Decisions, Decisions

An AP/Ipsos poll was recently released showing a 57% majority feel that staying in Iraq until the job is done is the correct approach. Only 36% felt that immediate withdrawal was appropriate. The 57% is a strong majority, but is down from 71% a year ago.

Something I find interesting shows up later in the story. We learn that 49% of Americans feel that the war was a mistake, which is an improvement from August (53%) but a much larger percentage than a year ago (34%).

Here's what I don't understand. A year ago the situation in Iraq was even less certain and more perilous than it is now. The Iraqi military and police were much less developed. None of the three successful votes in Iraq had taken place. The Iraqis had not ratified a constitution. The border with Syria had not been addressed. Many of the 'insurgent' strongholds had not been dispersed. Iran had not installed Ahmadinejad as President and become an even larger threat, for which a democratic Iraq as counterbalance becomes even more important.

In fact, virtually all of the factors that could influence your opinion point more away from the war being a mistake than a year ago. So why the drop in support for the war? Could it be that the MSM and Democrats have been consistently and doggedly ignoring any and all good news, and trumpeting all bad news, even going so far as to 'celebrate' the 2000th American soldier killed?

The deterioration of public opinion is much more the result of the war against the war, rather than a result of the war itself.