We are constantly told by the Left that the American people support their efforts to get the United States out of Iraq as quickly as possible. The Netroots demand that Congress put more pressure on the White House, since Americans supposedly stand with them on pushing for withdrawal on a timetable faster than that of General Petraeus and the military commanders.
But is that really what the American people think? One indication that they don't is that Democrats in Congress are reluctant to follow the direction. The Congressional leadership recognizes that in the abstract, the people want our troops to come home. But they also know that there are other goals--like a stable Iraq, the prevention of genocide, and the defeat of al Qaeda. When they consider all factors, it becomes clear that the American people don't just want the troops home as quickly as possible.
This week there's a Gallup poll that suggests that the American people are likely to be content with the White House plan for troop reductions:
One interpretation of these findings is that any plan that includes withdrawal has a good chance of gaining at least initial support from Americans. The way the basic questions about the two plans were structured, respondents may not have assumed that they were being asked if one plan was better than another, but rather about each plan as an option in and of itself. Some opponents of the war, in other words, may have felt that some plan to begin withdrawing troops from Iraq was better than no plan at all.
The data do show a slight preference for the plan that speeds up troop withdrawal to the point where most troops would be gone within the next nine months. But that preference is apparently not so rigid that many of those who favor that option would not support a slower plan as well.
In general, these data suggest that Bush administration policy in Iraq is well within the acceptable range for the American public. The results seem to suggest that as long as the administration is beginning the process of withdrawing at least some troops from Iraq, a majority of the American public will be satisfied.
On the Left, critics of the war point to the poll's finding that when given a choice between a faster and slower withdrawal, a slight majority favor a faster withdrawal:
If you had to choose, which plan would you say you favor -- reducing troop levels to 130,000 by next summer and not committing to further reductions until that time, (or) withdrawing most U.S. troops from Iraq within nine months' time?
Reducing troop levels and not committing to further reductions: 44%
Withdrawing most troops within 9 months' time: 53%
But the choices given don't match reality. The administration's plan is not to "not commit" to further reductions until next summer. The plan is to continue evaluating progress on the ground, and to recommend further reductions when circumstances dictate. One possible milestone to look at comes in March, when General Petraeus and Ambassador Crocker have said that they will deliver another Iraq progress report. If the security situation continues to improve and Iraq makes greater progress toward political reconciliation, it's likely that there will be additional reductions.
In particular, this points up the risks to Democrats of forcing a precipitous withdrawal. If the American people are content with the current plan--as they evidently are--do Democrats really want to take on the political risk of forcing a dramatic course change, especially of it leads to more trouble in Iraq?
