Unexpected Praise
A bizarrely pro-military and pro-surge book article appears in Salon this week, in the form of Joan Walsh’s review of Thomas Ricks’ new book The Gamble (Salon’s site seems to lock people out; if you have any trouble getting to the review, just go to Salon books section and click on the review near the top). Ms. Walsh had been a long-running critic of the Iraq War and took a decidedly anti-Surge position as recently as mid-2007. She appears to remain in favor of the 16-month withdrawal plan currently being implemented by the Obama administration but, interestingly, notes her admiration for our military (and civilian) leadership in Iraq. Furthermore, while she stops short of outright claiming the Surge was the right thing to do, she seems to begrudgingly note throughout the review that it may have been the only acceptable option.
Ms. Walsh’s article is interesting for two reasons. Firstly, it shows that even the strongest opponents to the Iraq War have begun in some measure to reevaluate their thinking. Again, Ms. Walsh stops short of calling the Surge successful (relying instead on Mr. Ricks’ position of tactical victory, strategic defeat/stalemate) and does not suddenly come around to support staying in Iraq as long as necessary, but her change in thinking shows that there is a growing consensus is left-wing circles that the Surge may in fact have been our best option.
Second, it may provide some insight into the amount of influence President Obama can influence over his supporters. To a large extent, I think that Ms. Walsh’s thinking was changed by the facts on the ground in Iraq and by Mr. Ricks’ writings. However, the shift that the president has taken to somewhat more hawkish positions and an admission of success (at least in some form) in Iraq may also have influenced some critics of the war to adjust their positions accordingly. Either way, the simple fact is the consensus that the Surge was successful (in one capacity or another) is clearly strengthened. The outcome of the war admittedly remains in doubt, but the improved political situation on the homefront may offer enough time and support to achieve a greater level of success on the ground.
