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1

An election eve or election day resignation would have looked desperate, and might even had made things worse for the Republicans.

Posted by Cascadian | August 16, 2007 11:38 AM
2

Agreed. Resignation is an admission of failure. Yet another electoral manipulation by the White House.

Posted by Fnarf | August 16, 2007 11:44 AM
3

But surely if he resigned on Election Eve, there must have been discussions about it in the weeks leading up to the elections. A resignation a couple weeks before the elections could have resulted in a very different outcome for the Republicans. I seriously doubt Webb would have taken Virginia if it weren't for the fact that he could beat a drum about Iraq 24/7 for the weeks before the election.

Posted by arduous | August 16, 2007 12:23 PM
4

Hmmm.
I don't think it would have made much of a difference. Those people who didn't like the war wouldn't have made much of a SecDef resigning when his resignation letter didn't even mention the Iraq war, and Bush, etc. were still in the "the war's being run just fine" defense.
If the head guy leaves but no one says that he did anything wrong, would that really have caused a swing voter to say, "Ok, I'm back with Bush?"

Posted by torrentprime | August 16, 2007 12:44 PM
5

doubtful it would have made a difference either way. who waits until the day of an election to decide who they're voting for? people's opinions on iraq are pretty passionate and deep-felt; doubtful they could be so easily swayed in such a short time span. and those beliefs have to do with things other than just rumsfeld's incompetence, whose resignation came WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAY too late to make a difference anyway. seems rather inconsequential when the announcement was made.

Posted by brandon | August 16, 2007 12:47 PM
6

brandon@5: you'll be very surprised about the Not Into Politics silent majority that is the true arbitor of elections in this country. Elections to these people are like laundry. It's something they know they have to do, but really think it's boring and doesn't make a difference.

I don't think anyone who posts on Slog fits into this large group of people, but that group definitely exists, and had Rummy resigned at least two weeks before Election 2006, the Republicans could have very well (albeit barely) clinged to the Senate.

And what that would have done? Not sure, but I'm glad we don't have to find out anymore.

Posted by matthew fisher wilder | August 16, 2007 1:12 PM
7

I totally think it would have helped the GOP. Good thing W and Rove are such stupid fucks.

Posted by Gitai | August 16, 2007 2:15 PM
8

When first you practice to deceive ...

Posted by Will in Seattle | August 16, 2007 2:37 PM
9

Yet more evidence that Rove isn't a genius.

Posted by Orv | August 16, 2007 3:49 PM
10

After having just seen "No End In Sight" - a must-see documentary for anyone who cares about understanding how fatal the path this country has been led down - I hope to live to see the day when Rumsfeld and Bush's cadre of self-serving, delusionally arrogant miscreants and morons are tried as war criminals.

Posted by KENTUCKY KERNEL OF TRUTH | August 16, 2007 5:55 PM
11

What may have helped turn some Virginia voters against the president/toward Webb was Bush's statement a week or two before the election that he supported Rumsfeld and expected him to serve the rest of his term.

Posted by midwaypete | August 16, 2007 7:24 PM

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