Some Iraq poll numbers

Gallup has some interesting poll results on Iraq. According to its poll, only about one-in-five Americans thinks President Bush will do the right thing in Iraq. This means that many who want to see our forces remain in Iraq in substantial numbers have lost faith in Bush. However, the Democrats have the faith of even fewer Americans than Bush. Only 14 percent think they will do the right thing in Iraq.
35 percent of those asked think the U.S. will eventually win the war. An additional 25 percent think we can win but probably won’t. 36 percent say we can’t win.
My view is that if winning means having a country in which Iraqis don’t kill one another in large numbers, then we’re unlikely to win any time soon. However, if winning means having a country no portion of which is controlled by those who threaten us or are closely aligned with those who threaten us, and which avoids widespread chaos, then I believe “victory” is quite attainable.
Via Real Clear Politics
JOHN adds: Gallup’s site has more details about the poll. The numbers emphasized by USA Today are those who “trust ____ a great deal” to recommend the right thing to do in Iraq. Only 18% trust the President “a great deal” to recommend the right thing, and only 14% trust the Democrats’ Congressional leaders “a great deal.” However, if you add together those who trust the President either “a great deal” or “a fair amount,” the numbers aren’t so bad: 46%. And they’re better yet for the Democrats, 58%. It’s interesting that the entity that is trusted by far the most on Iraq is the military: 81% trust “The U.S. military and defense department” to recommend the right thing in Iraq; 40% have a “great deal” of confidence in the military in this regard.
This suggests that the President’s position may not be so dire, as long as he aligns himself with the advice he gets from the military. If he announces publicly that he is going to implement the recommendations made by the Pentagon group that is currently conducting a policy review, it would seem that most Americans would follow his lead.

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