Once again Andrew for all his maudlin drivel over the average serviceman ("The Proud, The Few, Pray for Them") really wants one thing. For more of his servants to die in combat so Commander Codpiece can keep his job. Dan Drezner in a TNR column points out that Preznit Sock-in-Crotch could benefit from a perception of "bold leadership" in Iraq even if the economy tanks while Iraq goes further down the road to hell.

...The latest Gallup poll shows a 54 percent disapproval rating on Bush's handling of the economy. Bush's best hope for reelection is for the electorate to focus on his leadership abilities--and one way for that to happen is for there to be trouble in Iraq.

Now, before conspiracy theorists start squealing with delight, this does not mean that it's in Bush's interest to purposely fail in Iraq. It's important to remember that Bush's best strategy for reelection remains to succeed both in Iraq and on the economy. That's still a possibility. But just as successes have unintended consequences, so do failures. And it seems more and more likely that one unintended consequence of a failure in Iraq could be a boost for Bush. If so, the conventional wisdom would end up being half right and dead wrong at the same time: Bush's chances for reelection might very well depend on the state of Iraq come November. Just not in the way everyone thinks.