The consensus view -- and I will say the objective one, in hindsight or otherwwise -- is that the Iraq War was "optional" and unnnecessary, and yet remains subject to alternate resolution, perhaps, with the only obstacle being a myopic president with a limited worldview and an even more limited array of intellectual tools to forge his way out.
While another, equally objective, and dare I say, rational theory, is that given the circumstances at the time the decisions were made to go into Iraq, that the war was a last resort, and unfortunately a necessary one, with a President that actually understood the big picture, and long term ramifications if Militant Islam were allowed to metastasize completely unchecked. In the latter scenario, he demonstrated leadership and a grasp of the global threat we face, that very few others understood as well, with Tony Blair being another of those few World leaders that understood the threat.
That said, the Professor (& Bt on several occasions) have referenced the prescious little attention span modern America has devolped. The "I want it now" mindset permeates this country, and despite Domer's attempt to blame Bush on that as well, has been developing for several decades now, manifesting itself in its current inpatient configuration, as is likely the greatest obstacle to our being able to deal with militant Islam, in the only way it can be dealt with.
