Barack Obama established his political bona fides with his early rejection of the Iraq war as a little-known Illinois state senator. And that position arguably propelled him through the 2008 Democratic primary and on to the presidency.
But now the rapidly deteriorating situation in Iraq bears almost nothing but political downside for the president. The prospect of using limited air strikes or other military intervention to tamp down an Islamist revolt will almost surely find public opposition.
The reasons? Because the war was unpopular, there are no good options, and Obama is riding a significant losing streak on foreign policy. CONT.
Peyton M. Craighill & Aaron Blake, Washington Post