Day: December 8, 2006

Polls: Americans Agree Generally on Iraq Exit, Bush Worst President Ever

Buck Banks

Several ways out: As reported by National Journal’s PollTrack today, several recent polls show a marked preference among Americans for a measured pullout from Iraq, not a Vietnam-like mad dash. Most Americans agree that the botched war is pretty much due to George W. Bush’s utter incompetence.

Respondents seemed to think it’s still possible to make progress on the ground, although not possible to achieve victory as defined by the administration.

A new Associated Press/Ipsos Public Affairs survey finds that disapproval of the president’s policies on Iraq is at an all-time high of 71 percent. Bush apparently scores few points on non-Iraq policies as well; 64 percent disapprove of the job he is doing in general. That’s a slightly worse appraisal than the one given in mid-November.

It seems unlikely that Bush or Congress will embrace all 79 tenets of the Iraq Study Group’s long-anticipated report. But the two in particular the president has dismissed out of hand — drawing down U.S. forces over the next 15 months and bringing Iran and Syria into the discussion — are both policies Americans would like to see the administration pursue.

When asked about a timetable for withdrawing U.S. troops by mid-2007, a half-sample approved by 60 percent. But when presented with a timetable that calls for troops to leave within two years, 71 percent approved. The results suggest that Americans aren’t exactly itching to quit Iraq simply because they feel things aren’t going well there, as supporters of the war might put it. Rather, respondents seemed to think it’s still possible to make progress on the ground, although not possible to achieve victory as defined by the administration.

Nearly two-thirds said a “stable, democratic government” in Iraq was probably out of reach. Thirty-five percent felt that a democratic foothold in the Middle East was still possible; half of Republicans queried said so, compared with 22 percent of Democrats, according to AP’s analysis.

A poll commissioned by WorldPublicOpinion.org and conducted by the Program on International Policy Attitudes and Knowledge Networks also shows that Americans’ concern over Iraq has at least as much to do with the welfare of that country as U.S. interests. Fewer than two in 10 of those respondents wanted an immediate withdrawal within six months. A 40-percent plurality favored a one-year or two-year timeline, while 38 percent wanted a withdrawal only “as the security situation improves.”

An overwhelming 79 percent backed a major summit on Iraq that would include the United States, Iraqi leaders and Arab nations. When asked if the United States should try to work with neighboring countries “with whom we have other disputes” on the problem of Iraq, three-quarters said yes — including 72 percent of Republicans. Those figures held when respondents were asked if such talks should be held with Syria.

On This Date – December 8

Jon Ponder

1969 – At a news conference on December 8, 1969, Pres. Richard Nixon announced that the war in Vietnam would soon be resolved. Just two month earlier, Nixon had announced at a conference in Midway that the United States would be following a new program he termed “Vietnamization.” Vietnamization has echoes of Pres. George Bush’s “stand-up, stand-down” strategy for Iraq in which the United States forces would redeploy as Iraqi forces became trained and ready to take their places. Nixon proved to be wrong, of course. In April 1970, he expanded the war by ordering US and South Vietnamese troops to attack communist sanctuaries in Cambodia. The resulting outcry across the United States led to a number of antiwar demonstrations-it was at one of these demonstrations that the National Guard shot four protesters at Kent State. The fighting in Vietnam continued until April 1975 when Saigon fell to the communists. [This Date]

St. McCain Hires Creator of Racist Ad to Be Campaign Manager

Jon Ponder

The Republican Party’s putative 2008 nominee St. John McCain has hired Terry Nelson as his campaign manager.

In the Tennessee senate campaign this year, Nelson produced the racist television commercial for Sen.-Elect Bob Corker that depicted a blonde actress who says she met Corker’s opponent, former Rep. Harold Ford, who is black, at a “Playboy party.” Toward the end of the ad, she whispers seductively, “Harold, call me.”

Before the ad ran in Tennessee, Ford was slightly ahead or even with Corker in the polls. After the ad was up for a week or two, Ford’s polling sank permanently to double digits behind Corker, a real estate developer who had served as mayor of Chattanooga.

Nelson and his company were fired by Wal-mart’s advertising department after the ad ran because it was considered to be racist.

First Lady Dress Faux Pas

Jon Ponder

The Bush era’s “Walmart-ification” of America was symbolized at a White House reception last Sunday, December 3, 2006, for the Kennedy Center Honors gala event, when First Lady Laura Bush and three other women showed up wearing the same dress:

With guests in the spotlight at the exclusive White House receptions that go with the ceremony, the designer gowns are always scrutinized. And on Sunday, four women at the reception wore the exact same $8,500 Oscar de la Renta dress, Mrs. Bush among them.

Letitia Baldridge, Jacqueline Kennedy’s chief of staff and White House social secretary, says the gown was beautiful, but oh, what a faux pas!

“They all should have congratulated one another on their good taste and the fact that they could afford the dress. … Jacqueline Kennedy, when she was first lady, made sure, and her couturiers made sure, that nobody else wore that dress that season.”

Laura Bush is no Jackie Kennedy, that’s for sure.