All Politics May Not Be Local
Americans cited Iraq as the most important issue affecting their vote according to a most recent news poll conducted by the New York Times/CBS that surveyed 1084 adults. More Americans have come to see the war as a mistake that cost nearly $380 billion and led to the deaths of more than 2,800 Americans in less than four years.
Public support for Iraq has slid steadily and the latest polls found that only 29% approved of the way the President was handling the war in Iraq, the lowest yet of his presidency. Iraq has become a major liability for Republicans and a potential opportunity for Democrats. Among the surveyed registered voters, 33 percent said they planned to support Republicans, and 52 percent said they plan to vote for the Democratic candidate.
posted by Anonymous @ 9:25 PM
1 comments
1 Comments:
Public dissatisfaction over the Iraq war is expected to result in gains for the opposition Democratic party in Congress. Nevertheless, will these midterm polls actually affect foreign policy and what does the rest of the world think?
Paul Atwood, an American Studies professor at UMass Boston contends in his extensive essay that "war and empire are and always have been the American way of life" through how brutal expansion and imperialism have been integral to American history. Even if history does not repeat itself, with a Democratic congress, can Bush be stopped from pursuing his War on Terror until the 2008 presidential election?
Regarding the opinions outside the US, Chris Seck, staff writer of The Stanford Review speculates that while predominantly-Muslim Southeast Asian countries might be inclined to a Democratic victory for more friendly foreign policies, emerging giants, China and India, are likely to favor the status quo due to economic benefits and political alliances.
Dr. Marwan Al Kabalan, a lecturer in media and international relations at Damascus University, Syria, sheds light on the Middle-eastern perspective that the Republicans and Democrats almost concur over strategy on Iraq but differ on execution. He is also dubious of a sea change in US foreign policy on the Middle East, as he claims that exporting freedom and democracy and not appeasing dictators are also Democratic principles.
If "all politics is not local" in this election, this should be some fruit-for-thought for voters.
Post a Comment
<< Home