# If Iraq doesn't become an issue again in 2012 then what will become an issue? **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Created:** [January 10, 2012, 5:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-iraq-doesnt-become-an-issue-again-in-2012-then-what-will-become-an-issue/609059 "2012-01-10T17:22:47Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Kozmik](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/8dc957/32.png) [@Kozmik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kozmik)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2012, 5:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-iraq-doesnt-become-an-issue-again-in-2012-then-what-will-become-an-issue/609059/1 "2012-01-10T17:22:47Z")
The economy? If not the economy _then_ what? ---
**Author:** ![lieu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c2a13f/32.png) [@lieu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lieu)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2012, 5:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-iraq-doesnt-become-an-issue-again-in-2012-then-what-will-become-an-issue/609059/2 "2012-01-10T17:27:45Z")
I’d say Iran is a pretty good possibility. European debt crisis, unemployment recovery, western states uranium mining, Russian and Cuban environmental concerns from increased drilling activity, domestic pollution concerns from fracking, Arab Spring struggles with democracy, there’s plenty of viable candidates. ---
**Author:** ![Kozmik](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/8dc957/32.png) [@Kozmik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kozmik)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2012, 5:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-iraq-doesnt-become-an-issue-again-in-2012-then-what-will-become-an-issue/609059/3 "2012-01-10T17:49:14Z")
Paradoxically, _that_ was what the 2008 election was about. ---
**Author:** ![elfkin477](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a9a28c/32.png) [@elfkin477](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elfkin477)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2012, 2:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-iraq-doesnt-become-an-issue-again-in-2012-then-what-will-become-an-issue/609059/4 "2012-01-11T02:05:41Z")
How could it not be the economy? At this point I don’t think it’s even possible for a turn around that would have the issue off the table in November. ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2012, 2:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-iraq-doesnt-become-an-issue-again-in-2012-then-what-will-become-an-issue/609059/5 "2012-01-11T02:06:41Z")
This is going to be a domestic-policy election year, not a foreign-policy election year. ---
**Author:** ![Kozmik](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/8dc957/32.png) [@Kozmik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kozmik)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2012, 6:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-iraq-doesnt-become-an-issue-again-in-2012-then-what-will-become-an-issue/609059/6 "2012-01-11T06:31:03Z")
The future never happened. ---
**Author:** ![dorsk188](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/f05b48/32.png) [@dorsk188](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dorsk188)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2012, 11:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-iraq-doesnt-become-an-issue-again-in-2012-then-what-will-become-an-issue/609059/7 "2012-01-11T11:32:34Z")
Citizen’s United means this election cycle will be about lies propagated by mystery money. ---
**Author:** ![Gyrate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gyrate/32/3588_2.png) [@Gyrate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gyrate)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2012, 12:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-iraq-doesnt-become-an-issue-again-in-2012-then-what-will-become-an-issue/609059/8 "2012-01-11T12:18:57Z")
> [@dorsk188](#): > > Citizen’s United means this election cycle will be about lies propagated by mystery money. That’s every election everywhere. ---
**Author:** ![not\_what\_you\_d\_expect](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/not_what_you_d_expect/32/3246_2.png) [@not\_what\_you\_d\_expect](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/not_what_you_d_expect)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2012, 1:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-iraq-doesnt-become-an-issue-again-in-2012-then-what-will-become-an-issue/609059/9 "2012-01-11T13:07:09Z")
I’m concerned about Iran. Worried about that recent sentence of death to the American from Arizona, among other things. ---
**Author:** ![Lantern](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/d26b3c/32.png) [@Lantern](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lantern)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2012, 1:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-iraq-doesnt-become-an-issue-again-in-2012-then-what-will-become-an-issue/609059/10 "2012-01-11T13:57:00Z")
Clearly the economy is going to be the biggest issue. After that it’s hard to say. There are a whole set of national security issues of which Iran is probably the most important. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2012, 3:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-iraq-doesnt-become-an-issue-again-in-2012-then-what-will-become-an-issue/609059/11 "2012-01-11T15:13:51Z")
It’s going to be mainly about the economy. But if there is some major foreign policy issue that comes up, then that could easy take second place. If Iraq falls back into civil war, that could be a problem for Obama, even if there isn’t really a good solution. Voters don’t have to be rational. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2012, 5:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-iraq-doesnt-become-an-issue-again-in-2012-then-what-will-become-an-issue/609059/12 "2012-01-11T17:44:28Z")
