Originally Posted by baloney_detector

Somehow I doubt that the Bush Administration will worry too much about US public opinion on this matter since I think they realize that there is already little chance that the Republican Party will win the next election, if you know what I mean.

And, if you look at the Republican contenders for the next election, the bulk of these politicians also agree with the US taking a very strong stance against Iran's activities and regime.

So, I think the Republican Party has already calculated that they could live with losing the next election as long as the US continues its policy of transforming the Middle East...even if this means the outcome of such a war with Iran potentially falls on the shoulders of a Democrat Administration.

(This is also the reason why such a war will occur before the next election.)

And, if you ask me, Iran's activities in the Middle East has been one of the primary reasons for Middle East discomfort since 1979...perhaps more than any other influencing agent. Take out Iran's regime, enable her population to become a much more secular democracy (which is very likely to happen if her regime collapses), and there will potentially be a very long-lasting and hopeful future for peace in the Middle East. Surely there will be Shiite fundamentalist outcry as the result of such a war. But, their primary benefactor will be eliminated. And, Al-Qaeda elements will be further marginalized due to the democratic rise of the Shiite in the Persian Gulf region.