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If The Surge Fails...

The Weekly Standardhighlighting the childhoodsunremarkable public servantsnew issuepretty ridiculous piece"Bush is the new Truman"
The Democrats have also given Bush a partial alibi for a possible failure--he tried, but at a critical moment they threw in the towel. This argument would be plausible enough to attract support from a great many people.
blamed Democrats
The 2008 election cannot be predicted, as it depends on too many things that can change without warning; Iraq, Iran, Korea, terror strikes anywhere, unlooked-for wins and losses; challenges and responses no one can imagine, much less strategize on in advance. What looks like smart, or save-your-rear politics in 2007, may look rather different before long.
If the surge is seen to fail, [Democats] will be the ones who made it more difficult, demoralized the armed forces, kneecapped the commander, and telegraphed to the enemy that our will was cracking, and we would shortly be leaving.

If a failure ensues, it is no longer his fault, in its entirety. Now it is his fault--and theirs.
"American Girlhoods"Isaac Chotiner