Make Iraq the issue? Be careful of what you wish for!

Recently, I have been hearing many liberals say 'make the war in Iraq our main issue'. Yes, the war has been a very unpopular thing for Bush. Yes, Bush's handling of the war is hitting lows in recent polls. Yes, it is an issue that most Democrats agree on.

But is this the 'end all' answer to our political problems? Far from it. While many Americans disapprove of the way Bush has handled Iraq, they don't trust the Democrats on this issue either. Lets face it, since LBJ in Vietnam, the hostage crisis in Iran in 1979, and, I hate to say, the successes of Reagan foreign policy decisions, the American public have not really warmed up to the Democratic viewpoin on foreign affairs.

Just look at Howard Dean. If the war in Iraq was the main issue, and people oppose the war in Iraq, don't you think Howard Dean would have been President, or at least leading in some of the polls right now? But he isn't. Dean is a great guy, don't get me wrong, but I support him more because of his social issues, not foreign policy.

The Democrats have a foreign policy gap and they can't deny it. In a recent CNN poll, 48% of people trust Democrats to deal with the Iraq situation. Forty percent support the Republicans. That isn't that great of a gap.

When talking about the 'War on Terror', the gap is reversed. The American public still favor the Republicans over the Democrats 45% to 41%. And the Republicans have done a good job of blending the two. Still, it is amazing how many Americans can't tell the difference between the two.

Now, on the other had, the American public support the Democrats over the Republicans over the economy 53% to 38%, a 15% gap. Isn't this the issue that we should be targeting? With more jobs going overseas, more people losing their health insurance and more Americans getting paid less for more hours worked, the Democrats could make this the election year issue.

I honestly think that our issue is the minimum wage. How can anyone be AGAINST the minimum wage. Yet, the Republicans are! This should be the issue that we target in 2006 and 2008.

The war isn't the 'end all' issue. In fact, I feel the more that we pay attention to the war, the better the Republicans do.

Again, it's the economy, stupid.