Reply #16: I used to think so [View All]

[hvn_nbr_2]

I used to say that 80-90% of Americans would support any war any time anywhere for any reason or no reason at all. And that any American president can improve his polls significantly simply by invading a small country. I think it's changing and has been very gradually changing since Viet Nam.

With Iraq, we saw an active peace movement even before the war started, and it took Americans a much shorter time to sour on the war than it took to sour on Viet Nam.

Now I'd guess that 60-70% instead of that 80-90%, in "normal" circumstances, but given the current mood about the Iraq war, I don't think it'll get more than 50% approval and probably won't lift Chimpie above 40% approval. Could even lower him. I think if he does with the intent of increasing his poll numbers, it will be a monumental miscalculation. It might increase them some, for a few weeks, until the blowback starts. Then, who knows, some jellyfish on Capitol Hill might start evolving into primitive vertebrates.