Is there a draft in here???

The following are the after thoughts from a discussion about the possibility of a military draft in my Political Communication class:

Talk of a draft is not something you hear volleyed seriously in the main stream media or from candidates.

For anyone who thinks a draft isn't a possibility -- this comes directly from the selective service web site.

Is Selective Service issuing draft cards?
No. A card-style proof of registration is being issued, but it has nothing to do with the draft. No one has been drafted since 1973, and it would require an act of Congress to reinstate the draft.

Sounds pretty ominous to me...

With the way the war/occupation in Iraq has been progressing over the past 4+ years, a draft is a viable option (though not the one I would choose).

There is a strong lobby (both within the U.S. and abroad) to take preemptive measures against Iran. If an altercation occurs between either US or a US allies force's and Iran, it could quickly escalate into a major war. Iran is roughly the size of Alaska while Iraq is comparable to Idaho. The number of males aged 15-to-50 in Iran is slightly smaller than the total population of Iraq. A war with Iran would stretch our current military far beyond its breaking points. A draft would be necessary.

I can honestly see most of the Republican candidates instating a draft if the need be. As for the Democrats, it would be cripplingly impolitic now, but who knows, they could pull a Kerry in the clutch and advocate for an escalation that he (or she) does not support...?!?!

It was suggested in class that the Dems grow a backbone and use the '08 election to completely separate themselves from the war -- a la a band aid. Then the GOP will be stuck in a position to defend “their war.”

This sounds nice, but doesn't represent an electable platform "in the post-9/11 world". How would any Democratic candidate justify their previous course of action? Were the past 4+ years of authorization votes and billions in spending bills, not to mention the thousands of lives lost on both sides, just a goof?

I would like to think that the people of our generation would have the intuition to galvanize against such a drastic course of action. Any opposition would most likely come from a grass roots movement, not any measure of Congress (rarely voting while being young and saddled with debt makes college students diminutive actors on the political stage).

Clearly this represents a lot of “what ifs”, but I strongly believe it is something that should be discussed openly "preemptively”.