The GOP is torn by conflicting visions of the U.S. presence in Afghanistan.



Former U.S. Republican presidential candidate Texas Governor Rick Perry poses with a photo cut-out of an American soldier, serving in Afghanistan, while campaigning at the Iowa State Fair / Reuters

For Republicans, there are two Afghanistan wars. There is Afghanistan the good war and there is Afghanistan the bad war. Dueling visions of the conflict compete for the conservative soul, but it's the bad war image that is growing in prominence.

The first narrative sees Afghanistan as the good war. Just as we were attacked at Pearl Harbor in 1941 and rallied to defeat the enemy, so we were struck on 9/11 and should stay the course to crush evil. Add to this a reflexive Republican instinct to support the troops, and the war becomes a test of our commitment and resolve. When the flag is planted the United States should fight to win. This narrative of the good war allows Republicans to attack Obama as weak on defense for drawing down U.S. forces in Afghanistan--a traditional election year strategy against Democrats.

Karl Rove and Ed Gillespie argued in Foreign Policy that the Republican nominee should focus on "the struggle that will define this century's arc: radical Islamic terrorism." The objective was "victory" requiring the use of "all tools of influence--from diplomacy to economic ties, from intelligence efforts to military action." Republicans "must condemn the president's precipitous drawdown in Afghanistan," which "emboldens America's adversaries and discourages its allies."