We believe that the misinterpretation of American sentiment is wilful on the part of the MSM, as this snippet from Scott Rasmussen’s GOP Generation polling question shows:

82% of Republicans and 52% of Democrats want the US to use the same or greater force in fighting in Iraq. The key point is that substantial numbers of both Democrats and Republicans want the US to use more military force — 47% of Republicans and 34% of Democrats want use much more force to wipe out what needs wiping out and then come home. These people are incredibly frustrated that towns in Iraq where American soldiers are killed are not obliterated from the face of the earth. Many of them furthermore understand that it is merely a fantasy that Fallujah be treated like Dresden, Tokyo or maybe Nagasaki, but that’s the way they feel when they see the bad guys or Iraqi ingrates on TV. We understand why the anti-war crowd wants to delude itself about the meaning of falling poll numbers on Iraq. Why does the MSM choose to play along?

UPDATE

Ron Fournier asks and almost answers the question in his AP story:

It’s still not clear whether Cindy Sheehan’s effort was the start of a lasting anti-war movement or a fleeting summertime story fueled by media-savvy liberal interest groups.

Sheehan left the camp Thursday, rushing to the side of her mother, who had had a stroke in California. She said she would be back if possible before Bush leaves his ranch for Washington on Sept. 3.

While her backers maintain the vigil in Texas, Republican Party leaders are worried that the so-called Peace Mom has brought long-simmering unease over Iraq to a boil by galvanizing anti-war activists. They fear that protests will strike a chord with the large number of Americans who have long felt uneasy about the war yet have been giving Bush the benefit of the doubt.

The president’s falling poll numbers — less than 40 percent approve of his handling of Iraq — could drop further, threatening his military plans in Iraq, his agenda at home and Republican political prospects in the 2006 congressional and gubernatorial elections.

Hope springs eternal in the hearts of the MSM — even if they have to misinterpret the polls to sustain it.

This entry was posted on Friday, August 19th, 2005 at 10:38 am and is filed under Democrats, General, Left of Left, Republicans, War. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.