Obama makes a big move

I was going to write about Hillary Clinton’s interesting and somewhat impressive performance in Iowa this past weekend. Though I was not really satisfied with her Kerryesque repudiation of her vote for the Iraq war, I will give the Senator credit for channeling Oprah’s warmth and charm during her town-hall like session with regular Iowa folk.

Anyhow, I WAS going to write about that, but Barack Obama has just dropped a bombshell too big to ignore. If you haven’t read about his proposed legislation by now, let me fill you in. In a nutshell, Obama has drafted binding legislation that would remove all American forces from Iraq by March of 2008. Now before I get into what I see as the political brilliance of this move, I would first like to comment on a more emotional and objective level.

This is the right course of action to take. In fact, it’s the only logical course of action left for us to take. The American military presence in Iraq must end, whether the Iraqi government has met its so-called benchmarks or not. The White House argues that our soldiers are the only things keeping the country from tearing apart, but this argument simply does not hold up. The country is already tearing itself apart. It is in the midst of a civil war, and our military is no more effective at preventing regional bloodshed than other foreign forces that have inserted themselves in similar situations. It is also worth considering the possibility that the American military presence in Iraq serves as a catalyst for the violence between the factions. Though it seems unlikely at this point, perhaps less young Iraqi males will be motivated to continue in the violence when American troops are no longer available as targets.

From a political standpoint, Obama’s move is gutsy and deals a devastating blow to his opponents. He has just positioned himself as the first politician to really listen to what the majority of the American people want done! Forget Hillary Clinton’s wistful tone of regret, Obama is painting himself as the only man in Washington with the fortitude to actually try do something meaningful to stop the madness.

The rest of the Democratic field is going to be playing catch up for weeks on this move. It clearly hurts Clinton the most; just as she positions herself as a solid opponent of the war, Obama raises the bar into the stratosphere. Now Hillary and the other Democrats need to demonstrate that they-too are stopping at nothing to bring the war to an end! Unfortunately for them, no matter how hard they run, they will never come close to overtaking the frontrunner on this new playing field.

This move will also put Republican candidates in a bind. Though there is almost universal support for ending this war on the left, on the right opinion is split. Obama has now drawn a clear line in the sand, and the time for playing all sides of the issue may be coming to an end. On the one side stands common sense and the majority of the American people, and on the other George Bush, Dick Cheney, and a strategy that is absurd. It’s a no-win situation. Candidates who side with the White House (as McCain will have no choice but to do), will find themselves in the unenviable position of being a neo-con ally. Those who go to the other side will undoubtedly alienate those who remain faithful to the President.

Most importantly, Obama has positioned himself as a decisive leader at a time when over half of American’s wish the current one would just go away. He’s offering the American people relief from the blunders of our current administration two years before the hand-over of power.

My enthusiasm over this development is tempered by the reality that this bill will never pass. And even if it does, the President will surely veto it. But that may not matter. A real date for withdrawal has been introduced into the debate by a man who is dead-serious about leading this country. And for a while to come, March 2008 is going to be on the back of everyone’s mind.