It was the polls that got us into Iraq

The press is incredulous that President Bush pays no attention to their polls. Lex has noted in this space before that MSM polls are worthless. The MSM gins up these polls in an effort to create news rather than report it. MSM polls typically over-sample Democrats and ask questions that, to put it politely, are leading.

When they get the result the poll is designed to achieve, they flash ALERT on the screen and gush that the president’s approval rating is at an all time low. Only 36% of Howard Dean’s family thinks that Bush is more qualified to be president than Dean.

At Bush’s press conference on Tuesday, the press reminded the president that their polls indicated a frustration level with the war in Iraq here-to-fore unseen. Count me among those frustrated. But not for the reasons the press implies. I’m frustrated because we don’t carry the fight to the Syrian’s and Iranians. Do the MSM polls capture my frustration? No.

One poll was designed to gauge the support for the war among the troops. The press breathlessly reported that most troops believed that we ought to get out of Iraq in a year. Wow! Who knew? A bunch 18-23 year olds in 120 degree heat facing danger day in and day out would rather go home…in a year?

Gee, why not poll Lex’s 3rd grade son’s class and see if free ice cream should be served in the cafeteria everyday. Those results are bound to be as shocking as military men in combat wanting to go home. The shocker was that the majority said we should leave in one year not one of the lesser options offered in the poll.

Bush ought to go back and research the polls right before we went into Iraq. As I recall over 70% of Americans believed it was the right thing to do. A large majority of the population, as expressed by votes in the House (296-133) and Senate (77-23), were in support of going into Iraq.

The big story here is not the president’s steadfastness with regard to Iraq and the war on terror. The big story here is how duplicitous self-serving pols have moistened their fingers hoisted them into the wind of public opinion and staked out positions based on political expedience rather than principle. The big story is not Bush’s consistent stand on the war, but rather wavering wimps like Kerry, Murtha et al. Ted Kennedy is a paragon of virtue by comparison because his stance on the war has been consistent – albeit wrong.

So when Bush hears “America doesn’t support the war anymore” he ought to respond, “Great, I followed the polls and it got me into this mess, now what?” With regard to slumping approval numbers, the president ought to give one of those shoulder shrugging laughs he’s famous for and say, “Hey, the only poll that counts now was the one in November 2003. And by the way, the only group with a lower poll number than mine is yours - the MSM. S, when are you guys going to start doing your job?”