Didn't see the speech last night - no need to, really - but I have been asking myself a question this morning.
Is there anything Bush could have said that would have drastically changed a now skeptical public's view of the war? I see this question in three ways:
Is there anything
Bush could have said...
Or have the Emperor's clothes begun to disappear to the extent that people now see how manipulative and empty his rhetoric? Is the messenger no longer viable?
Is there anything Bush could have said...
Or have they cemented his position on the conduct of the war so solidly that he cannot shift tactics, adopt new strategies, etc. without undermining his well-crafted persona? Is he painted into a corner of his own "steely resolve?"
Is there anything Bush could have said...
They have relied on empty promises again and again, and continue to perpetuate the rose-colored glasses view. But every time they put forward a milestone - elections, transition of sovereignty, etc. - that does not result in a more stable and secure situation as predicted, their credibility suffers. They have reached a point where they cannot back down from the positive spin for fear of political backlash, but at the same time, if things are going so well, why can't we begin to bring the troops home? The tension between these two conflicting realities will only increase as time goes on. Have we simply reached a point where there is nothing further/new they can say?