How Can We Go Domestic After Chechnya?

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/5926893/

A good article about the state of the election and the fate of John Kerry.

Basically, IMO we have a double edged sword on our hands. Things are as dire as ever. In this I actually agree with Kerry. What you might say? Well that we have to keep our troops in Iraq for the long haul. Of course he said that in April when he thought he could win the foriegn policy battle against Bush. After the RNC, it is crystal clear that this is not the case. Point in case, Clinton before going under a life threatening surgery thought it was prudent to give Kerry advice. Domestic Domestic Domestic.

Once again re-focus your campaign on an issue you think you can win on. Well if he wins, he is going to have to at least try and live up to his promises which means one thing: He will bring troops out of Iraq. Probably the scariest proposition I have heard in a long time. At the end of the article he is quoted as saying he will try and bring a significant number of troops home within six months of getting into office. Of course he will be using all that international support that is just dying to get into Iraq. Spain? Oh yeah... oops.

This is scary in the long term and in the short term to me. This definately sets up a Spain type situation where terrorists wait to attack days before an election to impact a result. If Kerry is willing to pull out now, what would happen if terrorists attacked and he won in a landslide? I don't want to say worst case scenario... but its getting pretty close. Yikes.

Of course, the rest of the article basically outlines the Republican defense for this new tactic. The most obvious and effective argument if Kerry focuses on domestic affairs: The economy is actually doing alright. The economy is right about where the numbers were right before Clinton was elected in his second term. Its pretty decent, and even with all the troops abroad, we are actually trying to slow down the economy so that the current growth doesn't get out of hand.

I'm not even sure that Kerry understands what he is doing right now. I agree that he can't win with foriegn policy issues; however, it is even more clear to me now, more than ever, that this is where the battle must be fought. Just think about the last week. While we did reach the milestone of 1000 dead in Iraq, is their sacrifice not readily apparent with the recent attacks in Chechnya? That could be our school. That could our brothers and sisters, children and grandchildren. Our nation wept at the horrible horrible event that occured in Littleton, Colorado in April of 1999. 13 were gunned down in front of their classmates. Is it not so hard for us to fathom what it must be like to lose THREE HUNDERD CHILDREN to murderers who blow themselves up in front of the kids, shoot kids in the back, starve them for three days before they slaughter them? It could happen here, and we should not fool ourselves into thinking that we are not a prime target.

I can't say that I wouldn't do the same thing if I was in Kerry's position because after a powerful RNC, he is going to have to fight back in the next eight weeks. He is going to have to fight hard. I just hope he doesn't win.

Comments as always are appreciated.