Ah yes, Tisdall and his "silenced majority" -- is he borrowing phrases from Nixon? -g-
But he's hanging his hat on some mighty thin reeds.
The latest month-on-month Gallup shows support for military action dropping towards 50% despite the vast weight of official propaganda reworking last year's still resonant trauma. If a unilateral war without allies or UN backing is postulated, as in this week's New York Times/CBS poll, a clear majority opposes Bush.
As even the news pages of the Guardian now admit, the three conditions that worry Americans -- Congressional approval, allies, and UN approval -- are all going to be satisfied. Congress is a done deal, all we are now discussing in the UNSC is the price, and regional allies (plus the Anglo contingient -- the Brits, Canadians, and Australians) are on board. Given those conditions, Gallup lists support for the war between 69% and 79%, depending on the question:
If other countries participate in invading Iraq
Support 79
Oppose 18
If the United Nations supports invading Iraq
Support 79
Oppose 19
If Congress supports invading Iraq
Support 69
Oppose 28
gallup.com
As for the American economy being a top concern to voters, of course it is. Domestic issues don't go away just because there are foreign policy issues. But that doesn't justify the NY Times' efforts or Tisdall's me-too efforts to say that the American public is having its 'will' traduced by Bush's foreign policy initiatives. |
