From a historical perspective, it would be incorrect to say that we always had it, then lost it post-World War II. The Second World war was a remarkable show of unity across almost the entire political spectrum. During much of the Cold War, though, unity was hit or miss. And in the current era, it’s spotty at best.

What’s to account for it? If we can get beyond the simplistic charges of who’s more patriotic than whom or who is the greater fearmonger that conservatives and liberals usually throw at each other, I think it may come down to the simple fact that conservatives truly see Islamic jihad as a threat that needs a worldwide military political response, while liberals truly see such a response as doing far more damage than good, and a solution lies elsewhere.

So, you’re right, in that it’s too soon to tell.

If the next administration abandons the Bush approach, then it will of course have failed. If the next administration continues this approach, then we will still be waiting to see.

(I hope I’m making more sense in my replies