This is part of a class assignment at Davidson College
South Dakota U.S. Senate Race: Tom Daschle and John Thune
Opposing Views on Iraq
John Thune’s Opinion`
The challenger thinks that the conflict in Iraq has been a successful venture into the broader war on terrorism. He believes that President Bush has implemented a successful strategy to deal with the terrorism and rebuilding of the country. Thune defends the administration’s plan by pointing to Bush’s ongoing process of training thousands for military service in the Iraqi army. He believes the President is taking the correct steps in order to move this war torn country from a dictatorship to a democracy. Furthermore, Thune believes that the job in Iraq will only be finished when “we have a democracy set up…, where we have free elections, where we have an Iraqi army that is trained and prepared to defend itself. General Petras is working on that on a daily basis and the Iraqis are stepping up.” (NBC, 2004)
Tom Daschle’s Opinion
The Senator believes that administration isn't doing enough to change Iraq. Daschle feels one of the largest problems with the current situation is that U.S. troops are not getting all the equipment they need to get the job done. “I think it’s amazing to me that we’re using sandbags and plywood in our Humvees and we’re doing bake sales for body armor.”(NBC, 2004) Moreover, the Senator believes that the U.S. must create a larger international coalition. According to Daschle, these countries would help speed up the rebuilding process immensely. He further thinks that the reconstruction effort is in dire need of more engineers, security advisors, and peacekeepers.(Daschle, 2004) Nevertheless, the Senator still believes that the war in Iraq is a worthwhile endeavor. “I think we’ve got to recognize that there was more than one goal here [in Iraq]. One of the goals was to remove a threat to this country, to remove a threat to the region, to remove a person who has not only repressed and tortured his own people, but clearly posed some serious problems throughout the world.”(NBC, 2004)
Representing South Dakota
In general, the status of the rebuilding of Iraq is a much debated issue with the American public. Although nationwide there may be slightly more people who disagree with how Bush is handling the situation, because South Dakota is a pro-Bush state, I believe slightly more constituents will side with Thune on this specific issue. However, because such a large number of constituents agree with either of the candidates, I believe that each nominee is doing equally well in respect to representing their side.
Contact: Mapaddock@davidson.edu
Created: 10/15/2004
Updated: 10/15/2004