashing might not be "unrestrained" it's not making him any friends outside wingnut central.
May 30, 2007 7:42 PM | Reply | Permalink
Not only was the 2006 election about the war, but it was originally Rove who wanted Republican candidates to make the election about the war. Then, eventually, the Dems figured out that, in this one regard, Rove was right, the election ought to be about the war.
May 30, 2007 9:01 PM | Reply | Permalink