-- not even campaign fodder.

From the article:
"So why aren’t the wars and their human and economic consequences front and center in this campaign, right up there with jobs and taxes?

The answer is very likely that the wars were wonderful clubs for Obama to beat his opponents, including Hillary, over the head with. But it is no longer of much use for that purpose. Even the war protesting rubes who voted for Obama seem very quiet about both of Obama's wars. And what was that shrill lady's name again, Cindy who? Oh yeah, Cindy Sheehan."
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Oh wait, my bad. Here is the NYT's REAL 2nd paragraph:

"The answer is very likely that the vast majority of Americans wake up every day worrying, with good reason, about their economic security, but they can opt out of the call to arms. Unless they are enlisted in the armed services — or have a family member who has stepped forward — nothing much is asked of them in the war effort."
===

So I guess the NYT believes that people only protest the war when the economy is good?

Having lost a compatriot in the siege of the Baghdad airport on 3 April 2003, I for one pay attention to the war and the toll it has taken on those called to fight it.

As for those that only cared when George W Bush was President as a wedge issue, the hell with them.

So I guess the NYT believes that people only protest the war when the economy is good?

No, they only protest the war when they dont like the guy running the show.

My brother has been to Iraq (and back, thank God) twice. He only has three years left for his retirement. Hopefully he doesnt get sent to Afghanistan.

Afghanistan destroyed the USSR with our help. Now its our turn with Iran's help.

No, they only protest the war when they dont like the guy running the show.

Maybe you missed it, but one reason Obama's approval ratings are hovering in the low 40s is because the left is furious with him for expanding our presence in Afghanistan. One reason this election is going to go so strongly for Republicans is because disenchanted Democrats are likely staying home, due to both the war and their disappointment in Obama's moderate positions (see: environment; health care).

The protests may have changed in nature given the change in president, but don't for one second think the protests have gone away.

Maybe you missed it, but one reason Obama's approval ratings are hovering in the low 40s is because the left is furious with him for expanding our presence in Afghanistan.

Yeah, that's definitely me.

To be fair, Obama has withdrawn troops from Iraq. But we've still got 50,000 or so there. I'd like to see that number come down to about 500.

Let's try some facts to stop the misery of Obama's supporters imagining his approval ratings plummet:

As a general rule go to MediaMatters.ORG homepage and enter "Obama approval" in the Search window at the top of the page, hit Enter, and see the several archived backstories as well as the latest poll measures. The whole of it is that Obama's approval ratings, (and the same whoever else that means), settled in at about 50% after two months in office and has been about 50% ever since, unchanged, despite, and refuting, many massmedia misrepresentations of approval 'falling,' 'plummeting,' 'collapsing,' 'off a cliff,' 'in the basement,' 'awful,' and et cetera. To my way of thinking it shows that Americans can take him or leave him, it's a toss-up, fifty/fifty.

--

About the non-mention of warmaking and no elections made of war, pro or con:

Republicans support war and lie to the public in order to cause war, because they make millions of dollars with Defense contracts.
Democrats shut up and never oppose the immoral Republican principle of capitalist greed, (NOT because Democrats are ignorant or spineless, but) because Democrats are immoral and blackmailed and death-threatened and also taking corrupt bribes. Some principled Democrats who refused to shut up have been murdered and 'made an example' to silence others; (JFK, RFK, MLK, Paul Wellstone, more).

Now, Obama is NOT a principled Democrat. There is evidence spelled out (at length) in a Special Report by a well-reputed world-renowned investigative reporter, Wayne Madsen. He shows that Obama was raised since age 2 as a CIA 'believer' and he might even be that fabled 'Manchurian Candidate' mind-controlled and -programmed to get in the seat of power appearing to be a Democrat and, once in office, do the opposite and be and act Republican.

(As you read the report you see notes showing that Obama is bi-sexual; that during his Chicago years he was a card-carrying member of the Northside gay club Man Country; that two gay men in Obama's Southside church publicly stated they engaged in homosexual relations with him, and were both murdered shortly before Obama's election; that a third gay man in the church (Larry Sinclair) says the same thing in his book ('Barack Obama & Larry Sinclair: Cocaine, Sex, Lies & Murder') published June, 2009, and now reports death threats and 24/7 surveillance of his life. Start googling if you care.)

Republicans could defame and probably remove Obama by publicizing the 'secrets' they (and many Democrats) know about him -- but they can't demean him as a CIA asset or dependent because, in that, he's one of the Republicans' own kind. (And, when you consider the possibility for a moment -- that Obama is CIA-controlled -- maybe you can start to make sense of the contradictory and non-understandable ways he behaves, as if he has done a complete 180-flip from his campaign image after he has gotten in office. Does it finally make sense? Is there any other view of it that makes sense?) Instead, the totalitarian-minded and fascism-favoring Republicans reprove of Obama for petty nonsense and false reasons, (no birth certificate, e.g.), and name-call and falsely accuse and misrepresent (Glenn Beck: "Obama is a racist") in massmedia -- and such protestations are not going to hurt Obama and not going to hurt Republicans: only it gridlocks government so it does not rep.re.sent and act on behalf of Americans - left, right, or center.

We, the People, are held hostage, captive, trapped in place like fish in a barrel. They, the Elected, are getting richer and getting away. Whaddaya gonna do 'bout it?

Well, first get some facts. Then pass it on. Ultimately gather the support within the system to get honest principled persons elected and prosecute corruption into extinction and establish Justice, insure domestic tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general well-fare, and secure the blessings of liberty in our time and for posterity.

Read the report massmedia hides about Obama:
Suppressed evidence showing CIA indoctrination of Obama, Wayne Madsen Report .COM, a 5-part series, Aug. 13 - 31, 2010.

There's no need to confront warmaking in order to get elected. Election winners are controlled either way.