> [@](#): > > How could it not be the economy? At this point I don’t think it’s even possible for a turn around that would have the issue off the table in November. Certainly not, because if there were such a turnaround, then the turnaround would become the major issue, and whoever was able to claim credit for it (almost certainly Obama) would coast to an easy landslide. ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2012, 7:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-iraq-doesnt-become-an-issue-again-in-2012-then-what-will-become-an-issue/609059/13 "2012-01-11T19:21:38Z")
> [@John\_Mace](#): > > It’s going to be mainly about the economy. But if there is some major foreign policy issue that comes up, then that could easy take second place. If Iraq falls back into civil war, that could be a problem for Obama, even if there isn’t really a good solution. Voters don’t have to be rational. Of course, if we still had the troops there like before, enduring all the same shit as before at the same expense, **that** could be a problem for Obama in November too. Either way. Like you said, voters don’t have to be rational. And sometimes, a president is faced with a problem that has no solution that does not present another problem. ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2012, 7:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-iraq-doesnt-become-an-issue-again-in-2012-then-what-will-become-an-issue/609059/14 "2012-01-11T19:22:42Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > Certainly not, because if there were such a turnaround, then the turnaround would become the major issue, and whoever was able to claim credit for it (almost certainly Obama) would coast to an easy landslide. . . . And that makes an economic turnaround impossible **why?** ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2012, 9:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-iraq-doesnt-become-an-issue-again-in-2012-then-what-will-become-an-issue/609059/15 "2012-01-11T21:20:03Z")
I didn’t say that an economic turnaround was impossible; I said that it was impossible for an economic turnaround to take the economy off the table as the major issue. Either we’ll have a turnaround or we won’t, and either way, the economy will still be the major issue. ---
**Author:** ![Qin\_Shi\_Huangdi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/f04885/32.png) [@Qin\_Shi\_Huangdi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qin_Shi_Huangdi)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2012, 3:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-iraq-doesnt-become-an-issue-again-in-2012-then-what-will-become-an-issue/609059/16 "2012-01-12T03:22:25Z")
> [@not\_what\_you\_d\_expect](#): > > I’m concerned about Iran. Worried about that recent sentence of death to the American from Arizona, among other things. If only either Obama or Romney has enough courage like Teddy Roosevelt and say “Hakmati alive or the Ayatollah and Ahmadinejad dead!”. ---
**Author:** ![Kozmik](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/8dc957/32.png) [@Kozmik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kozmik)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2012, 10:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-iraq-doesnt-become-an-issue-again-in-2012-then-what-will-become-an-issue/609059/17 "2012-01-12T10:17:09Z")
> [@BrainGlutton](#): > > And sometimes, a president is faced with a problem that has no solution that does not present another problem. Great presidents are faced with problems and then find solutions; presidents that are beyond greatness find problems and then find solutions. ---
**Author:** ![Kozmik](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/8dc957/32.png) [@Kozmik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kozmik)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2012, 6:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-iraq-doesnt-become-an-issue-again-in-2012-then-what-will-become-an-issue/609059/18 "2012-03-19T18:32:46Z")
[“The issue in this race is not the economy.”](http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/03/19/rick-santorum-economy_n_1363138.html) ---
**Author:** ![Sawyer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ce73a5/32.png) [@Sawyer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sawyer)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2012, 6:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-iraq-doesnt-become-an-issue-again-in-2012-then-what-will-become-an-issue/609059/19 "2012-03-19T18:59:53Z")
> [@Kozmik](#): > > The economy? If not the economy _then_ what? If the economy stays on it’s current trajectory, then it’s Iran closing in on Israel’s timeline to take out their nukes. This has _major_ global implications. ---
**Author:** ![Simplicio](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c37758/32.png) [@Simplicio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Simplicio)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2012, 7:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-iraq-doesnt-become-an-issue-again-in-2012-then-what-will-become-an-issue/609059/20 "2012-03-19T19:20:24Z")
> [@Qin\_Shi\_Huangdi](#): > > If only either Obama or Romney has enough courage like Teddy Roosevelt and say “Hakmati alive or the Ayatollah and Ahmadinejad dead!”. Which was followed up by Roosevelt paying Perdicaris’s ransom. And it turned out Perdicaris wasn’t even a US citizen. I prefer Obama stick to not making blustering chest-thumping statements for domestic political consumption and then giving the Iranians money. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-iraq-doesnt-become-an-issue-again-in-2012-then-what-will-become-an-issue/609059.md?page=2)