By flip-flopping on the Vietnam analogy, Bush is playing the opening gambit in the talking points war over Iraq coming in September.
Consider the following logic:
The most powerful argument against staying in Iraq is the comparison to Vietnam. (IRAQ = VIETNAM)
The White House needs a way to refute this argument in the minds of the American public.
Therefore, Bush embraces the comparison, but turns it on its head, saying the real lesson of Vietnam is that we left too soon.
The quickest way for the opposition to respond is to deny the comparison to Vietnam. (IRAQ != VIETNAM)
Whoops.
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