My Confusion
This is not anger, which I've left behind; and it's not frustration--like over not getting my way. This is genuine, bewildered, I-don't-understand confusion.

Considering the reality of Iraq, how is the Presidential race even close? We were all there last year when Bush said we needed to go to war because of Iraq's WMDs. So he was totally wrong, is changing the reasoning--which people seem to be going along with, shockingly--and worst of all, he's essentially losing the war because the judgment of those who advised him about the post-invasion situation were totally out of touch. Dead plus wounded US troops are now nearing 10,000.

I can see some forgiving him the mistake on weapons if peace and democracy were at hand, or even on the horizon. I would admit I was wrong about that. And I can see forgiving the difficulty of winning a war if the reality of nuclear or some horrendous capability and plan were found, justifying such a enterprise. I would admit I was wrong about that too. But it seems to me that all we've done is replaced one bad situation for Iraq (Saddam) with another (US--insurgents battle), so that now we're the bad guys and not Hussein. Why do Americans recognize the near impossibility of achieving peace between Israel and Palestine, but think that somehow this US-Iraqi skirmish will soon come to an end?

Why do they continue to trust this President with security and foreign affairs? And, oh yeah, the guy that attacked us in the first place, Osama, is still at large and no doubt orchestrating his next move. Do you think he'll cancel it because all of his troops are busy in Iraq? It's not like Bush had gained some huge national credentials over his career that buys him some time and patience. Why are the American people not poised to send him out on a rail? Shouldn't we be seeing 70-30 for Kerry? I'm serious. What's the problem?