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Home Front: Politix
Honoring the fallen
2009-10-30
From Greyhawk at The Mudville Gazette.
As the Obama administration debated resource requirements, October became the deadliest month for U.S. forces in Afghanistan since the beginning of the war. Even before the "record numbers" the president's approval ratings on Afghanistan were in free fall:

In previous polls, Obama received some of his highest ratings in relation to his dealings with Afghanistan, including 63 percent approval in April of his handling of the situation there. In the latest poll, 45 percent approve, down 10 percentage points in the past month alone, and 47 percent disapprove, an increase of 10 points. Nearly a third of those surveyed say they strongly disapprove.

How to turn the situation around? Some say more troops, some say change strategy, others say withdraw - but someone in the White House got the bright idea that now would be a good time for a photo op.
Go read it all.
Posted by:Deacon Blues

#12  In a little noticed comment the day following he stated that the "vigil" would have a bearing on his troop level decision. this is below contempt, he had the decision made and is floating wqays to make it pass muster with us.
Posted by: notascrename   2009-10-30 21:23  

#11  He's worse than Cindy Shehag. At least Cindy was related to to her son....
Posted by: CrazyFool   2009-10-30 20:19  

#10  I didn't see TOTUS. They're getting clever on hiding it
Posted by: Frank G   2009-10-30 19:31  

#9  "Obama could have gone without the cameras."

No, he couldn't, Rex.

It's beyond his capabilities. >:-(
Posted by: Barbara Skolaut   2009-10-30 19:30  

#8  Obama could have gone without the cameras. He didn't. He fully intended to use dead service personnel as his photo op backdrop. I cannot adequately communicate my disgust over this.
Posted by: Rex Mundi   2009-10-30 18:47  

#7  Agree that it was politcal photo op. He also was handed that bogus Nobel PEACE award.
Posted by: Tom- Pa   2009-10-30 15:23  

#6  It is difficult to judge a man's motives. However, judging from previous behaviors I'd say it is a photo op as you say NoMoreBS.
Posted by: JohnQC   2009-10-30 15:00  

#5  Were it any other President, even Jimmy Carter, I'd have more confidence in the sincerity of the gesture. But given the overwhelming political orientation of this man and his subordinates, I see this as one more act of media theater designed to fit in with whatever actions Anita Dunn plans to include in the communications plan for policy support. Sad that it has come to this, but I cannot believe this man has any genuine feelings for the fallen he purportedly commands and cares for, only ambition and hubris.
Posted by: NoMoreBS   2009-10-30 14:26  

#4  Richard if O, I hadn't thought of it that way, but it makes sense. So much sense that if they aren't, they probably should. It would work at least as well as the original, for exactly the same reasons.
Posted by: Glenmore   2009-10-30 13:15  

#3  Causalities, for both sides, generally increase when you try to advance. Some of our casualites have come from moving out troops into new places, but alot are because Taliban are making major thrusts. It looks to me like they are doing a mini tet offensive. If so, my question is how much longer can they sustain this drive without showing obvious signs of depletion? Please correct me if I'm way off on this.
Posted by: Richard of Oregon   2009-10-30 12:46  

#2  I'm amazed he could fit it into his schedule...what with all the WH parties and his golf addiction.

President Bush met with each of the families in private. No photos. No fanfare. No publicity.
Posted by: Woozle Uneter9007   2009-10-30 11:53  

#1  The teleprompter canÂ’t make decisions, his cabinet canÂ’t make decisions, and the Congress and Senate canÂ’t get a bill passed into law without one thing. ThatÂ’s a decision by the president. This president is unable to make a strategic decision, he is paralyzed, just like he was before when he only voted present. You see it in combat, at auto accident, during emergencies, he is like the ones frozen in fear, frozen in indecision, frozen because he knows any decision he makes will not be perfect, so no decision becomes the course of action, it may not be the course of cowards but it certainly is not the course of a leader. Now people, good people are dying because of his inability to make a decision. He has absolutely no idea what to do, so he goes to tell the fallen farewell, like he is saying sorry and making himself feel better for his indecision, his paralysis, his cowardes.
Posted by: 49 Pan   2009-10-30 11:27  

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