In the latest CNN poll, an amazing 68% of the American people say they oppose the idea of the U.S. taking military action in Iran. That's stunning for two reasons.
One is that in the past, we as a people were usually supportive of any war and of the need to fight it. We usually had to get into a war and have it devolve into an unwinnable quagmire before the opposition reached anywhere near 68%.
But the second is that I don't think anyone has made much of a case for that war yet, not even those who are gung ho for us to start shelling over there. People know very little about why Iran is a problem and what a U.S. military action against the country might seek to accomplish. At this point, the poll ought to have an overwhelming "Don't Know" response, rather than the 6% it does. I'd love to see that 68% group broken down into its reasons. How many are just so sick of Iraq that they don't want another war anywhere for a while? How many simply don't trust the Bush administration to lead us into any war?
In the last CNN poll on the matter, which was a few weeks ago, Bush's disapproval rating was 63% Maybe the 68% is just the 63% plus a few more people who soured on the guy after the State of the Union address.