Wrapping up a panel discussion (10/31/10) on Barack Obama’s post-midterm political challenges, NBC reporter Chuck Todd raised the possibility that the Beltway debate on Afghanistan might change:
On Afghanistan, the Democratic caucus that will be left, you brought this up, is going to be a very liberal caucus, very anti-war caucus. This is going to be a political challenge for him like no other. And by the way, a lot of these Tea Party conservatives have all talked about “We don’t want to be there forever” in these debates…. They’re all like, “I don’t want to be nation builders.” There may be a bipartisan majority on Afghanistan in Congress, but it may be to start speeding up by the fall.
I find it rather unlikely that there will be many Republicans who will support troop withdrawals from Afghanistan. But let’s say they did. Would this affect how Meet the Press covers the Afghan War debate? NBC‘s Sunday show has tilted strongly in favor of war supporters, even as public support for the war has dropped considerably. It’s not a stretch to think that, no matter what happens in the elections today, Meet the Press will still mostly want to hear from the hawks–and only the hawks.
Yeah, and how was it that permanent war somehow did not make it as an election issue, even with a Woodward book coming out?
Tishhado the reason it was not an issue is because Obama has basically come around to Bushes way of thinking.The differences are minimal.The press will not hit at him.And the right is in general agreement.But all in all everyone wants out.It is building across the spectrum