It seems to me that the ease with which the US-led coalition won the Persian Gulf War in 1991, smashing the entire Iraqi military and liberating Kuwait with the loss of less than 200 men, had a profound impact on American attitudes in foreign policy in the subsequent years. There was a ready willingness to use military force in Somalia, the Balkans, and other places and a hyper-sensitivity to casualties.
What if the Persian Gulf War had been more difficult and costly for the US-led coalition? With the result being more or less the same - Iraqi forces being driven from Kuwait - what if the fighting had stretched into May, seen some tactical successes on the part of the Iraqis, and resulted in 2,000 Americans dead and 10,000 Americans wounded? What impact would this have had on American politics and foreign policy?