With no end in sight, the war in Iraq is not receiving nearly enough attention.

Question: What issues aren't getting enough coverage?

David Remnick: Well invariably in American politics, foreign affairs is not the subject, even in these times, that gets the sense of urgency among the electorate.

Amazingly – the war in Iraq has been going on since 2003 – that is not the most important issue to a lot of voters. And with no end in sight, by the way, despite the so-called success of the surge. The success of these surges is entirely based on a temporary security situation. And certainly it’s had no great effect on the political ramifications of these three ethnic groups. And in Iraq that’s the unfortunate fact.

It is not easy to get the American electorate at large focused on the danger of Pakistan, or Afghanistan or what have you.  Pocketbook issues. I mean James Carville wasn’t completely crazy when he used to say, “It’s the economy stupid.”

Recorded on Jan 7, 2008