The headline on a USA Today report on a poll reads: “Public Not Swayed by Petraeus.” The headline might just as well have been: “More People Approve Petraeus Plan than Don’t.” The MSM wasn’t swayed, but if you look at the actual poll percentages, there’s good news rather than bad for the Bush administration.
For example:
Forty-three percent say Petraeus’ plan would withdraw “the right amount” of troops; 36% say it withdraws too few; 9% says it withdraws too many. Similarly, 42% say the plan would withdraw troops at the right pace; 33% call it too slow; 12% call it too fast.
Look at the numbers: 54 % think that the Petraeus withdrawal plan is good or too fast – meaning a majority of Americans don’t favor a more rapid withdrawal than the general. This is terrific news for the administration.
Here’s something else:
The results are consistent with a Pew Research Center poll taken last week. In that poll, 57% of those who heard something about Petraeus’ report approved of his recommendations, but just 16% said his testimony made them more optimistic about the war.
Look at the numbers: More than half polled, 57 %–approved of his recommendations? If the majority weren’t swayed, they liked what they heard. And 16 % feel more optimistic about the war than before Petraeus’s testimony. Dear Reader, that’s huge.