Bush vs. Gore/Kerry II: The Recountening

[MadImmortalMan]

I have a hard time imagining anyone but Bush would have invaded Iraq.  It's not really the most obvious thing someone would do.

I have a hard time imagining any hypothetical electable US President who would not have invaded Iraq. It was bound to happen. If Gore didn't, Kerry definitely would have.

[DGuller]

Why? 

[MadImmortalMan]

Saddam was determined to push the issue. Eventually, he'd have pushed far enough for the security council to want to smash him.

[Admiral Yi]

I have a hard time imagining any hypothetical electable US President who would not have invaded Iraq. It was bound to happen. If Gore didn't, Kerry definitely would have.

That's nuts.

It's also very debateable whether a Democratic president would have invaded Afghanistan.

[Sheilbh]

I have a hard time imagining any hypothetical electable US President who would not have invaded Iraq. It was bound to happen. If Gore didn't, Kerry definitely would have.

I disagree.  I don't think Iraq would have happened under Gore and I think he'd still be benefiting from the post-9/11 and Afghanistan boost that would make it difficult for the right or anyone else to challenge him.

Incidentally it's worth remembering that Bush 2000 ran on the idea of a 'humble foreign policy': no more nation building and pointless intervention in far-away lands.  So the Republicans wouldn't necessarily be identified as the neo-con party without the White House. 

[Sheilbh]

It's also very debateable whether a Democratic president would have invaded Afghanistan.

That's insane.  Any President, even Kucinich, would have invaded Afghanistan.

[Admiral Yi]

That's insane.  Any President, even Kucinich, would have invaded Afghanistan.

It's very easy for me to imagine a scenario in which Gore or Kerry accept the Taliban's request to "consider" the US's request for extradition.  Then OBL slips off to another country.  No invasion.

[Barrister]

That's insane.  Any President, even Kucinich, would have invaded Afghanistan.

It's very easy for me to imagine a scenario in which Gore or Kerry accept the Taliban's request to "consider" the US's request for extradition.  Then OBL slips off to another country.  No invasion.

I don't buy it.  Besides, it's not like it was much of an invasion at first by the US - just air strikes and special forces.

[Barrister]

Saddam was determined to push the issue. Eventually, he'd have pushed far enough for the security council to want to smash him.

He was?

And remember, even in reality, the security council didn't want to smash him.

[DGuller]

That's insane.  Any President, even Kucinich, would have invaded Afghanistan.

It's very easy for me to imagine a scenario in which Gore or Kerry accept the Taliban's request to "consider" the US's request for extradition.  Then OBL slips off to another country.  No invasion.

That's insane.  Taliban was already at "dishonorable scum" level in 2001 even before 9/11, and there is no conceivable way they would've escaped heavy retribution after such an act of war. 

Invasion of Afghanistan wasn't prompted by Bush or Republicans; it was pretty much a foregone conclusion on 9/12 that we'd be there, it was just a matter of figuring out the sequence of events that would culminate in that.

[jimmy olsen]

That's insane.  Any President, even Kucinich, would have invaded Afghanistan.

It's very easy for me to imagine a scenario in which Gore or Kerry accept the Taliban's request to "consider" the US's request for extradition.  Then OBL slips off to another country.  No invasion.

This must be the stupidest thing that's ever been posted on Languish. It goes beyond Hansian in its absolute delusion. Congress would declare war against Afghansitan and quickly impeach and convict any President who refused to invade Afghanistan.

[Sheilbh]

Yeah.  I've literally never met anyone who opposed the Afghan war.  I can't believe that someone could believe that it somehow depended on the President.

[Ideologue]

I'm not gonna name-call, but it is a pretty absurd notion, old friend.

[Admiral Yi]

That's insane.  Taliban was already at "dishonorable scum" level in 2001 even before 9/11, and there is no conceivable way they would've escaped heavy retribution after such an act of war. 

Invasion of Afghanistan wasn't prompted by Bush or Republicans; it was pretty much a foregone conclusion on 9/12 that we'd be there, it was just a matter of figuring out the sequence of events that would culminate in that.

The Taliban didn't commit any act of war.  That's why Bush gave them the option of surrendering OBL instead of invading right away.

[DGuller]

But they harbored and supported those that did, a fact that wasn't lost on anyone.  Anything short of unconditional surrender to our demands would've been insufficient from them, since America was out for blood.