Well, I’ve heard it said that McCain is at his best when he’s flying under the radar and when he’s the underdog.

Yeah, but that only worked, I think, because his Republican primary opponents splintered the vote and he picked up whatever was leftover.

It seems clear that if there had been one major or semi-major conservative candidate instead of 3-4 minor ones, that McCain would have been hard pressed to get the nomination.

Give him credit, though. He hung in there.

I Watched the BREAKING NEWS ALERT flash on screen as Cooper set up the MCcain GAFFFFFFF only to be followed by pleasant coverage of our lord and saint Barry.

I could only watch a few seconds of OB wan FLOWBee and turn the TV off in disgust.

http://www.olbermannwatch.com/archives/2008/07/countdown_with_488.php#more

The “Awakening”, you are desparately hoping Senator McCain might have; before November.02.2008?
Well, he could set himself on fire and the press wouldn’t notice (he wouldn’t either).

Granted, he’s been running a terrible campaign (using that term very loosely).

SteveMG on July 23, 2008 at 7:08 PM

Well, I’ve heard it said that McCain is at his best when he’s flying under the radar and when he’s the underdog. Kind of a stealth candidate, that somehow appears unexpectedly and attains victory.

“The major Sunni sheik who John McCain said was protected by the surge and subsequently helped lead the Anbar Awakening, was actually assassinated by an al-Qaeda led group in midst of the surge…”

Unnamed people at MSNBC knocking McCain for his Anbar comments don’t know what they’re talking about.
It’s official, two hosts at MSNBC are just too stupid to live.

Morning Joe is coming out of his shell. It’s pretty clear who’s …

It is increasingly hard to find in the HotAir comments. The moonbats are taking over… the three comments before yours refer to Keef, Odorman, and Odorsack, so, basically, you need to get used to the 6th grade intellect that dominates here nowadays.
DaveS on July 23, 2008 at 5:23 PM

If you’re going to quote a moonbat like me get it right….”Olbersack”. I think it’s the proper derision for a guttersnipe like Olby. Speaking of accuracy, moonbats are defined as lefties crazies, not right wing crazies like me.

The “Awakening”, you are desparately hoping Senator McCain might have; before November.02.2008?

Well, he could set himself on fire and the press wouldn’t notice (he wouldn’t either).

Granted, he’s been running a terrible campaign (using that term very loosely).

“…It seems to me that it’s irrefutable that the Surge and the COIN were essential in the success of the Awakening. SteveMG on July 23, 2008 at 6:10 PM

Which “Awakening” are you referring to? The one that occurred due to “Billions for Bribes” months before the “Surge” or…

The “Awakening”, you are desparately hoping Senator McCain might have; before November.02.2008?

“…Or could the “Awakening” have taken place when the surge was announced? iurockhead on July 23, 2008 at 6:03 PM

The “Awakening” which I refer to as “Billions for Bribes” could have occurred at any time.

“Show me money GI, I kill anybody for you!”

“The Way it Was” Senator McCain doesn’t even grasp to this very day. Do you?

Why ccan’t Harold Ford be the one democrats are pushing for president? Instead the are pushing a minor league jesse jackson with serious ethics questions and he’s probably going to get elected.

I read somewhere that in Tennessee the republicans have thought they were close to getting Ford to change parties but he stays democrat out of family loyalty.

peacenprosperity on July 23, 2008 at 5:49 PM

He’s nowhere big enough a jerk to be a Democratic Presidential candidate. He’s way too reasonable.

Or could the “Awakening” have taken place when the surge was announced? At that point, the Sunnis may have realized that we were not going to cut and run (as we have done elsewhere in the past),

Good point. I’ve seen this argument made as well.

The “Awakening” accelerated once the Iraqi Sunnis realized that we weren’t abandoning the country. Why go to the US if they’re leaving? If they thought were indeed leaving, they’d try to make some sort of arrangement with AQ and wait for the inevitable Sunni/Shi’a war to really break out.

It seems to me that it’s irrefutable that the Surge and the COIN were essential in the success of the Awakening.

Wish is sometimes the father to the thought, I know.

Millions of US greenbacks in the form of bribes. When Petraeus cut off the moolla they promptly mutinied so he quickly resumed the largess!

Couple of points:

As I understand it, we were throwing around money long before the Awakening took place. Why did they turn in 2007?

Second, in addition to taking assistance from us, they are integrating into the Iraqi society. Joining the army, police and other security forces – some of which are run by Shi’a generals.

So, they stopped attacking us, started attacking AQ, integrated themselves into a Shi’a dominated government (yeah, this is iff, I admit it) all because of money?

Hmm, I’m not sold (so to speak).

BTW, dollar is rallying (finally). Long way to go, admittedly.

SteveMG on July 23, 2008 at 5:33 PM

Or could the “Awakening” have taken place when the surge was announced? At that point, the Sunnis may have realized that we were not going to cut and run (as we have done elsewhere in the past), but rather we were planning to see this thing through. Without that confidence, any attempt to defy Al Qaeda would have gotten them killed. With that confidence, they were able to stand together, knowing the calvary was coming.

“…(question: Why’d they come to us for assistance?).
SteveMG on July 23, 2008 at 5:33 PM

Answer: Millions of US greenbacks in the form of bribes. When Petraeus cut off the moolla they promptly mutinied so he quickly resumed the largess!

I say better “billions for bribes” of our now almost worthless dollars than one life, of a red blooded American Trooper!

Damn… what a sorry, despicable ditch we’re in!

I read somewhere that in Tennessee the republicans have thought they were close to getting Ford to change parties but he stays democrat out of family loyalty.

I asked (in part):
SMGalbraith: [Is it correct to say that] without the surge and the presence of the troops the Awakening would have failed or, to put it differently, not have been as successful.

Totten:
Yes, I agree. Any Iraqi involved with the Awakening will tell you that

That is, the Awakening would have been stillborn without the support and assistance of the US troops.

Obviously, one can take it or leave it.

I’m taking it.

Why did the Iraqi Sunnis in Anbar (and elsewhere) come to the US troops for assistance in taking on AQ?

Why not go it alone?

Is (or was) it just some of the Iraqi Sunni tribes turning against AQ? Or it is the Iraqi Sunnis coming to the US for help, stopping their war against us, and being integrated (broadly speaking) into the Iraqi military and security? (okay, I loaded the questions).

It seems to me the key to the Awakening was not simply the Iraqi Sunnis fighting or turning against the radical AQ but the Iraqi Sunnis stopping their fight against our troops and working with us to defeat AQ (question: Why’d they come to us for assistance?). And in doing so, we were able, at the local level, to create some reconciliation among the Shi’a and Sunnis.

And none of these latter more important changes would have happened had we not implemented the Surge which, as we know, was much more than just an increase in troops.

Who’s right? Well, putting my pedantic hat on again, it depends on where you sit.

In any event, (hat off), the success in Iraq over the past 2-3 years would never have happened had Obama been President.