WAKE THEM WHEN IT'S OVER:

Divided Democrats Concerned About 2004: Public perceptions of the Democratic Party's antiwar wing may affect the Democrats' chances in next year's presidential elections. (ADAM NAGOURNEY, 3/19/03, NY Times)

With rising intensity and emotion, the Democratic Party finds itself divided over war in Iraq. The turmoil in the party--and the rising voices of the antiwar wing--are shaping the nation's view of the Democrats as they approach a national election that could turn on the question of the country's security, party leaders said.

Officials in both parties say the image of high-profile Democrats challenging President Bush's war policy right up through his address to the nation on
Monday--and, in fact, beyond the speech, as was clear here today--could reinforce a perception that Republicans are better suited to deal with threats from abroad.

Should that happen, Democrats say, it could pose a serious obstacle for the party if the White House and Congressional contests in 2004--unlike the contests of 1992, 1996 and 2000--are fought out on issues of national security and foreign policy. [...]

Though worried, some Democratic leaders predicted that the potential war with Iraq would ultimately have little effect on the outcome of Mr. Bush's re-election campaign.

"Let's remember that this war--if there is a war--is likely to be a distant memory by November of 2004," Gov. Gray Davis of California said.

No one would be happier than we if terrorism was wiped out (from the Philippines to S. Lebanon to Colombia) by Summer 2004 and liberalizing regimes taking over in Iran, N. Korea, Libya, Syria, etc., and Israel welcoming a new peaceful Palestinian state. Mr. Davis seems to think that's all likely--do you? Posted by Orrin Judd at March 19, 2003 3:44 PM