While surfing the web, I came upon a blog written by Allah Pundit, a Time reporter stationed in Baghdad, Iraq. His blog was titled "Every Iraqi I know is praying for a McCain victory."

This blog was written in April of 2008. Pundit said that the Iraqi people are scared that the Democratic pullout will result in ethnic cleansing in Iraq. Pundit also said that Iraq has been seeing a lot of progress. More businesses and stores are opening in Iraq. Their economy is growing. Maybe if the troops could stay and finish what they started, Iraq could establish a democracy without fear that sectarian leaders would take complete control.

On NBC New's World Blog, blogger Karim Hilmi wrote a blog in September titled "For Weary Iraqis, U.S. election smells of 'honey promises.'" Hilmi discusses how the Iraqi people do not seem to support McCain or Obama because they are tired of feeling threatened their whole lives, either by Saddam or by the Americans occupying Iraq. The Iraqis that Hilmi talked to don't seem to care who wins the election because they feel that Saddam, the president, and the new Iraqi government have not done anything to help the Iraqi people. Hilmi says that everyone is doing the same thing--making a lot of promises but taking no action.

Whether we as Americans support a timetable for a pullout of the troops or for the troops to stay in Iraq, I believe that we should look at what is best for the Iraqi people. How do the Iraqi people feel about the progress in Iraq? America killed Saddam Hussein and demolished their form of government. Now America is trying to help the Iraqis build a new government. Everyone seems to be so focused on Obama and McCain's images and 'words' about Iraq, that they are not focusing on the people who are being affected the most--the Iraqis. Yes, America will be affected if we pullout by boosting the economy, but if we are not successful then we may be affected later by the threat of Iraq. My point here is that we are so focused on the buzz of the campaign that we are not focusing on the real issues and the actual people affected.