Just Torture
Question:
Why hasn't the Kerry Campaign played the "Torture Card" yet? Is it too sensitive, or are they waiting until closer until the election? The closer it gets to the election, the worse it will look, and then they won't be able to play it.
Torture in Iraq happened on THIS ADMINISTRATION'S watch. Hell, I can find an argument against the war in Iraq and an argument against this administratin in that one sentence. Shouldn't they have thrown this into the ring long ago and made it a Dubya character issue? It sure makes me wonder about him. Both he and Rumsfeld got off scott free. A lot of folks didn't like that.
Is it already too late? Are they just incompetent?
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2 Comments:
The torture question can cut both ways. It can work against the Bush administration in just the way you have suggested - that, by torturing prisoners, the U.S. loses credibility as a guardian of human rights in the world; that we put our troops in more danger because we do not follow the Geneva convention so there is no incentive for our enemies to follow it either; and that it is morally wrong.
However, it can work against Kerry as well. There are MANY people who believe that our enemies would not follow Geneva convention principles and, therefore, we no longer need to (in fact, haven't we seen just this sort of thing?); that if torturing prisoners saves even one American life, then it is justified; and that to speak of morality when fighting a war is a good way to lose it.
I think Kerry has not played this card for those reasons. He has enough with which to deal and does not need to create a softer on defense/homeland security impression. -Chuck
Good point, but I think Kerry could have made some hay with some kind of "America holds itself to a higher standard" line.
And, if you force Bush to make the "torture is justified if it saves just one American life" argument, it pushes him farther to the right and farther away from the center where the undecideds are. Not everybody believes the ends justify the means. If he makes such an argument, then clearly "ladies and gentlemen, the President just advocated torture"-- this line could win Kerry the election. Find the rhetoric to connect it to a Bush policy of breaking the law from Enron to Guantanamo, and Bush's image as a strong leader crumbles.
I'm not saying come out with it in the debate. I'm saying get your people on "Crossfire" and "O'Reily." Make it a talking point. I guarantee Bush's support of torture won't take any undecideds away from Kerry.
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