It's not just the war

I don't know how many times in the past few weeks I've heard commentators say that the last election was all about the war, essentially excluding any other factors that might have been considered. Yes, it's certainly true that the war played a significant role, but I think the dissatisfaction with Republican rule went far beyond the war. I think it became increasingly clear that Republican government was incompetent, not just in its handling of the war but of everything else. Clearly, the incompetence demonstrated in the Katrina disaster played a significant role in bringing people to this point of view. I also think that the epidemic of corruption in the Republican ranks played a significant role. Finally, I think the blinders finally came off many who had never wanted to believe that neither the President nor most other senior elected officials would mislead (lie to) the American public. Now, I think many, many people understand they were lied to repeatedly by this government. Once burnt, twice shy. Few are going to believe much of what these people say again. They are now beginning to realize that the crap about tax cuts not being just for the rich was a lie. The crap about these tax cuts being the best way to stimulate the economy was a lie. The crap about Bush being a great environmental hero was a lie. The crap about "healthy forests" was a lie. The crap about "clean air" was a lie. The crap about "no child left behind" was a lie. Now, I think that most people understand that almost everything this government has told them is a lie.

So, I don't think the election was just about the war. It was about the Republicans. Even if the war suddenly went away, which it won't, I think the distrust of Republicans would remain. Republicans who try to position themselves against the war aren't suddenly going to be trusted.