Americans happier about Iraq: poll (Mission Accomplished!)

[ProSense]

Americans happier about Iraq: poll

WASHINGTON (AFP) - Americans are growing increasingly optimistic about developments in Iraq, according to a new poll published Tuesday amid signs of US military progress in the war and a monthly decline in troop deaths.

Some 48 percent of those polled by the Pew Research Center thought that the US military effort in Iraq was going very well or fairly well, up from June when only a third of Americans thought things were going well.

But rising favorable sentiment about the war among the US public is failing to translate into a boost in support for keeping troops in Iraq.

By 54 to 41 percent, Americans in the poll favored bringing troops home as soon as possible rather than keeping them in Iraq until the situation stabilizes -- a balance of opinion barely changed from earlier in the year.

more

Bush is still trying to pull the wool over Americans' eyes on Iraq. Can he succeed?

Success!



Edited typo

[rodeodance]

1. i think he is succeeding to some extent--but americans still want troops OUT.

[sabra]

2. 54 to 41 percent, Americans in the poll favored bringing troops home as soon as possible n/t

[AndyA]

3. Hey, America: what about the dead/maimed troops?

They will never get their lives back, they will never get their missing body parts back. Is this now OK because after all the money that's been spent and all the lost lives, things now seem to be getting better?

Does that make it OK?

If it does, you aren't human.

[Downtown Hound]

4. More proof at just how gullible Americans really are to media spin

Casualties in Iraq are right where they have been throughout most of the war. They're just down from an astronomical surge that has lasted throughout much of this year because of the surge. The casualties in Iraq have always gone through periods of ups and downs. Currently they're slightly down, but no less than they've been at other periods in the war before they go back up again.

www.icasualties.org

[Javaman]

5. Zippity fucking doo dah, now can we pull the troops???? nt

[TwilightGardener]

6. If anyone's "happy" about Iraq, then that person's either evil or an idiot.

I've said before, now is the best time to push for an end to this occupation--leave when it's relatively calm, and the Iraqis aren't lobbing things at our troops as they leave. I'm heartened that a majority want us out--I don't think that will change. The expiration date on this disaster has come and gone a long time ago.

[Botany]

7. "They" have sold the lie .....

The surge worked and al Qaeda is on the run.

Same people who wrote and said:

The war will pay for it's self Paul Wolfowitz

6 days, 6 weeks, I doubt 6 months (the war would last) Rummy

".... Saddam Hussein recently sought significant quantities of uranium from Africa." *

We have turned the corner. Dick Cheney

We will be welcomed w/ sweets & rose petals Pearle (?)

Seals Rock! Katie C.

We are winning .... al Qaeda is on the run. Joe Liebermann

You do not want the smoking gun to be a mushroom cloud. Rice

NY Time Judy Miller

****************************

We are an army of occupation in a country that did not attack us and was not a threat.
But I can see it coming "they" will declare victory and start bringing the troops home
in 2008 with parades and a major media blitz.

[Disturbed]

9. Norman Mailer said about 50% of Americans are stupid.

Can that be correct? Yeah.

[warren pease]

20. So what's the deal with the other half?

I remember when 90+ percent of the public was solidly behind our war president. The fact that he was a dysfunctional imbecile on September 10, 2001 never seemed to come into play once "9/11 changed everything." Including his IQ, I suppose?

So that's 80 percent of the other half applauding the sockpuppet in chief for his testosterone-fueled chickenhawk-ness. Which all boils down to...

About 30 million people in this country are smart or street wise enough to recognize the smell of bullshit when it comes wafting their way. The other 270 million think it's perfume because mass media tells them so and can't wait to slather it all over their bodies.

So Mailer's estimate was a bit low -- by about 120 million people. Or maybe they're really rutabagas dressed up like people. That would explain much.


wp

[Hamlette]

8. I'm delighted that the number of deaths in Iraq seem to be down. Aren't you?

Now we should bring our troops home.

How does Bush spin we need to stay now? With the peace the surge "bought" the Iraqi government can fix all the problems on its own.

Bush can't have it both ways.

Shove his "success" down his throat instead of claiming it doesn't exist.

[ProSense]

12. Thrilled, but it's not the first time

2005
Jan 107
Feb 58
Mar 35

2006
Jan 62
Feb 55
Mar 31

2006
May 69
Jun 61
Jul 43

link



You're right, they should bring the troops home now.

[Union Thug]

10. So what? Violence is down for the moment...

It means nothing. It's a roller coaster ride and people never see the big picture, only the momentary dips and peaks.

And 'down' is relative. If it's such a cake walk, why aren't our Senators booking unguarded, unescorted vacation retreats in beautiful downtown Baghdad? What a joke.

