Cut and Run? Polling Says No

I hope that this is one poll that folks pay attention to (actual polling data is here) Hat Tip: Balloon Juice.

Democrats fumed last week at Vice President Cheney’s suggestion that criticism of the administration’s war policies was itself becoming a hindrance to the war effort. But a new poll indicates most Americans are sympathetic to Cheney’s point.

Seventy percent of people surveyed said that criticism of the war by Democratic senators hurts troop morale — with 44 percent saying morale is hurt “a lot,” according to a poll taken by RT Strategies. Even self-identified Democrats agree: 55 percent believe criticism hurts morale, while 21 percent say it helps morale.

I have always wondered how anyone would think that talking about cutting and running would actually improve morale. Does this question really ask people that if the troops thought that they'd be able to come home sooner rather than later that morale would improve?

Meanwhile, Sen. John Warner suggests that the President should broadcast regular updates on the war. Capital idea.

"I think it would be to Bush's advantage," said Warner, who served in the Navy during the war.

"It would bring him closer to the people, dispel some of this concern that understandably our people have, about the loss of life and limb, the enormous cost of this war to the American public," he said.

Bush plans a speech Wednesday at the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, Md., on the fight against terrorism.

The Senate voted 79-19 on Nov. 15 to urge the Bush administration to explain publicly its strategy for success in Iraq and to provide quarterly reports on policy and military operations. A call for a plan to set a phased withdrawal of troops, which Bush opposes, was dropped from the nonbinding resolution when Republicans and some Democrats objected.

I believe that one of the reasons that many of the polls about the conduct of the war and the Administration in general are skewed negative is because the Administration doesn't do enough to promote the positive steps taken. While Democrats will carp on the spin, there are plenty of positive stories that come out of Iraq and Afghanistan that the media has picked up, but the blogosphere has been all over because the big media outlets much rather cover the bombings and bodybags (though not of the terrorists).

UPDATE:
Instapundit has a blogosphere roundup, including some tidbits relating to the inverse Vietnam effect. The military is purposefully limiting the positive news, lest they be seen as spinning the successful operations - overcompensating for the effects seen in Vietnam. Ace also notes the polling data.