NEWS: Sheehan Vigil Not Spearheading a Movement?

POLITICS: Sheehan Vigil Not Spearheading a Movement?

There was hope that Cindy Sheehan's vigil in Crawford, TX, demanding a visit with President Bush, would be the spark to start a broad-based anti-war movement that would go beyond those who have already protested the war. However, a new Washington Post/ABC News Poll suggests that Sheehan's vigil hasn't really done much to dampen support for the war beyond those who already opposed it.

Now, there are intangibles at work here that might show Sheehan's vigil as having more of an effect than the numbers show. Though it might not cause large numbers to change their mind, it might deepen the resolve of those who were against the war to protest it. There is a question, though, of whether this thing was bungled politically; did the quickness with which liberal groups such as Moveon.org embraced it make the Republican party's attacks on Sheehan as a left-winger out of touch with "real" military families stick better?

My feeling is that it's too early to see results of Sheehan's vigil, for the good or the harm of the anti-war movement, yet. But I think it's done a good thing in getting people to ask that all important question about the war: why are we there? Why are these troops dying? That question will take a while to settle in.

Pretty much everyone I know thinks she is nuts.

Your kid dying in a war will do that to ya.

Once again the right wing press has mounted a fairly successful smear campaign based on quotes taken out of context and vague insinuations.

The numbers don't mean shit.
Especially from that source.

I hear more people talking about her and hence the war in general than at any other time since.

Discourse is good.

Perhaps, but she's not helping the antiwar case acting like a nut. Also the fact that her son died does not make her an expert on the Middle East, international politics, war, etc.

Is she passing herself off as an expert on those things or just sitting around demanding to talk to the president?

Eh. It got people talking. I don't think there's going to be a "movement." Discussion's been revitalized and debate/arguing will probably heat up the next few months, but it'll settle down again, people will forget.

People *always* forget.

Iraq won't be like vietnam cause there's no draft. America won't care what happens because the soldiers dying are volenteirs. No one cares and they won't care unless iraq gets worse than it is.

This is basically it in a nutshell. I have reached the point where I don't even have much sympathy for soldiers who get killed fighting this pointless and corrupt war because they signed up for it, and at least half of them seem to just love the glory that comes with dying for their fucked up warmongering cause. If kids were getting drafted against their will to go get killed, there might be more outrage, but as it stands, there's a sucker enlisted every minute-- seems like Darwinism working overtime.

Islamists get their 72 virgins with Allah, and "the troops" get their flag draped homecoming parade with medals and burial at Arlington. Isn't war glorious?