End of the tunnel?

It may well be the case that the long-lamented Iraq War will wind down far sooner than its instigators reckoned. We have been informed violence has abated in Baghdad to the point ordinary people can be abroad in the city until late in the evenings now. Violence is no longer the norm and it appears the Iraqi army is improving in its role of keeping the fragile peace. Somehow, we imagined this would be the administration's definition of "victory" given out now that the presidential campaigns are going full tilt. To our view, this is better than some "October surprise" to spring upon the unwary candidates and jumble all messages. There's also a slight catch: troops will be withdrawn from Iraq only to carry out the renewed fighting in Afghanistan, which (more important) conflict is going poorly. Our Secretary of Defense will make his recommendations sometime in the very near future. (Is this an example of another "flip-flop?")

We are somewhat disappointed that the news-media pundits have taken over the dirt being dished between the two candidates. We had begun to believe there would be the kind of civility between gentlemen when the issues began to get as hot as approaching midsummer. Not to be outdone, the "surrogates" and the "bloggers" have added crescendo to their dirt-dishing. The polls go up and down like a fat lady's weight in a set of dieters. And the candidates themselves? Obama has been afflicted with less-than-Christian preachers whose private conversations run to the raunchy. McCain's economic adviser told us we are a country of "whiners" enduring a "mental recession." Somehow we feel less-than-encouraged as to where this wonderful country is being led. The furtive glances being given to VP nominees in either party constitute another guessing-game, all actual preludes to conventions and the important home stretch after Labor Day.

Early handicapping is a prevalent game, and the two contenders are getting weekly goings-over right about now, the percentages in a summary of polls vary by only three percentage points which swing a little wider when one side gets hit more soundly by a spread of pundits. Each of the contenders has a solid record and either one would make a good president. Since all one has to offer is his opinion, I would be unqualified to advise anyone except to give it a lot of thought, then go forth on November 4 and have your say as a good American citizen and VOTE!