how syrian opposition held together

The question of how Congressional opposition to military strikes in Syria held together is something worth a meandering look.  I mean — Speaker Boehner came out for it, and even in his weakened state this — with a Pelosi whipping Democratic loyalists in shape — would’ve been enough.  Note that Rand Paul, in Senate testimony, had said that “You probably have the votes”.  No, as it turned out, they didn’t.

But, starting with the broad opposition from public opinion…

There is, I guess, a renewed isolationist or non interventionist bloc in the Republican Party.  We will see how it holds under a Republican Presidency, and it’s curious as my guise of the local “Tea Party” gatherings in 2010 was that this was the same crowd backed by the same figureheads as the “Support Our Troops” counter-war protester protests of 2002.  It is possible that conglomerating alongside that sort of Ron Paul contingency to shake up some of this worldview.  We’ll see how much of this holds in a Republican Administration.
Next we have an implacable instant opposition to President Barack Obama as a matter of course.  It is a little weird to me that Health Care has become the party and movement conservative’s “red line” and point of permanent battle — “all traces of this must be eradicated” — but as the party gears up to do more on this score, we have an attempt to cement a prophesy into fulfillment — “Syria has weakened Obama”.  Whatever hurts Obama!
Which probably leaves Republican supporters room to wiggle, to refine to one of opposition because it’s too limited.  So we have the waffling of John McCain.  Curiously enough, we now have that odd spot where Rand Paul has quite literally come out in support of Assad, and your McCain and Lindsey Graham for the rebels (which we’re openly secretly clandestinely supporting)– an interesting split in the Republican Party I don’t think exists in the Democratic Party, which holds along the lines of “Er… no and no.”

On the Democratic side… there is a bit of a curious commentary I spotted, and wish I had clipped, had it that Democratic opposition held tightly due to redistricting following the manner the 2010 election cut off all the party’s “marginal” purple and red district held seats, bringing the party caucus down to its liberal anti-war core.  Maybe.  But maybe the added seats around suburbia and rural America would also want to find another point of departure to argue that they’re not Obama’s lackeys, and popular opposition to war in Syria works.

As everything has gone down… the question of “Who Won?” with its stated answer “Putin and Russia’s prestige is shown and US power is shown to be shaky” — becomes a bit of a  “Who Cares?”     If we go ahead and take Obama’s objectives at face value, we got what we wanted… limited though it may be.  And John Kerry — well, looking at his approval rating — Hey!  There’s still time to run for President again.  (And I guess we assume that the Kerry “thinking out loud” was purely accidental — and I personally wouldn’t be surprised if it weren’t retractable if needed signals being thrown out from prior discussions with Russia — which is not to say “Obama pre-gamed this shit” but … it’s the way of International Politics… but even assuming that gets him to new heights, he’d be caught up in a misfired “Troops are Stupid” joke before long to upend the bid.)

Leave a Reply