--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: What matters is that in this Iraq…" description: "\"What matters is that in this Iraq campaign that we clarify the different points of view. And there are a lot of people in the Democratic Party who beli..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0f8/george-w-bush-64_action_what-matters-is-that-in-this-iraq-campai_2837657.jpg" --- # What matters is that in this Iraq campaign that we clarify… ![“What matters is that in this Iraq campaign that we clarify the different points of view. And there are a lot of people in the Democratic Party who believe that the best course of action is to leave Iraq before the job is done. Period. And they're wrong. And the American people have got to…” quote by George W. Bush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0f8/george-w-bush-64_action_what-matters-is-that-in-this-iraq-campai_2837657.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0f8/george-w-bush-64_action_what-matters-is-that-in-this-iraq-campai_2837657.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0f8/george-w-bush-64_action_what-matters-is-that-in-this-iraq-campai_2837657.jpg) > “What matters is that in this Iraq campaign that we clarify the different points of view. And there are a lot of people in the Democratic Party who believe that the best course of action is to leave Iraq before the job is done. Period. And they're wrong. And the American people have got to understand the consequence of leaving Iraq before the job is done. We're not going to leave Iraq before the job is done and we'll complete the mission in Iraq.” [George W. Bush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-w-bush/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The speaker argues that withdrawing from Iraq prematurely would be disastrous, insisting the mission must be completed. **In simple terms:** Leaving early would cause harm; stay until done. Key Takeaway Commit to mission completion. Themes politics military policy Mood serious determined Type political motivational When to use this quote - war planning - public communication - policy debates - military operations Key Concepts strategic persistence national security Questions to Reflect On - What are the costs of staying? - How to balance commitment with changing realities? A Different Perspective Complexities of war may evolve, making original goals outdated. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Action](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/action/) [American people](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/american-people/) [Believe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/believe/) [Consequence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/consequence/) [Democratic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/democratic/) [Democratic party](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/democratic-party/) [Different](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/different/) [Different points of view](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/different-points-of-view/) [Done](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/done/) [Going Leave](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/going-leave/) [Iraq Campaign](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/iraq-campaign-3701445/) [Israel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/israel/) [Leave Iraq](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/leave-iraq-548998/) [Leaving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/leaving/) [Leaving Iraq](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/leaving-iraq-1314482/) [Matters Iraq](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/matters-iraq-3701444/) [Party](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/party/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Point of view](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/point-of-view/) ## Related quotes > [There's a fundamental difference between many of the Democrats and my party. And that is: They want to leave before the job is completed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-w-bush/there-s-a-fundamental-difference-between-many-of-the-democrats-and-my/) [George W. Bush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-w-bush/) > [It would send an unbelievably terrible signal to reformers across the region. It would say we've abandoned our desire to change the conditions that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-w-bush/it-would-send-an-unbelievably-terrible-signal-to-reformers-across-the/) [George W. Bush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-w-bush/) > [I have never solicited nor received money from Iraq for our campaign against war and sanctions. I have never seen a barrel of oil,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-galloway/i-have-never-solicited-nor-received-money-from-iraq-for-our-campaign/) [George Galloway](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-galloway/) > [John Kerry has apologized for saying those who do not study hard and do their homework will get stuck in Iraq. Now, those that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-leno/john-kerry-has-apologized-for-saying-those-who-do-not-study-hard-and/) [Jay Leno](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-leno/) > [Usama bin Laden feels like Iraq is a part of this War on Terror. He has made it clear that he would like for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-w-bush/usama-bin-laden-feels-like-iraq-is-a-part-of-this-war-on-terror-he/) [George W. Bush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-w-bush/) > [Any sign that says we're going to leave Iraq before the job is done simply emboldens terrorists and creates a certain amount of doubt…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-w-bush/any-sign-that-says-we-re-going-to-leave-iraq-before-the-job-is-done/) [George W. Bush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-w-bush/) > [Leaving Iraq without military assistance during its transition, and before it is stable enough to ensure its own citizens' security, would pose a tremendous…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doc-hastings/leaving-iraq-without-military-assistance-during-its-transition-and/) [Doc Hastings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doc-hastings/) > [I'm guessing our soldiers are happy to be leaving Iraq. It is no fun being in a country where there's crumbling infrastructure and an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-maher/i-m-guessing-our-soldiers-are-happy-to-be-leaving-iraq-it-is-no-fun/) [Bill Maher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-maher/) > [The U.S. is not constructing a palatial embassy, by far the largest in the world and virtually a separate city within Baghdad, and pouring…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/the-u-s-is-not-constructing-a-palatial-embassy-by-far-the-largest-in/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) > [ When President \[Barack\] Obama announced that he was leaving Iraq, I mean, he was talking about dates and times and what we're going to… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-trump/when-president-barack-obama-announced-that-he-was-leaving-iraq-i-mean/) [Donald Trump](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-trump/) > [I have no idea what the U.S. intends to do further there and what would be the reaction of the Iraqi people. 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Bush made the agreement about when American troops would leave Iraq, not Barack Obama.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hillary-clinton/george-w-bush-made-the-agreement-about-when-american-troops-would/) [Hillary Clinton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hillary-clinton/) > [According to recent opinion polls, a large majority of Iraqis believe that the U.S. military has no intention to leave Iraq, and that it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-conyers/according-to-recent-opinion-polls-a-large-majority-of-iraqis-believe/) [John Conyers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-conyers/) > [I leave Iraq gladdened by what has been accomplished and confident your future is full of hope.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-bremer/i-leave-iraq-gladdened-by-what-has-been-accomplished-and-confident/) [Paul Bremer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-bremer/) > [The United States Central Command of the Armed Forces has asked Geraldo Rivera to leave Iraq. It should also be noted that the only…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-stewart/the-united-states-central-command-of-the-armed-forces-has-asked/) [Jon Stewart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-stewart/) ## More by George W. Bush > [Throughout our history, the words of the Declaration have inspired immigrants from around the world to set sail to our shores. These immigrants have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-w-bush/throughout-our-history-the-words-of-the-declaration-have-inspired/) [George W. Bush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-w-bush/) > [I recognize I am essentially a failed human being in the sense that I can't possibly live up to the expectations of an Almighty.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-w-bush/i-recognize-i-am-essentially-a-failed-human-being-in-the-sense-that-i/) [George W. Bush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-w-bush/) > [We will make sure our troops have all that is necessary to complete their missions. 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