Imagine the following Oval Office address:
”Whoops! I really screwed that one up, didn’t I? I let Bibi and Lindsey and Heggy convince me I was God. After Venezuela, the Iranians wouldn’t dare stand up to me. I would rain death and destruction on them, and they would surrender, just like everyone else. I didn’t have an exit strategy; I had a victory parade. It was all a big mistake.
Now we are stuck in a war with no good alternatives. If we escalate, the price of gas will skyrocket all over the world. Inflation will roar, the economy will cave, and countless Iranian civilians will die. On the other hand, if we just leave, the Iranians will be the masters of the Strait of Hormuz. They will be able to turn the screws on us anytime they want. That just kicks the can down the road.
Either way, you, the American people, will pay dearly for my mistake. I expect you to punish me for it in November. In the meantime, prepare to suffer for the foreseeable future, and just hope it will all be worth it in the end.”