Americans, Not Congress, See Iraq Progress
From a new Gallup Poll. The headline, of course, is: MAJORITY STILL FAVORS TIMETABLE FOR TROOP WITHDRAWAL.
But the guts of the story are telling a much more interesting perspective among the American public:
According to the poll, 43% of Americans say the surge of U.S. troops in Iraq is making the situation there better, a slight increase from 40% in late November, but up more substantially from 34% in early November. This is the most positive review of the surge Gallup has measured since it began. Thirty-five percent now say the surge is not making much difference, and just 21% say it is making things worse.
Republicans, Democrats, and independents have divergent views of the surge. Seventy-five percent of Republicans say it is making things better in Iraq, compared with 40% of independents and 21% of Democrats. Democrats are most likely to believe the surge is “not making much difference.“
Those who favor a timetable are more than twice as likely to favor a schedule of gradual troop withdrawal (67%) as they are to prefer a more immediate removal of troops (32%). All told, [only] 18% of Americans favor removing troops from Iraq as rapidly as possible.
Americans who do not assess the surge positively overwhelmingly advocate a timetable, including 76% of those who see the surge as not making much difference, and 86% of those who think it is making things worse. Meanwhile, Americans who believe the surge is working are solidly against (70%) a timetable.
Nancy, Harry, Barack, Hillary & Hang ‘Em High Murtha need to get out and talk to ordinary Americans… Oh yeah, and maybe actually GO TO Baghdad before they continue spouting off their 2006-era talking points of retreat and surrender.
-Bruce (GayPatriot)
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"Who you gonna believe, me or your lying eyes?" (Groucho Marx.) The party of defeat has drunk deep from the retreat and surrender Kool-Aid. Ergo: good news is but a momentary lull in the on-going disaster.
Comment by heliotrope — February 21, 2008 @ 8:57 am - February 21, 2008
I had to read the article to understand the numbers on those who "favor withdrawal".
It seems that nearly 40% (!) favor "keep troops until the situation gets better". Of the *remaining* 60%, two-thirds favor "a schedule of gradual troop withdrawal", and only one-third "an immediate removal of troops". That’s how they get to the conclusion that only 18% of Americans support "an immediate removal of troops".
"A immediate removal of troops" is the Obamaniac’s position. Interesting that only 18% of the American people would support him on that one. Perhaps people understand it would cause genocide, as well as a disaster for American security - the victory of Iran and of al Qaeda in Iraq.
The Bush Administration’s actual policy is somewhere between "keep the troops until the situation gets better" and "a schedule of gradual troop withdrawal". We all know the troops have to come home. We all (if we are sane) want them home. The question is, do we let them win first? It would be better not to announce to the enemy when and how we will be drawing down. But, whether we announce it or not, we will be gradually withdrawing them - as the situation gets better. Bottom line: 80% of Americans favor something fairly near to Bush’s actual policy.
Comment by ILoveCapitalism — February 21, 2008 @ 11:14 am - February 21, 2008
Also interesting is this commentary:
"[Hillary] Clinton favors a slower withdrawal, which would be complete by 2013. Thus, no candidate’s position really represents the views of most Americans, but the poll suggests that currently McCain’s and Clinton’s positions are closest to the largest number of Americans."
In other words, you have McCain and Hillary at one end of the pool and Obama at the other… but, if McCain doesn’t handle this carefully, the MSM will paint him as having an extreme, minority position anyway.
Comment by ILoveCapitalism — February 21, 2008 @ 11:21 am - February 21, 2008
One last point: A different graphic in the article reminds us that when the Bush Administration invaded Iraq and deposed Saddam Hussein… they were doing what 80%!! of Americans wanted, or considered wise. (Hmm… the same 80?)
Comment by ILoveCapitalism — February 21, 2008 @ 11:41 am - February 21, 2008
Strange off-topic question:
Is anyone else experiencing a bizarre phenomena where when submitting html formatted comments to GayPatriot in Internet Explorer causes a whole slew of blank pages to open up in your browser?
Comment by American Elephant — February 21, 2008 @ 6:25 pm - February 21, 2008
#5
I had that with Firefox last night. Once, when I clicked on the blockquote button, it went back to the GP home page.
Comment by ThatGayConservative — February 21, 2008 @ 6:28 pm - February 21, 2008
Supposedly, the majority of Americans elected the liberals to a scant majority in Congress to usurp the CIC and surrender the Iraq Theater. Therefore, I don’t put much stock in liberals telling me what the "majority of Americans" want.
Comment by ThatGayConservative — February 22, 2008 @ 12:55 am - February 22, 2008
3: "if McCain doesn’t handle this carefully, the MSM will paint him as having an extreme, minority position anyway." I’m sure he can weather that storm. He was bounced from the 2000 campaign when Bush and company essentially portrayed him as some deranged ex-prisoner of war.
Comment by Kevin — February 22, 2008 @ 2:26 am - February 22, 2008
Kevin, we didn’t portray him as a deranged ex-POW… you’re confusing McCain with Kerry -Kerry was the deranged & flip-flopping ex-military guy. We portrayed McCain as the father of a bi-racial child in robocalls in SCarolina. Get it right, ok? Gheez.
Comment by Michigan-Matt — February 22, 2008 @ 1:32 pm - February 22, 2008