[q]It was widely reported in the news that the numbers for any of the protest that occured were small, even for a city like San Francisco on the 3rd anniversy. During the Vietnam War, there was no need to for such a large organization to plan a protest with over a 100,000 people. Most protest could depend on the local population of a large city for the protest, there was no need for a highly cooridinated event drawing people from all over the country to produce such numbers. Since that is the case with the best numbers the Iraq anti-war movement has posted, it shows that its strength is even weaker than I thought. [/q]
care to cite those numbers? also, is 1968 not a much different year than 2006? or do you only demand direct one-to-one historical comparisons if and when it suits your purposes ... this coming from someone who denies any possible comparisons to be made between Vietnam and Iraq.
[q]In Vietnam, protest did not begin until after troops had been deployed. The focus was on bringing the troops home immediately. So to say that a focus on simply bringing the troops home cannot not translate into large numbers on the street is false. The largest anti-war protest ever held in this country were in fact conducted after several years of war with people trying to bring troops home.[/q]
it's amazing that you're using Vietnam, widely considered the greatest American failure of the 20th century, as a measuring stick. i suppose you really do view Iraq as a quagmire analgous to Vietnam, and i also suppose you've overlooked the following protests:
January 16, 2002 -- over 200,000 in Washington DC alone
October 26, 2002 -- over 100,000 in Washington DC; 50,000 in San Francisco
January 18, 2003 -- over 200,000 in San Francisco
February 15, 2003 -- sets a world record for the largest protest in human history involving millions upon millions of people around the globe including the United States
March 15, 2003 -- 50,000 in Washington DC
March 29, 2003 -- 50,000 in Boston in the biggest protest in that city since Vietnam
April 12, 2003 -- 30,000 in Washington DC
October 25, 2003 -- "tens of thousands" in various cities across the US
October 17, 2004 -- 10,000 in Washington DC
January 20, 2005 -- thousands attend counter-inaugural rallies
September 24, 2005 -- 150,000 in Washington DC, 15,000 in LA, 20,000 in San Francisco, 2,000 in San Diego
and more to come. and i've only focused on protests that i could find hard numbers for. there have been dozens and dozens and dozens more in small cities and towns across the US demonstrating that this is by far the biggest anti-war movement since Vietnam.
[q]So I guess this Monday, we will all be reading about the combined 200,000 people who marched in New York City and Washington DC this weekend. Oh, and the figure had better be from the police or other city officials, not some inaccurate pumped up figure from a protest organizer. [/q]
we will see.
[q]If opposition to the war were really as deep and widespread as you have claimed, it would have been impossible for George Bush to be re-elected President. In fact, he would have dropped out of the race 8 months in advance just like Lyndon Johnson did in 1968, as opposed to winning with the first majority for a President since 1988 and increasing his party's numbers in the House and Senate, a first for an incumbent president in half a century![/q]
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STING, i dont' claim anything. the poll numbers both in reagards to the Iraq War as well as Bush's overall approval ratings are in the cellar.
[q]George W. Bush now receives the lowest marks of his Presidency, even on fighting terrorism, a measure that has long been his strongest suit. [...] Most Democrats and Independents disapprove. Bush’s overall job rating has tumbled, too, to an all-time low in this poll. It is now 34%, down from 42% last month. 59% disapprove. The previous low of 35% came last October, one month after Hurricane Katrina, shortly after the withdrawal of Harriet Miers from a Supreme Court nomination and just after U.S. deaths in Iraq reached the 2,000 mark.
Not since November 2004 has a majority approved of the President’s overall performance.
PRES. BUSH JOB APPROVALS
Now 1/2006 10/2005 11/2004
Overall 34% 42% 35% 51%
Iraq 30% 37% 32% 40%
Economy 32% 39% 34% 42%
Energy 27% -- -- --
Ratings for the President’s handling of the Iraq war have also plummeted, to their all-time low of 30%.
http://www.cbsnews.com/htdocs/pdf/poll_bush_022706.pdf
[/q]
and that was in February!
it's also amazing that you are, again, comparing Bush to LBJ!
you've admitted much more than you think!