Iraq Views Improve, Small Bounce for Bush After Zarqawi's Death

[ECH1969]

Americans are now more positive about the way things are going in Iraq than in the past few months, following the killing of Abu Musab al-Zarqawi and President Bush's brief visit to the country. Optimism about the U.S. achieving its goals in Iraq, which sagged in the spring, has rebounded.

A 53% majority now says the military effort in Iraq is going at least fairly well, up from 47% in April and an all-time low of 43% in March. Nearly half of Americans (48%) now say that the U.S. is making progress in defeating the insurgents militarily, compared with 36% who say we are losing ground. In March, the public's views were nearly reversed ­ 36% said we were making progress defeating the insurgents while 51% said we were losing ground.

However, the positive news from Iraq has had a limited effect on Bush's standing with the public. Bush's job approval stands at 36%, compared with 33% in April, and since March he has gained modestly on terrorism and the war in Iraq.

Zarqawi's death did attract broad public attention, with seven-in-ten following news of his killing either very closely (37%) or fairly closely (35%). An increasing number also believe the effort in Iraq has helped the war on terrorism (44%, up from 38% in April).

http://people-press.org/reports/display.php3?ReportID=278

[cliss]

1. It just goes to show you....

the Americans are easily swayed.

[reality based]

3. Homeschooled

at least with respect to critical thinking. P.T. Barnum has found the mother lode.

[coalition_unwilling]

4. No, it goes to show that A. Lincoln was correct: "You can fool

all of the people some of the time and some of the people all of the time . . ."

[MADem]

2. Gee, wonder how they feel after those two kids at the checkpoint

turned up dead???

[marmar]

5. This week's horror show will take care of those numbers...

and yes, many Americans are easily led sheep.

[Tempest]

7. The brutal killing of the two U.S. soldiers

Will bring Bush's and the war's numbers back down.

[gratuitous]

8. If it's within the Margin of Error, there's no bounce

But something tells me the polling folks will wait several days before asking again. Decapitated soldiers just glooms everyone out for some reason in a way that gold-framed death photos can't quite overcome. You'd think brutal death and destruction would have the same salutary effect on Bush's poll numbers regardless of who's being killed, but public opinion is a tricky thing.

[Supersedeas]

11. but that doesn't stop the Media cheerleaders from calling it a bounce

[pinniped]

6. Stupid Merkans.

Duped and duped again by the great cabal.

Tell them there's a boogeyman and they all fall for it.

[hadrons]

9. I guess the "bounce" is for those who WANT to believe Zarqawi's death

will change something

[Felix Mala]

10. He can't pull stunts like the hasty Iraq visit (and departure) every week

[acmavm]

12. Bullshit.