Will the high turnout and peaceful Iraqi election affect US opinion?

[win_in_06]

Or will Americans continue to demand a quick end to this?

[OrangeCountyDemocrat]

1. Things Are Getting Better....

Do you honestly believe we'll hear anything other than rosey stories about freedom being on the march? I'm just sorry that I have to coexist with so many idiots who will act like sheep and believe everything they hear and are told. I am sad there are so many IDIOTS in this country, and they'll NEVER EVER LISTEN to reason or honesty.

[ClintonTyree]

2. I don't think the election will have much of an effect.......

on anyone's opinion. Peoples' minds are pretty much made up about this issue and some half-assed election isn't going to sway them.

[Nimrod2005]

3. Good outcome? I will be saying great, now let's bring them home...

[win_in_06]

4. "Successful Election" Now Bush can execute Murtha's Plan and take credit

"The heavy participation by the Sunnis, who had shunned balloting last January, bolstered U.S. hopes of calming the insurgency enough to begin withdrawing its troops next year."

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/10426494/

[TallahasseeGrannie]

5. Yes. Now we can leave.

[Porcupine]

6. The "Iraqi Government" gets seat assingments for evacuation.....

the same day they are sworn in. Only Flat Earthers in the US believe that there is any functional Iraqi government. As long as US body counts continue to rise and it's clear that americans are restricted to their forts and armored convoys we're losing.

To believe we are winning I would have to see evidence that an clearly identified US citizen can survive on foot in Baghdad.(No the Green Zone doesn't count) Right now we are just counting the days until the bugout.

[win_in_06]

7. We won't know until after we're gone. Will the Iraqi govt hold up

without us?

[Porcupine]

10. They have to be guarded by US troops or foriegn mercenaries

What more proof do you need? Their own people cannot be trusted to maintain their security.

[win_in_06]

13. Or US mercenaries

[Lexingtonian]

8. uh, yes to both things

Yes, we'll probably see quite a few people go back over to Bush's optimism about Iraq. At first. He'll get up to 38% or 42% support on his Iraq policy again.

Yes, we'll probably see people give up on Bush's optimism and policies on Iraq entirely. In a few weeks, as the 'democracy' there craps out. And Bush Iraq policy support goes to 32%.

It's how the politics of benefit of the doubt work. The January elections this year got Bush all his Indie support back fully- from 50% nationally to a 57% level- and then it went away, numbers deflated to 38%, as it all proved to be dysfunctional and no solution in Indie eyes. Now it's the moderate Republicans' turn to get their hopes up and wishful thinking invested in a last ditch effort to create Iraqi 'freedom and democracy'- and watch it succumb to Iraqi realities too. Enough of the Iraqis with real power in the country- a subset of the various sheikhs, ayatollahs, warlords- have no desire to let such a thing succeed, and there are historical grievances too deep to paper over with oil money or wash away with merely the blood of Saddam Hussein and his sons alone.

Domestically it's the Bush people buying themselves time to get the heat off themselves and few more little things passed on Party line unity in Congress (i.e. Iraq spending bills to benefit their Dallas buddies and Patriot Act/torture use extensions to keep the War On Terror part of the Treasury-looting scam running), but the price exacted for it is that in March or April at latest (imho) their Party is solidly and irrevocably split on Iraq, and then withdrawal becomes a certainty. But the Bush people know the clock is always running down on them, the game is always about extracting something more from people close to wising up and giving up all support for them.

[MrBenchley]

9. Probably not...

I doubt it will change anything in Iraq either....

[TheGunslinger]

11. Not unless the death toll stops

[win_in_06]

12. Let's hope it does. We've lost enough Americans and Iraqis.