[theredpen]

11. The Freepers wet dream is now their nightmare

I've followed the news of localized improvements, and they are welcome relief from the steady stream of horror that we've had for a while. On the other hand, things are hardly "OK" in Iraq. The question is, will things continue to improve or is this just the calm before the next great wave of horror?

My inner cynic says "horror," but my other inner cynic (I'm very cynical) says, "I hope it gets better and better." My inner humanitarian says that too, for obvious reasons, but why the cynic?

Even if the predictions of the biggest "surge is working" idiots come true, it will take the US nearly two years to withdraw the troops. Anyone who is paying attention knows that Bush fucked up and that Iraq was a disaster. For those (too many!) not paying attention, there will be the appearance that Iraq turned around when the Democrat took the Oval Office. It's like all the people who believe that Iran released it's American hostages in response to Ronald Reagan taking office. The truth was that the Carter administration had been working for a year to negotiate a release and the Republicans cut a secret deal with the Iranians to delay it so that Ronnie could take credit — and it worked. Even if the troops start coming home an hour after the new President is sworn in, the sheeple will give him or her credit.

Go surge!

[TwilightGardener]

13. You might be right, that the peace holds while we make our way out--

MY fear is that the violence will increase again as we withdraw, and another "surge" will be implemented, and this fresh disaster will happen on the Democratic President's watch--that's why I think Dems really need to get serious about starting a withdrawal process NOW, while it's calm-- well before the elections (when no cowardly candidate will want the boat rocked) and before a Dem administration.

[devilgrrl]

14. Oh! Let's break out the Victory Gin!!!!

[DemoTex]

15. I am reading Don Oberdorfer's "TET!" Here is why that is important now:

We are now in a period in Iraq somewhat comparable to the second half of 1967 in Viet Nam. Then, there was a lull in the enemy activity (NVA and VC), and the US whitewash and propaganda machine went into overdrive. Westmoreland was brought home several times in 1967 to act as a cheerleader for the war. The lull was attributed to (and used for justification for) the massive build-up in ground forces and the massive bombing campaigns in Viet Nam.

But the lull was, indeed, part of the plan of the North Vietnamese. They decided in July 1967 to throw it all into a general offensive and general uprising in early 1968 (around Tet, the lunar New Year). Some of the notable battles of the Fall of 1967 (Dak To, Tay Ninh) were NVA/VC preparations and probings for the Tet general offensive.

A big difference between Viet Nam then and Iraq now, is the press. The US press in 1967 was much more skeptical about the outcome of Viet Nam than the main-stream-media reporting we see from Iraq now. That is because the Bu$h administration has been somewhat successful in controlling the media since the get-go. That was LBJs wet-dream in 1967.

Iraq is not pacified now any more than Quang Tri provence was in 1967. The shit hit the fan on January's end 1968, after the much touted US successes of 1967. The same thing happened again in 1970-71. US casualties went down (they crowed!) in the summer of 1971, suckering the remaining US forces and the hapless ARVN (Army of the Republic of Viet Nam .. our allies) into the Easter Offensive of 1972.

It's complicated, and not exactly apples and apples; but the arrogance, hubris, and perfidy of the US remains the same. Only the names have changed.

[Johonny]

16. nothing politically has happened

The whole point of the surge was to give the Iraqi government breathing space to begin to function as a government. Yet politically nothing significant has happened. American soldier’s deaths appear to go up and down throughout the conflict, but the Iraqi government is no more a stable political body now than it was 2-3 years ago. The only real change is the US economy is going into a down turn and the "real" cost of the war is about to be felt by every (nearly) American. The war needs to end because: we can't afford it, the Iraqi people simply do not support it, the world community doesn't support it, and it's left the US a much weaker nation both in terms of our economy and our military readiness to fight a real threat. None of this is different then 2-3 years ago, so there is frankly no reason to get excited about Iraq.

[blues90]

17. Why don't these polls ask

Exactly what people think this mission is ?. Mission , my ass , it's a takeover and mass murder for oil and if this is a mission americans are proud of and support then take me off the list of americas citizens .

[Cha]

18. Nothing's changed..it was

wrong to go in and nothing good or successful will come of it..nor will there be a "victory"..this is all bogus shit so they can bomb Iran.

And were these polls taken from people who are fed fauxnoise bullshit and cnn crapnoisenooze?

[bdamomma]

19. this is sickening, are people believing this propaganda

being pushed by this thuggish regime we have.

[NashVegas]

21. Anyone Compare News Coverage Minutes?

I think people are happier about the Iraq situation because they aren't having to hear about it so much.