D
emagogue:
A leader who obtains power by means of impassioned appeals to the emotions and prejudices of the populace.
Demagoguery:
(from Greek demos, "people", and agogos, "leading") refers to a political strategy for obtaining and gaining political power by appealing to the popular prejudices, fears, and expectations of the public — typically via impassioned rhetoric and propaganda, and often using nationalistic or populist themes.
P
olitical Opportunism:
A political style of aiming to increase one's political influence at almost any price, or a political style which involves seizing every and any opportunity to extend one's political influence, whenever such opportunities arise.
Troop Surge for an Unpopular War
Sixty percent of Americans, apparently, do not approve of sending additional troops into Iraq. Concomitantly with this,several Democrats who had been weeks ago clamoring for Bush to fight a more effective war, now are saying they won't support a surge in troop levels.
I am sometimes disappointed in my fellow Americans. I don't think that enough of them realize the importance of winning the war in Iraq. They just want the problem to go away.
Demagoging Iraq
I am more than disappointed in some of the Democrats, and Republicans, who are talking of not funding the surge. They claim they support the troops, yet it can hardly be supportive to deny our troops extra help in fighting the war.
Can you be against a troop surge and still be a person of integrity? Yes, of course, if you really believe in your heart that we should just get out of Iraq now. The problem I have is not with these true believers in withdrawal; rather, I have a problem with those who are just tired of Iraq, unaware of its importance, or who are looking for political opportunity. It's quite a coincidence that several politicians are suddenly getting so vocal against the war at the same time that Bush's poll numbers are down, and when the American people seem to be disapproving of the war. It smacks of political opportunism and demagoguery of the worst sort. The victims of it are the soldiers in Iraq, and the American people, who will be less safe if we lose the war.
Integrity, Spinelessness, Scoundrel-osity and Evil
I think in a time of war if you vote according to the most recent polls, instead of voting according to what you think the troops need, that you are a scoundrel. I think in the case of some politicians, like Edward Kennedy, that the man is just pure evil. He sees the American people want the troops out, and now all of a sudden he becomes very visible in fighting for just that. He doesn't give a fig about our soldiers, nor about America. He has only one goal, that the Republicans be humiliated and that the Democrats expand their power. He is a despicable man.
Democrats remain split in their approach to Iraq, which gives me some hope for the party. They got their Blue Dogs elected, and some of them, along with the notorious Nancy Pelosi and other realists-for-the-moment, seem to be leaning towards acting responsibly with regard to the war. I personally will be grateful to her and others like her for this sign of character. I will not forgive, nor forget, the Democrats and Republicans who are demagoging Iraq, and showing a lack of spine.
Edward Kennedy will go down in my history as the Benedict Arnold of his family.
Rock
(*Wikipedia is always my source unless indicated.)
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